One of the core pillars of our end-of-year Recap + Roadmap exercise is Growth and Learning. Try it for yourself; out of the following statements, how many could you state “🙋, yes I agree” to:
I set an intention for my personal growth at regular intervals
At least once a month, I seek out opportunities to learn or try something new
I am aware of, and can quantify, my personal growth for the year in 2017
If we focus on the second statement for a minute…
You are absolutely not alone in wanting to seek opportunities to learn and grow at work; as millennials, we cite learning and development as more important than financial rewards, ranking it as our first choice benefit from our employers (PWC — Millennials at Work).
That said, less than half of us strongly agree that we have had opportunities to learn and grow in the past year (Gallup — How Millennials Want to Work & Live) and less than a quarter of us state that we are “very satisfied” with the learning opportunities and professional development programs in our working lives (Deloitte — The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey).
I wonder how many of us feel like we’re in this boat…? I know in the past I have definitely felt the above statistics resonate; with an I’m-not-necessarily-proud-of-this-next-admission snakey feeling of resentment curling around this disappointment that says WHY WASN’T I DEVELOPED? WHERE WERE MY OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN THIS YEAR?
I want to come back to the wording of the second statement: “I seek out opportunities to learn or try something new” — an action-oriented, empowered statement. Not “I wait for opportunities to land in my lap and be bestowed upon me from my boss or my employer” — a more passive or resigned statement.
The magic that can exist between setting your intention for personal growth and then being able to quantify that growth, is the plan and execution of that plan that you do for yourself. For something that’s worth more to us than a payrise or Christmas bonus, it’s too important to leave in the hands of someone else who doesn’t have your learning and development as their number one priority.
But Tee, there’s no budget for me to do it, L+D (learning + development) is expensive, I hear you say — and I don’t have the time to do it myself. To that, as someone who recently left the corporate world to start their own business and someone who has also had one of her most fulfilling years when it comes to L+D, I call bullsh*t on your excuses.
So ahead of the new year’s arrival, I offer you five ridiculously easy ways to inject your own blend of L+D into your new working year:
FIND YOUR TRIBE: Remember those statistics above; we’re all in this quest to learn and grow together, so you don’t have to go it alone. Find your tribe of like-minded personal growth hackers who are creating a community around them and slip into their enthusiasm peloton! If I spot an interesting event on Eventbrite, I usually sign up for two tickets and then instead of meeting a friend for a drink in a pub or bar in the evening, invite them along to whatever intriguing event I’ve found. Another tip is to look out for taster sessions from places that interest you, that both stand on their own merit and then also offer an insight into a more intensive (and therefore expensive) training opportunity, giving you a chance to try before you fully commit. Some examples of great tribes I’ve aligned myself with include Escape the City (I attended their ‘How to Choose a Good Business Idea’ workshop that is part of their larger Start-up Accelerator program) and the AllBright Collective (I attended their ‘Surviving and Thriving as a Founder’ workshop, not world’s away from the style of content you’d expect to see as part of their AllBright Academy).
FAN GIRLS + BOYS Follow inspiring founders, authors and speakers on their social media handles (they don’t want an empty auditorium when they turn up to speak somewhere, they’ll let you know when they’re in town) and/or set-up Google Alerts for {their name} + {your city} so you’re the first to hear about their next speaking gig near you. Sometimes these events will be sponsored by companies (for example; a Jody Shield workshop, hosted by Lululemon), but even if you have to pay for entry it’s usually less than the cost of a generous round of Friday drinks at the pub and could be just the catalyst for the epiphany or break-through that you’re seeking. Some of my highlights include seeing icons like Simon Sinek, Marianne Williamson, Gabrielle Bernstein, Susan David and Kristina Karlsson speak.
LISTEN UP: The above works well if you’re based in a major city with a visiting roster of superstars and collectives, but for this next tip all you really need is to have a device and have been near WIFI or 3G recently to download the content. Podcasts are the perfect, commute-sized dose of inspiration, education and motivation. Some of the greatest minds of our time chat with each other via Skype and we get the chance to listen in on their fascinating conversations. There’s something about a podcast (it’s only audio, there’s a full hour’s worth of content…) that seems to disarm guests and you end up getting so much more than the polished, perfect sound-bites we’re used to consuming in other channels. On rotation for me right now include; Ctrl Alt Delete with Emma Gannon, The Digital Mindfulness Podcast, Eat Sleep Work Repeat, Girlboss Radio, Applied Empathy and many more!
ONLINE COURSES: From the comfort of your smartphone or laptop, take control of your own learning, by seeking out online courses on topics that are relevant and resonant for you. A fantastic way to seek out a fellow community of like-minded learners through live courses, or perfect for self-directed learning at your own pace if you opt for an evergreen learning module instead. We’re about to launch our first HUSTLE + hush online course, allowing you to access the insights that go in to our workshops and coaching programs, wherever you are.
GIVE A LITTLE TO LEARN A LOT: Look out for opportunities that allow you to give something of yourself in order to gain something much greater in return. In the past, I’ve had a number of opportunities to offer my time and expertise in exchange for exposure to some great learning moments; including speaking at the Spredfast Smart Social conference and enjoying the rest of the day’s agenda as a result, taking part in the Mentorship Hub at the Decoded Fashion and Beauty Summit in exchange for access to the wider event and even spending a morning with 80 high school students in North Oxfordshire, offering insights into my career journey to date, in exchange for inspiration and insights into the future of work through the lens of today’s 15-year-olds. You’d be amazed at the doors that can be opened, using the keys you already have inside of you.