I have trained exam courses for over 20 years, so I lots of experience in what motivates people to learn.
Often people come to me in a panic, because they want to apply for a new job, or they are in danger of losing their current role through restructuring.
They realise that they haven’t gained any new qualifications in a long time, and that puts them in a poor position, especially when their application is evaluated by AI for keywords, including the names of relevant qualifications.
As a new trade war erupts, there is a risk we are entering a new era of recession. No-one really saw this coming, but it is another example of change happening to us whether we like it or not.
For this reason, I think we need to always be prepared for changes at work. The time for an “all or nothing” approach to career development is over.
What I mean by the “all or nothing” approach is those learners who at risk of losing their role, or who have been made redundant, and take several courses all at once to update their skills.
There is nothing wrong with that. Whenever I have been between jobs, I always book in training, as it is an effective use of time and keeps me connected to others, which is reassuring.
But..it is the nothing part of “all or nothing” that bothers me. As soon as they have a new role, they immediately fall back into “I don’t have time to learn anything new” or “I don’t have any need for this now”.
Whenever I see this, I am so disappointed, because it means that person has not learnt from their experience.
They do not know when the next change is coming, so instead of being reactive, when they are forced into the need for learning, they would benefit from being pro-active, and establishing a continuous learning habit.
I was working with someone recently who commits 15 minutes of her day, every day to her personal development. She admits that not every 8am session gets her attention, but because she has 5 sessions booked every week she does get at least 2 opportunities, sometimes 3 chances a week to invest in herself.
Sometimes this is reading papers and articles, or listening to part of a webinar. Sometimes she works through one of my master classes, as each module is designed for a 15 minute rapid skills-build.
Sometimes, having this session booked in means she has time to think about what she needs, so she looks ahead and books in more formal training courses for later in the year.
The point is, she is giving herself the time and space to focus on herself.
Another person who has adopted a similar approach, instead using every Friday morning for an hour of personal development. What triggered this commitment was attending my Neuroscience for Change course last year and realising that learning generates significant energy and motivation. So it is not just the benefit of the skills she learns, but there are benefits from learning that have a longer term impact on how she feels about her work.
If any of this sounds like you, it is time to take action.
Adopt a “little and often” approach, not just to your development, as described above, but also to sharing your progress. This ensures information about you is up to date, regularly refreshed and makes you look in control of your own brand.
It demonstrates you prioritise, you plan and you are organised about your own career development. These are attractive qualities for anyone hiring – who wouldn’t want to bring you into their team?
Use my master class series for a quick hit of new skills. As you complete each one, you are awarded a digital badge, so you can easily share your success across social media, and add the badge to your email footer.
You don’t know when the next change is coming, so always be prepared.
