Being a Continuous Learner

When people ask me what business I'm in, I often say, "I'm in the learning business." It sounds intriguing, and it is certainly true. But, truth be told, we are all in the learning business.

Why?

Because as humans, we are learning machines. We are most alive and functioning closest to our potential when we are learning, adapting, adjusting, and finding new ways, approaches and techniques to improve our lives (or the lives of others) in some way.

I believe in the above statements. They are as true as any other statement I could write here. But rather than talking about the philosophy of humankind, let me get much more pragmatic.

Change and Learning

Change is all around us. Some say the rate of change is increasing, but whether that is true or not, this is definitely a fact in our business lives. Products change, Customers change, process and policies change. We are put on a new team, we are entering new markets, and we have set new goals. In all parts of our daily professional lives change surrounds us.

In order for us to cope with that change, we need to be willing and able to change. And learning is a key component in developing that ability.

So when I talk about continuous learning or life long learning, I'm not suggesting everyone needs to take a course at their local college, or go back to school for a new degree. Continuous learning is an attitude and a set of behaviors that allow us to succeed in our ever-changing environment, and is the best lever we have to turn who we are today into who we want to be tomorrow. Change requires learning and conversely, there is no learning without change.

So if life long learning doesn't necessarily mean the "professional college student" and doesn't require us to be the person who was always asking questions in every class we ever attended, what are the behaviors that make up a true continuous or life long learner?

I'm glad you asked.

The Behaviors

There are some common threads among those who actively are learning and growing as professionals (and humans). Life-long, continuous learners: