Is learning in the workplace important?

Why is learning important in the workplace? This answer is probably a little different for everyone - some people may love it, some people may even feel it is more of a 'chore' - but either way learning is something that happens everywhere no matter where you work. We are in an age of technology where things are changing faster than ever - the need to adapt with those changes are more important than ever. Your favorite app could change over night and the fact that you have to learn something new things is scary for people.

All these changes in technology affect people both in their personal life and in the workplace. Learning in the workplace could mean learning a new work flow or learning a new computer program - there are tons of ways that learning comes into play at work - even if it is just learning how your new boss likes their coffee ;). I feel that the more you are willing to learn, the more adaptable you are - and being adaptable in this day and age is a major advantage!

My Top Five Reasons Why Learning in the Workplace is Important:


1. Improving Performance/Building Self-Esteem: When people learn in the workplace, it not only improves or creates a new skill set, it makes people feel more secure in their own knowledge base. The feeling of the unknown or being unable to to complete daily task is a very bad feeling and creates uncertainty. If learning can be incorporated to help reduce uncertainty and build self-esteem it's a win-win!

2. Keeping-up:  Today it is important to keep up with the latest and greatest - whether that's computer programs, laws, regulations, trends, etc. If you aren't meeting your current customer's needs, there is someone who is looking to. Even individually, the fast paced change we live with now has given people more agility with their personal careers. With all the job websites, there is always places to look for new opportunities - of course this can be a double-edge sword if you aren't keeping up with things - it's just as easy to find someone new to do the job.

3.  Employee Satisfaction: Happy workers are the best workers - people who like their job, feel confident, and want to come to work makes for a better product. Especially for those who are providing customer service as a job - employee satisfaction is so important. Employees who are representing a company with customers become the 'face' of the company - making sure those employees are happy is vital - if people feel unsure or uneasy, that will show in the interactions with customers!

4. Building/Retaining Talent: If you are taking the time to train/mentor employees - you want to have retention for all the time that time/effort you put into shaping them. What is the point in spending resources (time, money, etc.) into building someone's career only for them to take their talents and the lessons you taught to another company? It is important to offer incentives - but also to remember that incentives can be intangibles like happiness or employee satisfaction.

5. Improving Those Around You:  Co-workers can offer a wealth of knowledge that can be shared and used to improve those around you. It's important to share knowledge to help your peers - if you co-worker knows how to complete a task 20 minutes faster than you, if you learn their process, you are gaining time and knowledge. It is also important to share ideas with those around you to prevent duplicate work - if you have already done something, there is no reason for someone else to re-create the wheel.