3 ways to get better at learning effectively

The widespread arrival of generative AI models over the past few years has struck fear in the hearts of many people who suddenly realized that significant parts of their knowledge-intensive jobs could be automated. Succeeding in this environment requires continuous learning to both adapt to new technologies as they emerge and to develop new knowledge and skills that will enable you to stay relevant as the requirements for jobs change.

Unfortunately, we tend to think about learning primarily as something done in classes. Indeed, getting additional formal education may be the right approach for adding tools to your skillset. But you should also be looking for opportunities to be learning all the time.

Here are three ways to learn more effectively:

Develop a learner’s mindset

You should be on the lookout for opportunities to learn new things. Keep a notebook with you. When you hear about (or someone talks about) a topic you don’t know much about, ask a follow-up question to get more information and context. Then, consider finding an article or book to learn more about it.

It’s often tempting to nod along in mock understanding when confronted with a topic you don’t know anything about. It requires some vulnerability to admit that there is something you don’t know. But you won’t identify the gaps in your knowledge or work to fill them unless you are open to recognizing those gaps.

Another advantage of admitting aloud and in public what you don’t know encourages other people to do the same thing. Your example can help develop a learning culture within your organization. If you are in a leadership role, it is particularly important to model that learning process to promote this mindset across the team.

Make learning part of your job

When you look at your specific job description, “learn stuff” is often not an explicit part of what you have been asked to do. Yet, you do need to continue your development in order to expand your capacities and move toward advancement.

Simply writing down lists of things you don’t know about will not help you fill those gaps. Real learning requires taking time to struggle with new material and to practice new skills. That time needs to be part of your work life and not something that you engage in only in your off-hours.

Work with your supervisor to ensure that you actually add some focus on learning new knowledge and skills to your actual job description. Then, ensure that you clear space in your calendar—at times when you are most likely to be able to concentrate—for grappling with new ideas. You might attend some professional development sessions, do an online microcredential, or even consider taking full classes or a degree program. But, you can also be productive by having regular sessions within your work schedule where you get to read or work on a skill you’re developing.

Sneak some learning into your life

Of course, you should also make it as easy as possible to find ways to engage with new material. If you have a long commute, add an audiobook on a topic of interest to your mix of things to listen to on the ride to or from work. Keep a professional book or article on your desk so that you can pick it up if you find yourself with 10 minutes or so free. For example, every once in a while, I have a meeting that gets canceled with no notice. Having reading material on my desk enables me to pick them up at those suddenly-free times and engage with something new.

You can also make it a social experience. Lots of organizations have a book club, or are willing to start one, where several people can read something to discuss later. If you find it hard to self-motivate to read for professional development when you’re doing it alone, you may find it more enjoyable, and beneficial, to share the experience with colleagues.

Pick a way of engaging with material that you enjoy. Research seems to suggest that the concept of a “learning style” has no validity—that is, people who believe they learn most effectively with auditory or visual material—yet, you still may enjoy engaging with information in some ways more than others. You may like audiobooks best or prefer to curl up and read—the point is, when you have to choose to do something, you’re much more likely to do it in the manner you find most receptive.

Finally, don’t be afraid to engage with a topic that falls way outside of your current job responsibilities. One of the beauties of learning new things is that you never know when something you encounter will spur a new idea. So, you’ll never know that you would have benefited from knowing until after you’ve actually learned it.