Today, more than ever, the key to success in our fast-paced environment is continuous growth. Busy professionals must invest time in their own learning and development to acquire the skills needed to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving world.
This post is primarily for learners, with learning and development colleagues in mind as well. Below are my Top 5 strategies to help you maximize your learning potential within limited time:
1- Prioritize Learning as an Investment.2- Embrace Microlearning.3- Leverage Technology for Flexibility.4- Reflect and Apply Knowledge.5- Learn from Peers.
#1 Shift your mindset to view learning as a valuable asset. Just as you allocate time and resources to financial investments, prioritize time and resources for your personal and professional development. Time is a precious commodity. Unlike money and other commodities, we all get an equal share. How you use your 24 hours will determine the richness of your personal and professional development.
#2 Busy schedules often leave little room for long learning sessions. If your L&D department has not yet embraced microlearning, you can do it for yourself. Microlearning consists of bite-sized, focused content that you can absorb in short increments. Approach long learning courses like a textbook: scan the table of contents, identify what you truly need to know, and then schedule 15- to 20-minute sessions for each topic in your calendar.
#3 Leverage technology to learn with all five senses. If your L&D department has not yet embraced immersive learning, you can do it for yourself. Turn on closed captioning during virtual learning sessions to read what you hear. Use the pause button during self-paced videos to take notes, turning auditory information into tactile input. When allowed, preview the test questions and exercises so you know what you are looking for throughout the learning session.
#4 Own your capacity. Take a moment between sessions to reflect on what you've learned, find a simple opportunity to apply it, then proceed with the rest of the learning content. Learning isn’t complete without application. However, application doesn’t have to wait until your learning is complete.
#5 Even though most learning is assigned to and measured by individual performance, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from and with your peers. When dealing with complex topics, create your own discussion group for the course you want or have been assigned. Hold each other accountable for sticking to your microlearning schedule. If you want to take it to the next level, do a virtual jigsaw discussion where each person teaches the others a specific segment of the course as reinforcement.
Remember: "The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." — Michael Altshuler
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