Back to School is not for kids alone. Employers and employees can benefit as well.
The weather here in Connecticut is still rather summery, but the commercials have already begun to run for the sales occurring on back to school supplies. Many kids are trying to slow down time to savor their summer for a bit longer, but quite a few parents have the wisdom to know that returning to school to build on skills, abilities, and knowledge is a very exciting proposition and will better prepare their children for eventual careers, personal development, and general wisdom and insight. However, these same parents don’t always recognize the importance of their own continuation of learning and education on their jobs.
The skills that were once sufficient to be considered an expert or even to provide minimally acceptable customer service, may no longer be deemed as such. Competitors change their ability to meet needs, customers change their expectations, and the level of performance needed to remain at previous levels of success changes.
Lifelong Learning
Professionals (medical, accounting, legal, etc.) are required to maintain their certificates or licenses by going to continuing education to ensure that they are exposed to the latest thinking within their industry. Workshops conducted by associations of professionals, trade groups, unions, etc., allow people to stay at the highest levels of expertise.
The same is rarely said for many other employees that work within retail, service, or other businesses. A good number of these employees are still operating with the skills that may have once been accurate, state of the art/science, or best practices in the industry. However, advances in technology, changes in competitive market conditions, or any other factor may have rendered those skills as outmoded.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon the employee to commit to lifelong learning and be devoted to constantly upgrading their skills and knowledge. Currently, it is the rare employee that remains in the same career (nevermind the same employer) for the duration of their entire working life. The ability to change directions while in mid-career is essential, and to do that well requires the ability to learn new skills.
The Learning Organization
Author Peter Senge (The Fifth Discipline) is credited with the labeling of those companies that emphasize ongoing employee development as, “Learning Organizations.” According to Senge, a learning organization puts emphasis on the employees working within the company to constantly expand their competencies to generate the business results. Moreover, the emphasis is on innovation, new ways of problem solving, and thinking in ways that are not outside the conventional norms.
A core thrust of a learning organization is that there needs to be freedom within the company to challenge precendents, and pursue new ways of achieving better results. Speed of response is held in high regard, and organizational structures are designed to increase the opportunity for people to interact and share ideas (non-hierarchical).
Get on the Bus
So, while the younger members of families may be preparing for the return to school, it behooves all of us, even those that have graduated from degree offering institutions decades ago to reconsider whether or not it would be beneficial to brush up on current skills or extend our competencies into new skill areas. While we may not have to go shopping for clothes, don’t need to choose between spiral notebooks and looseleaf books, and need not bring in a letter from our parents to give to our teachers; the time for becoming a student may be overdue.
Pledge to get into a class, read something you would not otherwise read, attend a lecture from someone you do not currently agree with, watch a television commentator you have not viewed previously, or step out of your comfort zone to stretch your own awareness, insight, and understanding. Who knows, you might just get the A+ you have been seeking by securing a promotion, a new client, or better meeting an existing job’s requirement.
