Learning at a workplace: Mission impossible?

Unpopular opinion to say out loud: “I don’t really enjoy learning at the workplace. It feels like a job on top of an already demanding job.”

I’m the owner of that opinion — Henri, the guy who looks after learning and development at Printify. It’s contradictory to what I’m supposed to think and, yet, it’s how I feel. To make learning more attractive, impactful, and faster, here’s what I’ll say to myself and others going forward.

Tip #1: Learn more by learning less at a time

Time is your most valuable asset, and there’s rarely enough of it. Though learning and taking time for it is valued and understandable, we often fail to do so. Other things that appear more urgent take priority, and time for learning gets put on the back burner, where it often stays. Learning feels like a job on top of a job. It shouldn’t. It’s easier to plan 15–60 minute slots in your calendar for intentional learning. Be that time for reading, chats with more experienced peers, or attending a (virtual) event. It’s more doable, less hassle, and feels less overwhelming, too. Don’t think of learning as hours or days that require putting everything else on hold. Think small increments instead. Their sum tends to be much more valuable in the end.

Tip #2: Take responsibility for your own learning

Your desire to learn and develop is on you. It’s your journey, and thus you are the only person accountable for it. Not your peers, your lead, or your L&D team. The latter can support, advise, make introductions, help shape opportunities, and build the environment, but the former — you — is in charge of planting the seeds first, to then harvest later. In reality, you will only have access to opportunities that you help create for yourself. So get your name in the game. Talk to those who are where you aspire to be, sense check your learning ideas with others, ask for recommendations and choose what makes the most sense for you. Don’t expect learning opportunities served to you on a silver platter — it’ll not happen.

If learning at the workplace was a cooking analogy, remember, you’re the chef and the client. What’s on the menu, as well as what you order, is yours to determine. Your peers, lead, and L&D team can help make sure you have a well-stocked kitchen to cook in, but it’s you who must do the cooking.

Tip #3: Learn to loudly say — “I don’t know, yet.”

Admitting that you don’t know something in front of your peers is a bit of a taboo at the workplace, especially if that something is a thing they assume you should or could know. And it shouldn’t be. Focus less on keeping face and more on saying — “Actually, I don’t know, yet. I’ll figure it out, can you help?”. It doesn’t give you the answer right away, but it sure reduces the amount of stress caused by that little voice inside your head worrying — “What if they find out I actually don’t know this, yet.” And, interestingly, someone hearing you say that might just have the answer, or know someone who does, so you’ll increase your chances of finding it sooner.

I’ll leave you with three things to think about:

• Perhaps your first best bet is 15 minutes devoted to asking yourself: “What do I want to, and should, learn in the first place?” Block out some time for learning regularly and in small increments. If you feel squeezing in 15 minutes is impossible, time is likely not the issue. Your management of time, on the other hand, might be.
• How have you contributed to the opportunities you’re currently experiencing, and how will you contribute to the ones still in the future?
• “I don’t know, yet.” Can you list three times you openly said it? If it takes you more than 2 minutes, you’re probably not doing it.