Lifelong Learning
Have you ever attended a well thought it and prepared professional development event, either an in-person training workshop or online seminar, and felt inspired and excited while there only to get back to the workplace and feel at a loss with what to do with all of that information?
You diligently took notes, participated in a few breakout sessions, ran through all of the practice exercises and felt ready to put all you've learned to good use...yet it's similar to having that first baby. You read all the books, watch your friend's kids to gain some practice, maybe even got a dog first. You have the "I can do it" feeling. And then you get home from the hospital. Reality sets in.
Let's take a Microsoft Excel workshop about PivotTables.
You've wanted to learn what they are, what they do and how to use them in the workplace so you attend a workshop. It all seems great. Things are going well. You are on a roll! The workshop ends. Now what? How do you retain what you've learned and put it into practice?
Before you do anything, I'd like you to do one thing. Nothing. Let it marinate, as I like to say. Give yourself a good 24 hours to let all you've learned sink in a bit, meld all of the ingredients together. Take a walk. Watch a tv show. Don't think about it. Yet.
Next, after that 24 hour cooling off period, do the following 3 actions:
1️⃣ Apply those new skills right away. Grab some of your own data and dig in. Try to replicate what you learned using your data to see it in the real-world. Make a copy first, just in case. "Use it or lose it."
2️⃣ Share what you've learned. Don't be a gatekeeper. Have an informal discussion about something you learned with a colleague. Ask your supervisor if you can have provide a short summary presentation at your next department meeting.
3️⃣ Set follow-up goals to continue learning. Learning is not "one and done". We are lifelong learners and need to continuously seek out new opportunities to build upon what we've learned to keep that trajectory. Seek out online resources about what you learned. Watch some YouTube videos. Take more courses and workshops.
Don't squander a learning opportunity because you don't know what to do with it. Take your investment and turn it into something even better. Something that can grow and adapt and provide a foundation for future learning.
