Whether we’re excited to learn something new or not usually depends on whether the learning outcome aligns with our interests, goals and personal motivations. Is the reward worthy of the time and effort required? For example, I want to learn how to play the clarinet. I already play another instrument, have a love of music and I happen to own an unused clarinet. I’m highly incentivised to learn how to play it. But do I want to learn about Medieval England or develop the skills needed to tile my bathroom? No. (No offence to Medieval England enthusiasts and bathroom tilers!)
Pulling and Pushing
Learning is a personal thing. And learning at work is personal too. We are ‘pulled’ towards the activities which take us closer to where we want to be, and which satisfy our interests. We may gravitate towards honing existing skills to enable us to become expert in them, or we may consciously seek to expand our abilities by developing entirely new skills and knowledge.
However, no amount of ‘pushing’ us to learn things we don’t want to learn is truly effective. It’s one of the reasons why mandatory, compliance training is so unpopular and ineffective. And why kids who aren’t suited to traditional classroom learning tend not to achieve well at school. Moreover, it’s why people who have fallen out of love with their job, or who never wanted to be in that role in the first place, often fail to thrive and grow.
So how do we ignite the spark and enthuse people to learn what we need them to learn?
Follow the Energy
In conversation with the explorer and podcast host Sue Stockdale recently1, I learned the phrase ‘follow the energy’ in relation to inspiration for learning. Sue explained that it’s important to ask yourself, ‘where’s the energy?’ and to notice it in other people. If you observe the energy in the way someone speaks or asks about a topic you get an insight into how they feel about it. And if you can seek out the energy and encourage it - in yourself as well as in others - you are on the way to igniting that all-important learning spark.
Feeding our Curiosity
Human curiosity is a wondrous thing. If we’re interested, we ask questions. And even if we’re not that interested, questions are a great way into exploring a topic and can be a catalyst for prompting unexpected learning and engagement. Great questions are at the heart of how we learn, not just what we learn. So learning how to ask questions is a brilliant way to promote learning.
In our Scott Bradbury Sound Advice podcast ‘Being Curious’ Douglas Miller talks about the importance of asking different types of questions. He shares the story of how the Nobel prize-winning physicist Isidor Issac Rabi became a scientist because when he was a child, his mother asked him what great questions he’d asked that day, rather than what he’d learned. She nurtured his curiosity.
Questions help us to better understand the people and the world around us. By being interested in other people and learning to listen (another of our podcasts is ‘Listen Up!’) we learn without even realising we’re doing it. Igniting the learning spark can be subtle; building an enquiring mind is a valuable skill for lifelong learning.
Emotion
I’ve already alluded to how learning is personal. And the advent of AI-powered personal learning pathways and learner-centric prompts are certainly helpful in improving relevance and timeliness whilst also matching learning activity to operational need.
But learning is emotional as well as personal. And emotion is a complicating factor in learning. If you are frightened, annoyed, demoralised, bored or otherwise discouraged, you’re not likely to be in the best frame of mind to learn. Conversely, when you are fully engaged, keen and motivated, you’re not only open to acquiring new skills and knowledge, you’re also much more likely to succeed.
We tend to learn quickly and enthusiastically when faced with a challenge we enjoy and which moves us forward to where we want to get to. We’ll even be motivated to learn things that aren’t appealing to us, so long as the advantages of the learning take us closer to achieving our ambitions, or satisfy separate drivers such as securing a promotion, enhancing our reputation, or earning more money.
Getting the Learning Habit
If we recognise that learning is powered by our energy and our emotion, we can use that to support personal development. We need to give people reasons to want to learn. And we need to help them use their energy to fulfil those desires. One way of doing this is by providing a regular pattern of learning, so that it becomes habitual. And you can get people started by encouraging them to learn something that is directly helpful to them personally, so there is a clear ‘pull’ towards the learning.
In our video Agreeing Development Objectives we illustrate how learning for learning’s sake helps to promote a developmental mindset. Getting people into a regular learning habit is good for your organisation. In one sense, all development is in your organisation’s interests, regardless of what it is. People who are tempted to learning something for their own benefit are also much more likely to be open to learning something that’s directly in your organisation’s interests.
We know that where learners have been offered courses on topics of personal interest to them (be that dog grooming, fashion, interior design, cat behaviour or whatever) they are much more likely to want to try other topics more directly related to their job. Some organisations also incentivise learning through reward points and discount schemes. Whatever it takes to get people to proactively engage with learning on a regular basis is worth exploring.
Reflection
Whatever we learn, it’s important to reflect on our experience. Everyone is different – some people prefer to internalise and reflect quietly whilst others consolidate learning best by sharing and discussing with others. But whatever the personal approach, reflection is an essential component of the learning cycle. And it’s one that is frequently overlooked. This is a problem because much of the value from the learning is lost if it isn’t considered and applied appropriately. There is little point in igniting the learning spark if you don’t nurture, reinforce and celebrate it.
At any Age
Learning is lifelong. It’s a truism. But it’s worth reflecting on that too!
Proactive learning is important for everyone. Whatever the age demographic of your workforce, it’s essential that learning is promoted for all. Whether you’re just starting out on your career or moving towards retirement, learning remains essential. Not just because in a rapidly changing workplace you need all your people to embrace new skills but also because learning is good for morale and wellbeing. Simply because someone is moving towards the end of their career, or is in a senior position, doesn’t mean they can throttle back on learning. And indeed, the older you get the more you realise you don’t know! Embracing our ignorance as a means for developing our wider understanding is something that Rory Stewart has been exploring in his recent BBC podcast, ‘The Long Story of Ignorance’2.
One of the things I’ve observed in my many years in learning and development, is that senior people tend to think that their organisation’s learning provision isn’t for them. People in senior roles can feel embarrassed about not knowing something, or not being skilled in an area where they believe they should be proficient. The best senior managers lead by example by revealing their ignorance and publicly embracing their need to continue learning. Wisdom is in acknowledging what we don’t know and wanting to find out.
As I come towards the end of my sixth decade on this planet, I am more aware than ever of everything I don’t know. I’m not about to tile my bathroom any time soon, but the clarinet beckons. What’s motivating you to learn?
For a free trial of WATCH & GO® resources, including titles on ‘curiosity’, ‘optimising learning experiences’, ‘listening skills’, ‘career development’ and much more, please go to: https://www.scottbradbury.co.uk/free-trial/
Catherine de Salvo
2 September 2024
You can contact Catherine at catherine@scottbradbury.co.uk or via LinkedIn
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Sue Stockdale www.suestockdale.com Speaker at the forthcoming online Scott Bradbury Dolphin Forum 1 October 2024, and guest of our podcast ‘Powerful AI Prompts’.
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Rory Stewart The Long History of Ignorance https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0020xyx
Scott Bradbury WATCH & GO® resources that are relevant to this article:
Optimising Learning Experiences
Your Career, Your Responsibility (release date November 2024)