Always Keep Learning: Five Ideas That Work

Lori Shelby, Ph.D., Founder & CEO

I am starting something new this week...#MethodsMondays.  Each Monday, I will post about a method related topic, such as survey research, research methods, statistics, project management, etc.  This week, I wanted to share 5 ideas on how to ALWAYS KEEP LEARNING that work for me.

1. REVIEW THE INDIVIDUALS YOU FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Make sure the social media accounts you are following include people who post frequently on topics of interest to you. They will help you keep learning. Just search on hashtags of interest to you to find these people. For example, just as I was starting to wonder about how I should be handling business etiquette during Covid-19, Kim Kaupe, one of my favorite young entrepreneur bloggers, posted this great interview with etiquette expert Myka Meier. Thanks to Kim’s work and Myka’s expertise, I now know how to politely avoid shaking hands, how to craft a considerate yet professional email during this time, and so much more.
2. REVIEW THE ORGANIZATIONS YOU BELONG TO AND/OR FOLLOW.  Although many of us are members of organizations that we are very loyal to (such as professional organizations that provide information to help us keep learning), following and/or joining new organizations can be a great way to expand your knowledge-base. For example, I started following the World Health Organization and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this year on my social media accounts. I also joined the National Diversity Council this year.
3. JOIN LINKEDIN LEARNING. It costs about $30 a month to be able to take as many courses as you wish. They are available on almost any topic of interest related to business, marketing, leadership, technology, specific software, etc. The ones I have taken range from 30 minutes to 6 hours. I have used them to learn new software, gain new skills, and even get needed continuing education credits for accreditation purposes. In fact, I have yet to search on a topic without finding training that is helpful and appropriate and no, I am not getting paid to state this, I just truly believe it is a great learning tool!
4. READ OR WATCH THE NEWS. However, make sure it is from news sources with qualified journalists writing the articles.  This is a tough one to fit into our busy schedules consistently, but if you are living in a country with the right to vote and want to make a wise decision, want to make informed financial and business decisions, want to be able to intelligently discuss issues, want to know when a cry of “fake news” is false, etc. being up to date on the news consistently over time is key. In my case, I find that reading The Wall Street Journal and Reuters each day works best for me.  Less frequently, I check out The Economist, BBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Midland Daily News (my town’s newspaper/website).
5. RECONSIDER THE BEST OPTIONS FOR YOU. I love books. I try to stay modern so yes, I read books digitally on my phone and tablet. But I also love history and tradition, so I still enjoy having a library and reading books on paper. In fact, finding room in my home for books is always a constant battle. Books are what work best for me to ensure I have the information around me that I need for work and for recreation (such as the quickly growing sailing and navigation section in my library). However, every once in a while, I like to try new things. Last month, I started listening to podcasts (yes, I know I am late to the party on this one).  You might enjoy books, conferences, webinars, podcasts, magazines, academic journals, etc.  Whatever works for you and your field of interest is what counts. Just put a few minutes of thought into it for Methods Monday to make sure you have the information you need at your fingertips to ALWAYS KEEP LEARNING.