Back to School is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the excitement of preparing for another school year, seeing old friends, and learning new things. Progressing from one grade to another is a rite of passage to be celebrated.
All the preparations for Back to School got me thinking. Even though, as adults, we may not have the opportunity for as much classroom learning as the children, we should never stop learning. Learning is fun and exciting!
As humans, we have a natural desire to learn and progress. Learning builds confidence and self-worth. The more you learn, the more you want to learn. You gain a knowledge-based perspective on the world around you. Gaining new experiences trains your brain to handle a wide range of challenges.
The Classroom
As business leaders, we should view ourselves as teachers and our organizations as learning environments. There are plenty of learning opportunities: on-the-job training, a competition to reduce inefficiencies in our production process or a leadership conference.
To engage employees, teach them something new or provide them with an experience. I love to get personnel out of their element. You could take office staff on a plant tour or have production staff present at a school career day. At first, these experiences can feel awkward or be embarrassing. However, there is excitement in developing and improving. Exposure to new things provides more history and perspective with which to make decisions in the future.
The Homework
“Give me an assignment,” were words spoken to me from my marketing coordinator. She is always eager to grow and progress in her career. When she left small-town USA for college life in the Big Apple, she did not know her Communications degree would lead her to marketing for a manufacturing company. Not only has she learned marketing techniques, but she has learned how to speak the technical talk as well. In just a few short years, she has developed to where the outside world now sees her as a marketing asset to all manufacturers. A willingness to learn and ask for new opportunities paved the way.
The Problem Solving
My engineering degree taught me how to think. I can solve most any problem by breaking it down into bite size pieces and identifying the resources needed to complete the work. Not everyone has had the opportunity to learn how to solve problems by observing a situation and thinking of ways it could be improved. In fact, most manufacturers have taught everyone to do what they are told and not think. But, solving problems is fun! Think of all the learning that takes place during each experiment that did not turn out as expected. Trying again can be frustrating, but the thrill of solving the problem is worth the aggravation.
Learning starts with identifying what you don’t know or would like to know more about. Enjoy the journey, finding the tools, and creating the experiences to learn something new. School is back in session!