Dr. Shreya Govind in Conversation with Prittle Prattle News
Dr. Shreya Govind explains the imperatives of continuous learning and skilling
‘Each day learns something new, and just as important, relearn something old.’- Robert Brault.
I believe there is nothing like the thrill of learning something new. Every time I finish reading a book or an article, taking a course, or attending a webinar, I feel excited about how and where to share this new knowledge or where the new learning can be applied. I also have a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction every time I master a new skill. However, we also need to understand that in this everchanging VUCA World (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous), we need to keep brushing up our skills regularly, which may even include relearning.
Everything we do today has a consequence, which can either be valuable or harmful to us. One of the underlying principle laws of the universe is that if something is not in a state of growth, it must decline. If Business people do not adapt or change with the changing time, they will be left behind. We have seen many companies who failed or were left behind as they did not adapt themselves to the changing time, e.g. Kodak, Nokia.
In the current COVID -19 context, the entire education system moved to online mode. Students from Pre-Primary to Senior Secondary moved to the online method of learning. Even the Corporates have moved to online mode and are conducting online induction and onboarding session, which earlier could not be even imagined. These kinds of drastic changes can significantly impact how their clients and peers view a business.
Listed below are a few key reasons on how continuous learning and skilling can help you stay ahead:
- New skills can open new doors for your business. It can increase the perceived value of your solutions and increase their marketability. It can even become the differentiating factor that drives your customer to start engaging with you.
- Knowledge begets knowledge. Achieving a goal or mastery over a new skill gives you satisfaction and pushes you towards a more ambitious related learning goal or even creates the window of opportunity for unrelated learning goals.
- Continuous learning/skilling helps you keep pace with everchanging trends in any industry. It gives you the confidence to better engage your customers by confidently talking to them in the current business context and language.
- New Behavioural skills and learnings also bring many benefits. For example, by enhancing your problem-solving skills or conflict management and people management skills, you can get better results from your team, which will boost your self-confidence and sense of accomplishment.
- As the saying goes, “Growth happens beyond our comfort zone.” But if we are not challenging ourselves to do things we have not done before, we are restricting growth. So, learning behavioral skills like Change management, Leadership, Personality types, etc. can provide the mental stimulation that strengthens the mind and help remove ignorance.
- It is necessary to be a continuous learner to be a better role model and coach and mentor others in achieving what they want.
- Continuous learning /skilling keep you ahead of your peers and stay relevant and in-demand
At this stage, it would also be relevant to focus on the ‘Un-learn’ concept. Many times learning may not be possible until you are ready to ‘un-learn.’ Continuous learning is all about commitment and staying focused. One needs to set SMART (Specific- Measurable- Attainable- Relevant- Time-bound) learning goals and requires periodic monitoring and course corrections. There is a world of choice available out there, and until you are a SMART learner, you are more likely to waiver off from your target and lose your way in the middle.
Continuous learning about new skills is about further expanding our skill sets in reaction to a changing environment and latest advancements. Lifelong learning enhances and improves our understanding of the world around us, provides us with more opportunities, and improves our quality of life.
LinkedIn Page- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-shreya-govind-ph-d-2707004/
