“Knowledge is the flame with which we can ward off the attacking shadow of ignorance that surrounds us.” The real wealth is knowledge. He, who worships knowledge, effortlessly attains his highest potential. Generally, through many ways, you can attain knowledge. Notably, formal education is one of the many.Extremely limited is our understanding about informal education, which includes anything and everything that falls outside the horizon of formal education, such as learning through discussions and deliberations, learning through experiences and learning through formal and informal conversations.
Unsurprisingly, our thoughts are still immature. Our understanding about informal education is still primitive. We have a long way to go.Our flawed view about informal education explains our poor understanding about continuous learning.Our attitude requires a radical transformation, definitely.To get a deeper understanding about the sensitivity of the situation, let’s view the scenario from the business angle. The cornerstone of any business is innovation. Cultivating an innovative culture means installing a right attitude for growth.
No innovation can happen overnight. In fact, innovation is a culture, and is an attitude.All the major business giants invest hugely on continuous leaning. They view this investment as the one done for innovation. Technology is rapidly transforming our work environment.Only an innovative workforce can survive the turbulence, which is being made in the work environment by technology.To define an innovative workforce is simple: it is a workforce committed to continuous learning.A visionary organisation always strives to cultivate continuous learning culture, and organises learning and development programs often.
Enthusiasm to learn new ideas and skills is the best quality an employee can possess. For him, technology is a tool, not a trouble.Not everyone loves continuous learning. Likewise, not everyone fits to the category of adaptable employee.The future is dim for those who don’t fit in the said category – specifically, those who wish to stick on to their safe zone.Similarly, the matter of continuous learning can also be approached from the individual point of view.Primarily, we can come up with two dimensions. The first one is completely result oriented, while the second one is purely selfless and habitual.
Habitual knowledge seeker is the one who lives with the enviable habit of seeking knowledge.From the personal development perspective, living with the habit of knowledge seeking is highly beneficial.Likewise, from the career development or professional success perspective, the result-oriented approach of continuous learning is perfect.
A latest study report says that companies investing on learning and development perform better than those not, in terms of growth and stability.According to the report, a significant number of companies believe that they have benefitted hugely from the learning and development programs organised by them for their workforce.As per the report, the companies have managed to create next generation leaders through the training programs.It is high time to take continuous education more seriously.
“Truly brilliant is the one who invests in education. Extraordinary is the one who possesses the habit of learning.”
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Vignesh Padamattingal
