As the old saying goes, learning is a never-ending process. In fact, it is a life-long process that doesn’t stop when one leaves school. While schools offer us formal education on various subjects, there’s always something more to learn as we go about our day-to-day lives. Now that we are slowly going back to our respective workplaces in the new normal, learning and development remains to be an integral part of creating a culture and environment where we can all learn and grow as individuals and as organizations. Be it synchronous or asynchronous, face-to-face or virtual, whatever modality it may be, learning and development in the workplace is a welcome thing for most as people see the benefits it brings to a person and to the company.
Whether you are a newbie or the most experienced person in your group, you will definitely gain something from enrolling in a learning and development program—not only from your professors or discussion leaders, but also through your peers and colleagues, be it inside or outside the class. As a participant, you are expected to devote time (even beyond normal working hours), energy, and effort as, throughout your journey, you will be sharing your thoughts and learnings with other participants and the whole organization. In this ever-changing world, learning and development helps you hone skills to remain competitive in your present job, prepare you for your next role, and improve your career.
And for some learning and development program providers like the John Clements Leadership Institute, the Leadership Development Division of John Clements Consultants, an Action Learning Project (ALP) is one of the requirements needed for completion. Through ALPs, participants are able to apply what they have learned from the program they attended. And such project, if sponsored and implemented, is also a way of giving back to the organization. So, the next time you are given the opportunity to enroll in a company-sponsored learning and development program, go for it and go the extra mile! Be an added value to your organization and help distinguish your firm from its competitors.
In the Harvard Business Review article, “4 Ways to Create a Learning Culture on Your Team”, authors Tomas Chamorrow-Premuzie and Josh Bersin gave four science-based recommendations to help organizations create a learning culture:
- Reward continuous learning
- Give meaningful and constructive feedback
- Lead by example
- Hire curious people
These, according to Chamorrow-Premuzie and Bersin, will cultivate curiosity and learning among employees, on top of the formal learning and development programs being offered by the company, towards creating a stronger learning culture within the team and the organization. It is my hope that everyone would feel inspired and challenged about learning and development in the workplace. As former General Electric CEO Jack Welch said, “An organization’s ability to learn and translate that learning into action rapidly is the ultimate competitive advantage.”
Please visit our Careers page for the complete list of our current and ongoing jobs abroad. Connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter for the latest news, job openings, and market opportunities that will make your career abroad a success.
