The term, “perpetual learner” has been thrown around a lot recently and while it is important to learn how to learn in today’s fast pace of change, the concept is not something new. We have always had to adapt throughout history, but the difference is now we have to be Super Perpetual Learners.
We have come to understand that in order to attract and retain the best talent in the future of work, organizations must create a workplace where people want, not need, to show up to work. But in this effort to create great employee experience, we can sometimes get sidetracked with focusing solely on perks and benefits.
If I were to ask you, when was the last time you spent time or money on creating an experience for yourself, what would the answer be? Most likely, the answer would be a few weeks ago, a few days ago, or maybe even earlier today. Experiences are genuinely human things, we care about them a lot.
At one time it used to be that when someone thought about work, they mostly thought of it as a job where they can make money and pay the bills. But the definition of work is changing and work is much more than just a paycheck now.
In Psychology there are two ways of thinking; System 1, which is a fast, intuitive way, almost like a gut reaction and then there is System 2, which is a more conscious, purposeful way of thinking.
Looking around at the world today it is so easy to get down, be negative, give up hope, and have a bad attitude. But in order to be successful in this new world of work it is crucial to be optimistic. We have to be positive, otherwise we lose our desire to take action and move forward.
Technology is a tool that we control, not something that takes over the world without our consent. The question is, how are we going to use this tool. Will we use it to replace or augment our jobs?
If you are a sports fan and you watch games on TV, whether you like football, soccer, baseball, hockey, etc…you may be amazed by how fast the commentators get their information. They are constantly getting real time stats so they can keep viewers informed throughout the game.
The concept going through mass layoffs in order to make the numbers look better is relatively new. There is one company that has a story that shows us that there are other solutions to try instead of laying off thousands of people. What would you do in their situation?
Most, if not all, of us have smartphones these days and we all have our favorite apps. Whether you like to use Instagram, Pandora, Google Maps, or Ebay, “there’s an app for that”. You may have noticed that every once in awhile your apps will update. Just like the apps on your smartphone, we–as individuals, leaders and employees–need to constantly update ourselves. We have to master learning how to learn so that we can keep our skills up to date. This is the way to succeed in the future of work and the way to futureproof your career.