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I have long held the viewpoint that learning is something everyone should do throughout their lives. I would even go so far to say that the opportunity to learn new things is a large part of what makes life interesting.<\/p>\n
In the past, teaching in the corporate setting, I have seen adult learners bring feelings of defensiveness and insecurity to the classroom that not only detracted from their results, but those of others. As someone who regularly takes on new learning challenges, I wanted to share some principles that I use to promote a learning mindset.<\/p>\n
Be open<\/em><\/p>\n First, be open to the idea that learning has value. Then, be open to the topic you are learning, the materials you encounter, and, if you\u2019re learning from an instructor, the way they choose to teach it. Not every teacher is going to have a style that you like, and that is OK – but if you constantly challenge what the teacher has to offer, you are going to miss out on the learning itself.<\/p>\n Also, be open to a teacher being someone you might not expect. One concept that is gaining ground recently is that of the reverse mentor: someone younger than you, perhaps with less work experience, but who has expertise in something you know little or nothing about. I\u2019ve recently formed a mentor partnership with a college student who is about to graduate. I provide perspective from my two decades of work in communications, and he is my \u201creverse mentor\u201d on the latest thinking around social media.<\/p>\n Two key aspects to being open are being curious and asking questions. How about that book that was cited in the sources of a report? Look it up and see if it offers an interesting perspective. Find ways to connect to the learning, because we are better at remembering things that are connected to what we already know.<\/p>\n Some questions to have in your arsenal: \u201cplease tell me more;\u201d \u201cwhat makes you say that?\u201d \u201cwhat else?\u201d And of course, keep asking \u201cwhy?\u201d<\/p>\n Be patient<\/em><\/p>\n Being willing to learn means you should be willing to look silly at some point. Last year, it took me weeks of practice and a lot of tips from The Great British Bake-Off to master something as seemingly simple as pie crust (it\u2019s not as easy as it looks!). Good learners are willing to look silly while they learn, and because they aren\u2019t stressing about that, they end up learning more quickly. And on the bright side, you might get to sample a lot of pie!<\/p>\n Along that same vein, tempting as it may be, don\u2019t compare yourself with others. Your progress in picking up a new skill or concept might feel slower, faster, or right in line with people around you, but focusing on your speed relative to others won\u2019t help – in fact, it can contribute to distraction and worry. Just like being willing to look silly, not worrying about how you are measuring up is a great way to relax and learn. Understanding comes after really immersing yourself in the topic, which takes time and concentration, and it\u2019s tough to do that if you\u2019re worrying about everyone else.<\/p>\n Also, be willing to fail, and be patient with yourself when you do. Remember that we often learn the most from those times when we fail, because we learn what doesn\u2019t work. This leads to knowing how to invest your time more productively moving forward.<\/p>\n Be supportive<\/em><\/p>\n Network with other people and compare notes. See what you can glean about best practices for studying, for example. Share what you have learned with others; in fact, explaining what you know is one of the most effective ways to solidify your knowledge and check for gaps in your own understanding.<\/p>\n Be supportive to other learners as well as yourself. Not everyone learns the same way or at the same pace, so pay attention to how your language or tone might feel disparaging to someone who isn\u2019t \u201cgetting it\u201d as quickly as you do. You won\u2019t be helping them if they feel belittled. If someone is willing to put themselves out there with a question or an idea, they trust you to observe them as they learn. Treat that as the gift that it is.<\/p>\n Be relentless<\/em><\/p>\n This last tip may be one of the most difficult. It\u2019s about cultivating a learning mindset by avoiding distractions when you are learning and by being dedicated to, even obsessed with, figuring things out. This mindset goes hand in hand with being open and patient because you need resilience to achieve both of those goals.<\/p>\n Years ago, in calculus (math has never been my strong suit), I struggled through most of the course, despite my best efforts. Then, two weeks before the final, it felt like everything \u201cclicked\u201d and made sense. If I\u2019d given up, I wouldn\u2019t have had the pleasure of seeing my 92% on the final, and not just passing, but getting a B+ in the course.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to note that being relentless does not preclude you from reaching out for help when you need it. We all need a push in the right direction, a tip, a word of encouragement, or help finding an answer sometimes. In fact, being a good help-seeker is part of being a good learner\u2014good help-seeking means trying things out on your own first with persistence, diagnosing when you’re not making progress, and reaching out rather than spinning your wheels.<\/p>\n I hope that this has given you a new idea (or several) to put into action for your next learning adventure. While you are out there learning, remember that some lessons will be hard-fought; others will appear like surprise gifts, unexpected but welcome. I encourage you to embrace them all.<\/p>\n Many thanks to my colleague Nora Presson, who contributed greatly to this piece.<\/p>\n