Why is lifetime learning essential in a knowledge culture

Lifelong employment no longer exists, so people today expect to work for many organizations throughout their careers—and maybe even for themselves at times.

To maintain forward motion in an environment that lacks continuity, people need to own their development and take charge of their learning through the following actions Exhibit 5. Create and execute learning goals. They should also plan to pursue the most important learning goals relentlessly, a trait that can become a competitive advantage. Measure progress.

People should periodically reflect and assess their progress. Learning journals or logs in which people can track what they learn have proved to be extremely valuable. Work with mentors and seek feedback. Lifelong learners can forge a relationship with a mentor by letting different stakeholders know that they are open to feedback and by setting up formal check-ins to review their work and collect feedback.

Feedback from supervisors, peers, direct reports, customers, and clients is a critical component of professional development. Make personal investments.

The level of learning required for individuals who want to retain a market-relevant skill set exceeds the amount of formal and informal learning hours that most organizations offer their employees. Therefore, people need to make more personal time and financial investments in their growth and development. The following questions can help guide people as they endeavor to own their development 15 Most people are in the workforce for 40 to 50 years, and they spend a lot of their waking hours at work.

A sense of purpose is essential for a well-lived life. A study of more than 43, Japanese adults showed that the risk of mortality was significantly higher among subjects who did not find a sense of ikigai than among those who did. Toshimasa Sone et al. To find ikigai, start by answering four questions Exhibit 6 18 Ikigai lives at the intersection of these questions. There are there common different ways to look at the meaning of work Exhibit 7.

Although organizations have a great responsibility to provide a context for meaning, individuals can do much to create a calling for themselves. Exploring career purpose, meaning, and passion is not easy. It takes intentional reflection and planning.

Individuals can also seek guidance from a career counselor or explore life design. Life design is a concept emerging from career choice and development theories as a method to help people explore and develop their identity and deliberately design a life that will give them meaning.

Mark L. Savickas et al. Today, academic institutions are also helping set people up to craft a life they can love. To create a true culture shift, the first step is to explain why learning is important and why you want to change the culture.

Why should people participate? How will they benefit from coaching, or being coached by, their peers? In groundbreaking research on the impact of mindset on learning, Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck found that there are two types of mindsets people use to approach learning and development: fixed mindsets and growth mindsets. People with fixed mindsets will struggle to take full advantage of the benefits peer coaching has to offer.

They may be likely to become emotional or defensive when receiving feedback, and they may be inclined to give up when faced with obstacles. On the other hand, people with growth mindsets will see coaching as an opportunity to develop and improve. They are much more likely to thrive in a continuous learning culture.

The ability to give effective feedback is a powerful skill, yet it is underdeveloped in new managers. Giving effective feedback involves a combination of several key skills that managers need — the ability to observe, communicate and listen.

Helping future leaders develop those skills early on will ensure they are prepared to coach their teams. These seven benefits of lifelong learning should be reason enough to never stop learning. Ensure you remain relevant to your sector by keeping up-to-date with trends and adapting your skill set.

To function effectively in this rapidly changing world of technology, you need to learn new things to remain valuable.

Prepare for the unexpected Lifelong learning will help you adapt to unexpected changes — for example, losing your job and having to depend on new skills to find work. Spark new ideas Acquiring new skills will unveil new opportunities and help you find innovative solutions to problems.

This could earn you more money. This is part of what it means to be human: we have a natural curiosity and we are natural learners. We develop and grow thanks to our ability to learn. These are examples of the everyday lifelong learning we engage in on a daily basis, either through socialization, trial and error, or self-initiated study. Personal fulfillment and development refer to natural interests, curiosity, and motivations that lead us to learn new things. We learn for ourselves, not for someone else.

Sometimes we get stuck in a rut doing things simply because we have to do them, like going to work or cleaning the house. Re-igniting what makes you tick as a person reduces boredom, makes life more interesting, and can even open future opportunities.

This is because we utilize other skills in order to learn something new. For example, learning to sew requires problem-solving. Learning to draw involves developing creativity.

Skill development can include interpersonal skills, creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, leadership, reflection, adaptability and much more. Becoming more knowledgeable or skilled in something can increase our self-confidence in both our personal and professional lives.

Sometimes lifelong learning is used to describe a type of behavior that employers are seeking within the organization. Employers are recognizing that formal education credentials are not the only way to recognize and develop talent and that lifelong learning may be the desired trait.