Human beings have an astonishing ability to learn, but our motivation to do so tends to decrease with age, particularly in adulthood. As children, we are naturally curious and free to explore the world around us. As adults, we are much more interested in preserving what we learned, to the point of resisting any information — and data — that challenges our views and opinions. Unsurprisingly, there is now big demand for employees who can demonstrate high levels of “learnability,” the desire and ability to quickly grow and adapt one’s skill set to remain employable throughout their working life. This demand has been turbocharged by the recent technological revolution.
Take Control of Your Learning at Work
Today’s jobs and careers often handicap our ability to learn, demanding consistent levels of high-performance and focusing our energies on attaining results rather than broadening our skillset. Instead of genuinely promoting a learning culture, most employers obsess over results, demanding higher and higher levels of efficiency and performance, which can be the biggest barrier to curiosity and learning. Most people don’t include “learning potential” as one of the key criteria when they choose their job, but you should. Even if you work for a company that values learning, you need to own your own learning process. It’s up to you to set aside the necessary time to learn. Too often we equate learning with formal training or education, but some of the biggest learning opportunities are organic or spontaneous – they involve learning not from structured courses or training materials, but from peers, colleagues, bosses, and especially mentors.