Lifelong Learning
Lifelong Learning
Lifelong Learning
lifelong-learning mind-set
In a rapidly changing workplace, employees need to keep learning to remain relevant and in
demand. Seven practices can help them be mindful in their career path and achieve success.
Focus on
growth
Become
Stay vital a serial
master
Do what you
love and
discover your Stretch
ikigai (reason
for being)
Build your
Own your
personal
development
brand and
journey
network
Source: Nick van Dam, Learn or Lose, Breukelen, Netherlands: Nyenrode Publishing, November 2016
2
discovered that three out of ten had a below-average that they have unlimited capacity to learn and
IQ. Since playing chess at the top level in the world is grow. People can take the following actions to develop
associated with extreme intelligence, they wondered a growth mind-set:8
how this result was possible.
Determine if you have a fixed mind-set and, if you
do, establish why.
Many studies have confirmed that it is not intelligence
that creates expertise but effort and practice—that is, Recognize that you have a choice in how you
hard work.4 The most successful people devote the most approach and interpret new tasks, ideas, or
hours to deliberate practice, tackling tasks beyond their situations.
current level of competence and comfort, observing the Learn to hear and observe the fixed mind-set
results, and making adjustments.5 Such studies show voice without judgment while continuing to
that intelligence can be developed and that there are no embrace challenges.
limitations on what we can learn throughout our lives.
Refocus with a growth mind-set.
Indeed, the brain is like a muscle that gets stronger with
use, and learning prompts neurons in the brain to make
2. Become a serial master
new connections.6
Traditionally, workers developed deep expertise in one
discipline early in their career and supplemented this
Over the past 30 years, Carol Dweck, a psychologist at
knowledge over the years with on-the-job development
Stanford University, has intensively studied learners.7
of integrative competencies. This kind of knowledge
She has determined that people generally fall into one
can be represented by a T-shape or profile (Exhibit 2).
of two categories when it comes to how they view their
ability to learn: a fixed mind-set or a growth mind-set.
Longevity has made this approach obsolete. Since
And she has concluded that mind-set has a significant
1840, life expectancy has increased three months for
impact on the effort put forward, perception of
every year, meaning that people are staying, and will
criticism, willingness to accept failure, and, ultimately,
continue to stay, in the workforce longer.9 Because
how much will be learned.
of this trend, they need depth in different areas of
expertise, supplemented with targeted on-the-job
People with a fixed mind-set believe that their
development, to stay relevant. Today, knowledge
learning potential is predetermined by their genes,
should resemble an M-shape or profile (Exhibit 3).
their socioeconomic background, or the opportunities
available to them. They might have thoughts like,
Imagine someone has her master’s degree in journalism
“I’m not good at public speaking, so I should avoid it.”
and begins her career working at a publication. During
her 30s, she finds herself specializing in financial
Those with a growth mind-set, however, believe that
journalism, so she decides to pursue a master’s degree
their true potential is unknown because it is impossible
in business economics. As she proceeds into their 40s
to foresee what might happen as a result of passion,
and 50s, she might continue to grow by taking in-depth
effort, and practice. They appreciate challenges because
master classes on related topics, such as digitization.
they see them as opportunities for personal growth.
Ultimately, they may achieve more of their potential
Relevant skills have become currency in the workplace.
than someone with a fixed mind-set.
Using the M-profile as a guide and achieving mastery in
a few topics will set professionals apart. Organizations,
Organizations can encourage employees to tackle new
for their part, can support workers in their development
challenges and learn new skills by assigning them new
by offering stipends for coursework and suggesting
and different tasks. But individuals need to believe
master classes and professional development sessions.
3
Learning and development
Lifelong learning mindsets
Exhibit 2 of 8
Broad competencies
Deep
expertise
25 75 Age
Source: Nick van Dam, Learn or Lose, Breukelen, Netherlands: Nyenrode Publishing, November 2016
4
Learning and development
Lifelong learning mindsets
Exhibit 3 of 8
Broad competencies
25 75 Age
Source: Nick van Dam, Learn or Lose, Breukelen, Netherlands:Nyenrode Publishing, November 2016
their understanding, competence, and confidence providing learning and stretching opportunities at
suddenly accelerate very quickly, and they have an timed intervals.
increasing impact on the business.
4. Build a personal brand
Continuing in the role for a bit longer, they will reach Everyone has a professional brand, whether it’s a
the upper, flat part of the S-curve. At this stage, the carefully crafted expression of who they want to be or
excitement of the new role has worn off, personal simply the impression they make on others. A brand
learning and development have stalled, tasks and communicates a person’s value and provides a focus
activities have become automatic, boredom has kicked for personal learning and development. A brand that
in, and their impact on the business has slowed down defines a person’s best elements and differentiates
significantly. him is essential in achieving career goals—and in
demonstrating his accomplishments, both to potential
If people stay in their comfort zone—not seeking employers and current colleagues. When colleagues
out new challenges or new roles—their performance understand who a person is and what unique
may suffer, and they might even be replaced. Lifelong capabilities they bring to the table, that person is more
learners, however, can avoid this pitfall and find likely to receive interesting new assignments or be
new ways to stretch by starting a new S-curve. And considered first for new positions.
organizations can help keep employees on track by
5
Key elements of a personal brand include authenticity, A personal brand is not static—it should evolve over
a clear value proposition, a story, expertise, the course of a career. Since most people develop
consistency, visibility, and connections. In Leadership new skills and play different professional roles, they
Brand: Developing Customer-Focused Leaders to will need to rebrand themselves multiple times.
Drive Performance and Build Lasting Value, Dave Lifelong learners use the process of building a brand
Ulrich and Norm Smallwood suggest individuals can to think through what skills they have and which
build a brand by setting clear goals for the year ahead, ones they should develop to make themselves more
acknowledging what they want to be known for, being marketable—both within the company and beyond.
clear about their identity, and writing and testing a L&D professionals can counsel people in this process
personal brand statement. and provide a way for them to develop the necessary
skills.
Once individuals craft their brand statement, they can
use social media tools to help convey that brand and 5. Own your development
Learning and
their skill set. Fordevelopment
example, it’s possible to earn digital Lifelong employment no longer exists, so people today
Lifelong
badges for alearning
LinkedInmindsets
profile through online learning expect to work for many organizations throughout
Exhibit 4 of 8
vendors such as Coursera, edX, Lynda.com, and their careers—and maybe even for themselves at
Udemy. Such badges demonstrate not only a person’s times. To maintain forward motion in an environment
skills but also their commitment to continued growth. that lacks continuity, people need to own their
development and take charge of their learning through
the following actions (Exhibit 5).
Exhibit 4 Stretch beyond your comfort zone into the learning zone.
Learning zone
Comfort zone
Source: Nick van Dam, Learn or Lose, Breukelen, Netherlands: Nyenrode Publishing, November 2016
6
ins to review their work and collect feedback.
Create and execute learning goals. To become and Feedback from supervisors, peers, direct reports,
stay successful, people need to ask themselves, “How customers, and clients is a critical component of
can I ensure that I’m more valuable at the end of a year professional development.
than I was at the beginning?” Individuals can create
learning goals by assessing their current knowledge Make personal investments. The level of learning
and expertise and identifying competency gaps. required for individuals who want to retain a market-
They should also plan to pursue the most important relevant skill set exceeds the amount of formal and
learning goals relentlessly, a trait that can become a informal learning hours that most organizations offer
competitive advantage. their employees. Therefore, people need to make
more personal time and financial investments in their
Measure progress. People should periodically reflect growth and development.
and assess their progress. Learning journals or logs in
which people can track what they learn have proved to The following questions can help guide people as they
be extremely valuable. endeavor to own their development:15
Learning and development
Lifelong learning mindsets What is one thing you are working on that will
Work with mentors and seek feedback. Lifelong
Exhibit 5 of 8 require that you grow to accomplish it?
learners can forge a relationship with a mentor
by letting different stakeholders know that they How are you working on it?
are open to feedback and by setting up formal check- Who else knows and cares about it?
Exhibit 5 The Yerkes–Dodson Law describes the relationship between arousal and performance.
Performance
Good
stress
Bad stress
Weak
Arousal
Source: Robert M. Yerkes and John D. Dodson, “The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation,” Journal of Comparative
Neurology and Psychology, November 1908, Volume 18, Number 5, pp. 459–82, doi.org/10.1002/cne.920180503
7
6. Do what you love To find ikigai, start by answering four questions
Most people are in the workforce for 40 to 50 years, and (Exhibit 6):18
they spend a lot of their waking hours at work. As such,
What do you love?
work has a huge impact on a person’s health and well-
being, so it’s imperative that people do what they love. What does the world need?
Passion Mission
Profession Vocation
Source: Nick van Dam, Learn or Lose, Breukelen, Netherlands: Nyenrode Publishing, November 2016
8
Although organizations have a great responsibility know it’s a process, and ask for help. They learn about a
to provide a context for meaning, individuals can do range of different tools, from design thinking and a daily
much to create a calling for themselves. gratitude journal to decks of cards featuring problem-
solving techniques and life-design interviews. Instead
Exploring career purpose, meaning, and passion is of taking a final exam, learners present three radically
not easy. It takes intentional reflection and planning. different five-year “odyssey” plans to their peers.
Individuals can also seek guidance from a career Alumni of the program report that they repeatedly
counselor or explore life design. Life design is a concept refer back to the tools and their odyssey plans as they
emerging from career choice and development theories evaluate and redesign their lives. Burnett and Evans
as a method to help people explore and develop their have made their philosophy and tools available to
identity and deliberately design a life that will give them everyone in their book, Designing Your Life: How to
meaning.19 Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life.20
Today, academic institutions are also helping set people 7. Stay vital
up to craft a life they can love. For example, Bill Burnett The ability to stay vital can contribute significantly
Learning and development
and Dave Evans created a popular “Designing Your to a person’s development. This goal demands that
Lifelong learning mindsets
Life” program at Stanford University. Intended for individuals make health and well-being a priority—
Exhibit 8 of 8
juniors and seniors looking for career guidance, the paying attention to exercise, nutrition, sleep, and
course teaches learners to apply design principles to relaxation (for example, mindfulness and yoga) and
life and career planning. Participants learn about five developing good, sustainable habits. The impact of
mind-sets: be curious, try stuff, reframe the problem, such personal care and self-nurturing can be far-
Exhibit 7 Employees can view their jobs through three different lenses.
Source: Eileen Rogers and Nick van Dam, You! The Positive Force in Change, first edition, Morrisville, NC: Lulu Press, 2015
9
reaching: sufficient sleep has a huge impact on our 9
Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott, The 100-Year Life: Living
and Working in an Age of Longevity, first edition, London, UK:
ability to acquire, retain, and retrieve knowledge. Sleep
Bloomsbury, 2016.
also affects attention and concentration, creativity, 10
Andy Molinsky, “If you’re not outside your comfort zone, you won’t
development of insight, pattern recognition, decision- learn anything,” Harvard Business Review, July 29, 2016, hbr.org.
making, emotional reactivity, socioemotional 11
Molinsky, “If you’re not outside your comfort zone, you won’t learn
processing, development of trusted relationships, anything,” Harvard Business Review.
and more.21 12
John D. Dodson and Robert M. Yerkes, “The relation of strength
of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation,” Journal of Comparative
Longevity in the workforce requires reinvention and Neurology, November 1908, Volume 18, Number 5, pp. 459–82,
doi.org/10.1002/cne.920180503.
growth. A reservoir of energy to support this hard
13
Whitney Johnson, “Throw your life a curve,” Harvard Business
work will help set individuals on the path to lifelong
Review, September 3, 2012, hbr.org
learning and provide the resilience needed to sustain 14
Johnson, “Throw your life a curve,” Harvard Business Review.
these efforts. 15
Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey, Immunity to change: How
to overcome it and unlock the potential in yourself and your
organization, first edition, Boston, MA: Harvard Business
Press, 2009.
While current circumstances demand that workers Gordon Mathews, What Makes Life Worth Living?: How Japanese
16
Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 1998. Jacqueline Brassey is director of Enduring Priorities
Geoffrey Colvin, “What it takes to be great,” Fortune, October 19,
4
Learning in McKinsey’s Amsterdam office, where Nick van
2006, fortune.com. Dam is an alumnus and senior adviser to the firm as well
Edward T. Cokely, K. Anders Ericsson, and Michael J. Prietula,
5
as professor and chief of the IE University (Madrid) Center
“The making of an expert,” Harvard Business Review, July–August for Learning Innovation; Katie Coates is a senior learning
2007, hbr.org.
manager in the Philadelphia office.
Jesper Mogensen, “Cognitive recovery and rehabilitation after
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Stanford University Athletic Department, Positive Coaching Copyright © 2019 McKinsey & Company.
10 Alliance, 2010, positivecoach.org. All rights reserved.