What skills do professors need to teach college students in order to prepare them for the dreaded “real world” of business? As it turns out, no such skills exist. In an article for Harvard Business Review, Pat Wadors explains that candidates need to be continuous learners instead.
Lifelong Is Just Long Enough
Randall Stephenson, AT&T CEO and Chair, believes that employees should never stop learning, and in fact they should be spending five to 10 hours a week online learning. If individuals resist continuous learning they run the risk of becoming obsolete in this technological world.
Continuous learning is what differentiates organizations because it helps their employees to better achieve business goals all while being the most productive. Stephenson and Wadors agree that organizations need to take better steps in helping their employees stay current in their skills. In fact, it is believed that this is the issue that will define management problems for this generation. Organizations can play their part in hiring quality candidates and retaining their own employees through a few basic practices:
- Look for the candidate who is a lifelong learner.
- Provide employees with access to relevant learning.
- Do not become preoccupied with what employees are learning and if it directly applies to their position.
- Discuss with employees what skill they feel they need to develop.
- Encourage employees to learn and adapt through rewards.
In today’s job market, candidates need to be able to handle change that is thrown at them. However, this is not a skill that should solely be left up to universities to develop. Business leaders, managers, and supervisors play a pertinent role in establishing this way of thinking in individuals. Both employees and companies must be chameleons, constantly adapting in their environment. Those who are able to change are the only ones who can sustain growth.
You can read the original article here: https://hbr.org/2016/03/to-stay-relevant-your-company-and-employees-must-keep-learning
