When I interview people about learning, they often tell me that they have learned through ‘the university of life’ and through experience. That’s true. You are learning all the time, even without consciously thinking about it. So, there is always time for learning.
The problem arises when people think they must make special time available for learning. If you’re studying for a degree at university, you have to dedicate a large chunk of your life to learning, in a formal and structured way. If you’re attending a workplace face-to-face training course, then clearly that time is set aside for the duration of the programme. But when it comes to developing yourself - particularly when that learning takes place online - that’s when learning can take a backseat. And it really does not need to.
It is possible to take control of your day and include perfectly timed, relevant learning. After all, if you’ve time to grab a cup of coffee, or time to say hello to a colleague, you’ve got a couple of minutes each day to dip into a useful video or learning nugget online - particularly when it addresses and helps you deal with a specific issue or problem you’re facing that day.
We all encounter tricky conversations or awkward situations at work - maybe a team member has been late twice this week; maybe a colleague is being ‘difficult’; or maybe a you’ve been promoted to a new role and you aren’t sure how to establish yourself within your new team.
Maybe you have a colleague who takes up too much of your time, or perhaps you have a manager who adds to your stress by ‘boss bombing’ you? A few minutes watching short videos showing how to handle these, and many more, situations give you greater confidence and make life at work much more productive and harmonious.
Take three or four minutes out of your day to watch the videos ‘What To Say When a Colleague Wants to Chat’ and ‘What To Say When Your Manager Gives You Too Much To Do’ for handy hints and tips on handling these scenarios. And when you’re feeling stretched and need more help, how about watching ‘What To Say When You Need Extra Resources’ for some useful pointers?
Short online videos make it easier to do your job well. And far from taking up time you don’t have, the learning you gain means you’ll use the time you do have available much more productively. For example, if you watch the video ‘Managing Your Time in the Modern Workplace’ you’ll pick up practical ideas you can apply right away. And if you manage other people, be sure to watch ‘Managing Other People’s Time’ too, to ensure you aren’t inadvertently making things worse.
You are in control of your time and how you use it at work. You can incorporate online learning into your daily activities without having to make special time available. Not having time is just a way of saying ‘I don’t want to learn’. And if learning is fun, relevant and perfectly timed to fit with your immediate needs, then it ceases to be a never-got-around-to chore. Take a look now and see how a few minutes of video learning integrated into your working day is easy and beneficial - there’s always time for ‘WATCH & GO’ video learning.
About WATCH & GO videos
WATCH & GO® videos show people how to perform better at work by illustrating practical phrases and key behaviours in just three or four minutes. There are around 60 titles, each dealing with a different management topic or ‘tricky’ situation. Learners simply ‘watch’ and ‘go’ to manage everyday situations at work. www.watchandgovideos.co.uk @WatchGoVideos video@scottbradbury.co.uk 01638 723590