Learning involves two important factors: willingness and ability. If you have boundless opportunities but no desire to assimilate the information, real learning won’t take place. Similarly, you can be eager but lacking in the appropriate skills; again, the opportunity will be lost.
Your success at learning depends on attitudes and experience. Is continuous learning marked by opportunities or obstacles for you? Take the following “Life Learner Quiz” to identify where you are around being a Lifelong Learner. Answer each question with a “Yes” or “No.”
Learning doesn’t just happen; it must be a conscious activity. Yes? No?
In general, people learn when they need to or have to. Yes? No?
My learning didn’t end when I graduated from school. Yes? No?
All jobs, no matter how routine, offer learning opportunities. Yes? No?
People learn better from success than mistakes. Yes? No?
It is my responsibility to create learning opportunities, not my company’s. Yes? No?
I can recall a valuable lesson learned at work in the past week. Yes? No?
There are opportunities for me to share learning and hear about the learning experiences of others in my workplace. Yes? No?
I keep learning logs to document lessons learned. Yes? No?
I place a high premium on learning. Yes? No?
Scoring Give yourself 2 points for each yes answer and 1 point for each no answer
18-20 points: You get an A for attitude! By recognizing that effective learning is conscious, committed to memory, and communicated, you are likely maximizing learning opportunities. By embracing continuous learning, you are taking responsibility for your own development and probably enjoying significantly higher levels of achievement.
14-17 points: Don’t leave learning to chance! You might appreciate the benefits of learning, but you may also need to make more of a conscious effort to retain lessons learned. Try to make one change to enhance your learning, such as keeping a learning log or sharing lessons learned with colleagues. You’ll enjoy a considerable return on your investment.
10-13 points: Don’t let learning lag! Continuous learning isn’t just a buzzword that will fade away next year. To keep pace with change, improve your productivity, and succeed in your business, you must develop your skills and learn on an ongoing basis. Don’t wait for someone else to provide learning opportunities – they’re all around you.
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What’s that expression…. The “cobbler’s children have no shoes?” While the origin of this phrase is unknown, the essence is that professionals in many given areas are so busy with their work for their clients or employees or anyone else that they fail to invest in to helping themselves. This is so commonly true for leaders. They fail to invest in their own professional development. The problem with that is that when leaders fail to put energy into their skills they get rusty, they continue bad habits, or they stop growing as a leader.