Nobody Needs Learning

Or at least, nobody seems willing to talk about learning – or more precisely the almost universal absence of learning – in the context of work. Oh yes, folks like to pretend to others, and delude themselves that they’re learning – via what we might call “learning theatre”. But the actually work of learning? That’s too hard.

Definition: Learning has taken place ONLY when behaviour has changed.

I cite as an example the total lack of response to a recent post of mine: “Scope of Ignorance”.

It’s almost as if there’s no connection between learning and career advancement (something I do see as folks’ needing, at least in terms of increasing wages, if not actual increasing responsibility and scope of influence.

I put it down largely to the Mexican standoff between organisations and their people, of which I might write soon, given any kind of demand. But that might imply a need to learn about that. Unlikely?

How about you? Is learning something you need? And in the unlikely case that you might answer “yes”, what learning are you realising – at work, and through work?

– Bob