As a reader of this blog, you fall into the category of “learner” – someone who values education and the expansion of knowledge. In a competitive industry that is constantly shifting and evolving, “learners” are vital to the continuing success of their organizations.
According to Jason Wingard in his book, Learning to Succeed: Rethinking Corporate Education in a World of Unrelenting Change, every organization should place a high value on learning and knowledge. The most successful companies are the ones that foster a culture of learning – and that support employees in their professional development. He argues that while education can be expensive, it is a wise investment because it makes employees more talented – and their collective talent boosts the success of the entire organization. If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, I recommend picking up a copy of the book.
Here’s a summary from Amazon Books:
“Frequent market shifts... The rapid pace of technological change... We’re all familiar with the old saying, “the only constant is change,” but this has never been as true for business as it is today - nor have the penalties for companies who fail to learn and adapt been as high. Learning to Succeed insists that an integrated model for corporate education - one that links development programs with strategic goals - is critical to building agile and resilient learning organizations that will survive in our fast-evolving business landscape. Companies need to continually assess where they need to go in relation to where they are now - and use training to bridge the gap. As these new education initiatives are designed to advance concrete corporate goals, participants become active learners. Instead of merely listening to lectures - they work on strategic plans and action projects tied to key objectives. Learning is reinforced and ROI is optimized. For companies, ready to embrace what it means to be a learning organization, to welcome the CLO to the C-Suite, to tightly and continuously weave strategy and learning into the fabric of their businesses, the opportunities are limitless. Complete with practical guidelines and illuminating case studies, this pioneering book puts them on the path to long-term success.”
