The latest [Global Leadership Forecast by the DDI] confirms what we all suspected: Leaders in organisations think that the main obstacle to their growth is lack of time or opportunity (http://www.ddiworld.com/DDI/media/trend-research/global-leadership-forecast-2014-2015_tr_ddi.pdf?ext=.pdf)
While we insist on thinking that learning requires big chunks of time, we’ll continue missing out on opportunities to grow. “We are continuously growing at work through direct experience, we just need to make sure we grow in the right direction,” says Paul Matthews, author of Informal Learning at Work.
Daily Growth
Indeed, the currently popular 70-20-10 model suggests that learning takes place through direct experience (70%), through social interaction with colleagues (20%) and direct training (10%).
While these numbers can vary between organisations and individuals, they acknowledge that the vast majority of learning takes place outside the training room. Therefore, as an individual, you (and your line manager) are more in charge of your development than you might think.
If you don’t consciously focus on your development as a professional, how will you be able to lead, grow and innovate? How are you going to strengthen your team? Ho can managers make learning a priority?
Sending an individual to a workshop and not providing support afterwards is a bit like “investing in new manufacturing machinery but not in maintenance of that equipment” or “investing in new computer technology but not in help-desk support” (Stephen J. Gill). Personal growth is a process that requires support, time and attention..
A [2002 study by Atos KPMG carried out at Sarah Lee] reported that nearly 80% of people’s learning took place as “spontaneous learning at work”, “networking with colleagues” and “consulting manuals and instructional materials”. Spotting these opportunities might take up less time than you think (http://jarche.com/2009/11/fridays-finds-25/)
Seek Information from Humans, not from Google.
Google is a great friend. It’s always there, always available. Google is never too busy to reply, you never feel like you’re disturbing Google. But Google only gives you answers to the questions you ask. It doesn’t challenge you. It doesn’t say, “Well, it’s important to know this, but the other important piece of information you need is…”
Google doesn’t ask you questions. And many times in conversations, it’s the questions we’re asked that help us learn.
So, get used to asking people for advice and information. Seek out other leaders facing similar challenges to yours and connect. Nurture relationships that will help you to grow. Connect with your team members. Gaining insight into what they do day to day, into how they’re doing it can only help you do your job better. Many people have hidden talents, they have knowledge stored away that no-one asks them to share. Your colleagues, your team members, your peers, they are a real resource.
Make an Appointment with Yourself
Let’s face it, all those interesting articles, all those industry magazines that pile up by your desk or your bedside table, are never going to get read. Those PDFs, those interesting articles clipped to Evernote, they’re just taking up disk space.
And yet…Reading them is part of your job.
You can’t set strategy in a bubble. You need to seek input and information from outside your organisation. Looking through print and online publications or listening to business podcasts are quick ways of finding out what the competition is up to, what the “next big thing” might be.
You need to set time aside to stay up to date with your industry in the same way as you set time aside to meet with your team members as part of their own development. If you’re really time-starved, just set aside 20 minutes a week. It’s important.
Work the Floor in Conferences
There’s no doubt that conferences are a great place to hear experts speak and to attend high-quality presentations. If on top of that you talk to the other delegates, you’ll not just build strategic relationships but you’ll gain insight into what others are doing, the issues they’re having and the problems they’re tackling. You’ll find out bits of information here and there. You’ll observe how people talk about themselves, about their company, about your industry.
If you’re in a volatile industry, connecting with others becomes vital to discovering new trends, to anticipating threats and sensing a turn of direction before it takes place.
The experts in conferences are not just up on stage, they’re all around you. View your interactions with them as opportunities to learn as well as to network.
Start Now
If you want to stand out as a leader, if you want to control the direction of your career, you’ll need to make the time and find the opportunities to help you grow. Make it a habit, make it routine. It’s part of your job.
We all find different ways to grow in our job. If you have any advice to others or would like to share how you stay on top of your game, we’d love to hear from you. Connect on Twitter @Accelerance_co or comment on this post.
