Hello!
In my last email, I warned about the dangers of being a knowledge hoarder. However, there is a related issue that can prove just as problematic — the danger of wasting time learning the wrong things.
So my question for you is; do you have a plan when it comes to the improvement of your skills or are you making it up as you go?
What is Your Learning Strategy?
Many lack a strategy or focus in what they learn. Instead, they latch on to anything of interest they see on social media or while online.
That is fine if you have unlimited time to learn. However, most of us do not have that luxury. We feel an enormous pressure to “stay up to date” and yet have little time to invest in learning.
One of the most common mistakes I see people making is going over the same old ground in what they are learning. So, for example, if you are a developer, you spend your time reading yet more articles on the latest development techniques.
Yes, you need to keep abreast of your specialism, but precisely how many new frameworks or platforms can you adopt? Ultimately, this type of learning has more to do with a fear of missing out than anything else.
What Then Should You Learn?
Instead of spending time learning more about your existing strengths, I would encourage you to focus on other areas.
Here are just a few possible directions to explore.
Expand Your Business Skills
If you are a freelancer, agency owner or hoping to become either one day, learning solid business skills is a must. From finances to legal requirements and admin, running a business requires a broad range of skills.
Not forgetting marketing of course, and yes you guessed it, I want to take the opportunity to promote my new course on finding clients. If you join the waiting list, you get the chance to preorder it for a massive discount. You even get access to lessons as I produce them.
Learn more about my new course here.
But I digress!
Understanding Related Disciplines
Another useful area to invest your learning time in, is investigating the disciplines with whom you work every day. If you work with developers, it helps to know a bit about development. If you work with designers or copywriters, you should know a bit about those roles.
Yes, it is great to specialise, but we also need to understand the challenges our colleagues face.
Improve Your Soft Skills
However, probably one of the most valuable investments of your limited learning time is to improve your soft skills.
Technical skills will change every few years, as will design style and even the way we communicate. However, the soft skills you learn will be with you your entire career.
So take the time to learn about working in teams, dealing with conflict or developing leadership skills. You will be glad you did.
Plug Your Weaknesses
Finally, take an honest look at yourself. Heck, you might even want to ask the opinion of those people who work with you. Get them to point out your weaknesses and try not to take it personally.
These are areas that could do with some of your learning attention. For example, I know my SEO skills are somewhat out of date, so I have invested time in learning about things like semantic SEO.
However, let me share a word of warning.
Don’t Become a Learning Addict
The only danger is that you end up learning for learning sake. You hoover up information without a practical use for it. There is no point in learning a skill that is not of some immediate use.
Otherwise, by the time an opportunity to apply your new skills does arise, you will have forgotten what you have learned.
For fear of pushing my luck with the shameless self-promotion, one excellent way to learn is to find yourself a coach. Somebody to mentor you, help you identify weaknesses and lead you through the process of filling those gaps.
Of course, you don’t necessarily need me for that. You could ask a manager, or somebody else in the sector to support you. However, I am here if you are interested and you can read more about my approach over at the website.
Prioritise Learning and Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
So, that is it for this time. I guess I am just encouraging you to do two things. First, prioritise learning and second, to focus on exploring areas you are not already confident in.
As always, if you have any thoughts on the topic, or even suggestions about what else I should cover in these emails, drop me a line.
Thanks,
