Every day I make time to learn something new. Whether I ask for feedback on my work, listen to other’s suggestions, or read up on business trends. I love to ask questions and strive to understand new material.
In our constantly changing world, it’s necessary to keep up to date on current trends in our business. We want to stay qualified in our field not only to keep us in business, but keep us ahead of our competition.
To learn, we have to listen.
The lips of the wise speak knowledge, But the fool does not understand.
A fool’s way seems right in his sight, But a wise man listens to advice.
A fool despises his father’s correction, But he who regards reproof acts wisely.
Listen to advice and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your later life.
~Proverbs 15:7
After reading this quote, did you see the contrast between the wise person and the fool? Not being aware of the value and importance of listening and learning we doom ourselves to recreate the same patterns of thinking over and over, refusing to grow and learn new ways of thinking and doing things.
Really listening takes focus and conscious effort. Though we like to give information, it is important being open to receiving information too. The exchange of information with others is what allows us to learn, develop, and improve all our skills.
Though it’s hard to admit, we do not know everything about everything in our field of business. Admitting we do not know is not only the first step to learning, it will open the pathway to learning.
Whether the skills we want to learn or improve are human interaction skills, computer skills, foreign language skills, communication skills, or any other skill, being open to learning and improving leads to success in business and your career.
Entrepreneurs, leaders, and managers must be open to learning new skills.
The Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) published a paper on Learning Agility. According to SIOP, the success of your leadership, management, or entrepreneurial performance is based on your level of learning agility.
What is learning agility?
It’s your desire and ability to learn from experience, and then apply that learning to other situations.
According to SIOP, there are five different styles of learning agility. These styles are measurable and seen in successful leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs.
- People agility – being open-minded and self-aware
- Results agility – being adaptable, flexible, and having the drive to complete jobs
- Mental agility – being curious and finding solutions to difficult problems
- Change agility – enjoying experimentation and trying new things
Leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs who exhibit these learning qualities take control of their learning. They are always on the lookout for opportunities to grow, looking for feedback on their work, and continually engaging in self-reflection and evaluation. Being willing to change, learning from experience, exhibiting resiliency, and being comfortable moving away from habits and routines are all pathways to learning.
Take time to look at your past mistakes and be willing to learn from them. Open your ears, close your mouth, and listen to others that have more knowledge than you in the areas you want to learn about.
If you want to improve your learning agility:
- Get out and meet new people.
- Surrounding yourself with well educated people.
- When someone gives you advice, be willing to listen to what they are saying.
- Failure is a part of learning. Do not be afraid of it, but embrace it and learn from it.
- Work on weaknesses that you have in your field and find new ways to learn more about them.
One of the best ways to learn is having a flexible mind and admitting we don’t know everything. Allowing for this flexibility gives us the OK to learn as we go. Take time to use self-reflection and look at your thoughts and actions and the result of those thoughts and actions. How can you improve or have a better outcome?
What do you do to learn everyday? Do you read, talk to others, attend classes or do you have another way that helps you learn?
Hi, I’m Karen. Welcome to my website! I will show you how to establish the framework for an organized and successful leadership and office management system.
