Learning is a skill and it can be improved. Identifying your learning style and the methods that work for you is key. The more you use your brain the better it will work. Passing on what you know to others is a big help too – teaching someone else helps you to see not only how much you already know but also where your limitations and problem areas are.
Old dogs can learn new tricks, just keep on learning. The brain loves novelty, so don’t stick with what you already know, challenge yourself. Our brains are receptive organs and continue growing until we die, this is great news for those who want to go on learning – the brain thrives on learning.
Agile learning
Research conducted by Korn/Ferry International found that learning agile people “excel at absorbing information from their experience and then extrapolating from those to navigate unfamiliar situations.” In short, learning agility is the ability to learn, adapt, and apply ourselves in constantly morphing conditions.
The research suggests that “People who are learning agile: Seek out experiences to learn from; enjoy complex problems and challenges associated with new experiences because they have an interest in making sense of them; perform better because they incorporate new skills into their repertoire. A person who is learning agile has more lessons, more tools, and more solutions to draw on when faced with new business challenges.” (Hallenbeck et al, July 2011).
Learning agility comes from exposure to diverse ideas and challenges and social media facilitates this exposure. In the 21st century workplace jobs will be built around organisational relationships, collaboration, interaction and communication rather than the traditional top-down hierarchy. It’s about know-how and being able to react to change rather than specialisation. Lots of knowledge leveraged to the benefit of the global organisation and its people.
Learning is an essential part of doing business in our networked environment. We are responsible for our own learning in an environment where we are constantly connected. This is what makes humankind a world dominating success, the ability to share, communicate and collaborate.