What we can learn from those around us

There's so much to learn from seminars, external training, and other formal methods of learning in the workplace, but I've found that the single best way to learn is to find someone that knows how to do something better than you. The real breakthroughs in my career have come from working with people who were really good at something and taking the time to really learn from them.

Whether it was a financial skill or concept, or something like how to read a balance sheet, it was great to be able to learn from someone who had a lot of experience in an area I didn't. There was always a mentorship element to these situations that meant I was able to pick up the phone and ask, “how did you deal with this?” as I faced new challenges in my career.

I hate to say it but much of what we confront in business is repetitive. It's helpful to speak to people who have been doing this for a long time and hear how they might handle the situation. This helps you understand the bigger picture and develop your own solution to it.

Effective personal development is about learning whatever you can from the people around you. This might be through formal mentorship programs or via more informal methods.

There's always something to learn

I've had good and bad bosses but even the bad ones did something better than I did in one area. It's always possible to learn something from a boss, subordinate, or peer because everyone has their strengths. Ask yourself what their skill is and what they're really good at. Of course, there are some people who have more to offer you than others but look for learning experiences everywhere you go.

Ask for help

It's one thing to identify someone you might be able to learn from but you need to take the time to ask them for help, too. Generally, people will be willing to give you their time because it's very flattering to be told you're good at something, so it'll be a good ego boost, but equally, people are usually happy to share what they know to help you learn.

Make the most of performance reviews

As you grow and develop in your role, it's important to understand how your performance is being assessed. A performance review is a great chance to better understand how you're being reviewed and also to share how you think you're performing in your role. This is a valuable chance to learn from the assessment while articulating, defending, or engaging in what you need to do to be more successful.

Transparent communication

When you're learning from a boss or talking as part of a performance review, transparent communication is vital. All these conversations should be two-way and you as an employee should feel comfortable talking openly about your own performance and the support you might need to help you progress even further. This helps you define a plan of action that you can work on together and lays the foundation for more open and transparent conversations in the future.

Learning from others through both formal and informal means is hugely beneficial if you wish to be successful in your career. These learning opportunities are all around us, even in the people we don't necessarily enjoy working with. If you can find someone who is truly better than you in business, take the leap and reach out to them, you'll be surprised how willing they might be to teach you a bit of what they know.