“Lifelong learning is fundamental to building strong communities, companies, and economies.” This is a quote from a Harvard Business Review article published in its May-June 2018 issue entitled Why Lifelong Learning Matters More than Ever. In 2018, we could not have foreseen the circumstances under which we’d be managing in just two short years.
The article discusses how life long learning can go a long way toward helping us solve the skills shortage. There are more and more learning possibilities available to our employees, and during the pandemic we currently find ourselves in, everyone is having to get up to speed on technology and doing things virtually. That includes learning. People have been using their time in isolation to brush up on numerous learning opportunities. We’re all learning how to be more effective in virtual meetings. With webinars becoming more frequent events, there’s an opportunity to learn how to be an efficient presenter and an active participant.
Manager’s Tip: Life-long learning is a critical issue which we discuss in The Manager’s Answer Book:
Question: “I want to encourage my employees to continue to learn and grow. What can I do to help them see the importance of continuous learning?”
Answer: “Share what you’re learning with your staff. You can do this in a staff meeting by taking a few minutes to share a book, article, or other resource you’ve found to be helpful. If your employees seem receptive, it is a great idea to ask everyone to read a particular article or watch a specific video and then discuss it when you next meet. This is an easy way to get your employees interested in expanding their knowledge or skill base.”
There are so many ways to learn using available technologies, including:
- Webcasts
- Podcasts
- YouTube
- Online articles
- Audio books
- TED Talks
For more on this subject, see page 99 of The Manager’s Answer Book, available from Amazon -- https://tinyurl.com/y8umaqpz - Barnes & Noble or your local independent bookstore.
Finally, a shoutout to Next Generation Indie Book Awards. The Manager’s Answer Book is a proud 2020 Winner in their Career Book category. The staff did an excellent job of conducting a virtual awards ceremony last month on Facebook Live. A learning opportunity for them.
