Encouraging Lifelong Learning in Students

Louder for the people at the back 🎤 Many organisations today seem to have shifted from being institutions that develop great talent to those that primarily seek ready-made talent. This trend overlooks the immense value of individuals who, despite lacking experience, possess a great attitude, commitment, and a team-oriented mindset. These qualities often outweigh the drawbacks of hiring experienced individuals with a fixed and toxic mindset. The best organisations attract talent with their best years ahead of them, focusing on potential rather than past achievements. Let’s be clear this is more about mindset and willingness to learn and unlearn as apposed to age. To realise the incredible potential return, organisations must commit to creating an environment where continuous development is possible. This requires a multi-faceted approach: 1. Robust Training Programmes: Employers should invest in comprehensive training programmes that equip employees with the necessary skills for their roles. This includes on-the-job training, mentorship programmes, online courses, and workshops. 2. Redefining Hiring Criteria: Organisations should revise their hiring criteria to focus more on candidates’ potential and willingness to learn rather than solely on prior experience or formal qualifications. Behavioural interviews, aptitude tests, and probationary periods can help assess a candidate's ability to learn and adapt. 3. Partnerships with Educational Institutions: Companies can collaborate with educational institutions to design curricula that align with industry needs. Apprenticeship programmes, internships, and cooperative education can bridge the gap between academic learning and practical job skills. 4. Lifelong Learning Culture: Encouraging a culture of lifelong learning within organisations is crucial. Employers should provide ongoing education opportunities and support for professional development. This includes continuous skills assessment and access to resources for upskilling and reskilling. 5. Inclusive Recruitment Practices: Employers should implement inclusive recruitment practices that remove biases and barriers. Blind recruitment, diversity quotas, and targeted outreach programmes can help ensure that diverse candidates are given a fair chance. By implementing these measures, organisations can develop a workforce that is adaptable, innovative, and resilient, ensuring sustainable success and growth.

An eagerness to learn is essential for innovation. But the way we learn—and the order in which we partake in various learning activities—can make the difference between effective growth and potential missed opportunities. Jean-François Harvey, Johnathan Cromwell, Kevin J. Johnson, and I studied more than 160 innovation teams and found that the key to faster, clearer progress is: Structured learning 👷🏗️ Our research, published in the Administrative Science Quarterly Journal, highlights four distinct types of learning behaviors used by high-performing teams and examines variations in the sequence and blend of these types of team learning. Without a deliberate rhythm, teams risk becoming overwhelmed by continual information intake, leading to confusion and burnout. But by honing a team's ideal 'learning rhythm,' you can avoid overwhelm and instead focus on strategic decision-making and sustainable innovation. Read our research summary now in the Harvard Business Review: https://lnkd.in/e5nU-Kka

Rule number one for a successful workshop: start with an icebreaker. The most effective learning happens when people feel confident to ask questions, express their ideas, and work with others. This does not happen by default, especially if your workshop brings together a diverse group of people who have never met before. You need to break the ice. And there are dozens of possible activities to achieve that, but it is important to choose the icebreaker activity wisely. Here are three things to consider: ·      Know your audience: Consider the size and background of, and the dynamics within your group. In a group where people are not yet comfortable with each other, or come from cultures with strict social norms, you may want to choose simpler icebreakers, like a round of introductions. In a group where people are more familiar with each other, you can go for more creative options. ·      Know your objective: An icebreaker should not be just a random thing, but rather an activity that is linked to the objectives of the workshop. It can set the tone and prepare the participants for the workshop content. ·      Know your timing: You want to make sure that the icebreaker is not too long or too short, but just enough to achieve your objective and keep your group engaged. Everyone has an opportunity to contribute but, at the same time, the icebreaker doesn’t “eat into” the time of your training content. This week I opened the IT Emergency Management Training for a group of 15 IT colleagues, who came from various operations within UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency: from El Salvador and Mali to Armenia and South Korea. I chose to open the session with an icebreaker requesting the participants to share an interesting fact about themselves. Through this question, we learned that we had among us a taekwondo medalist, a karaoke aficionado, and a watch expert. This activity was crucial to break the ice, and get everyone ready for intense teamwork. What is your favorite icebreaker?

In my initial days at EY, I used to 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 because he kept questioning my decisions. Such message from him always gave me a mini heart-attack: “𝗜’𝗺 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗫𝗬𝗭 𝗮𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗕𝗖 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁?” In my head it translated to: “Why on earth did you do that?” I reopened the files. Second-guessed every step. Typed out a long, nervous justification. But here’s what I didn’t get at the time: It wasn’t a trap. It wasn’t criticism in disguise. It was curiosity. And curiosity isn’t criticism. Over time, I saw the pattern. Every “𝘄𝗵𝘆” from my manager wasn’t meant to corner me. It was meant to sharpen my thinking. To explore with me, not against me. Eventually, it made me better. That quiet curiosity? It’s a leadership skill that doesn’t shout for attention—but changes everything. The leaders who shaped me most weren’t the loudest in the room. They were the ones asking: ➡️ What made you think that? ➡️ What’s another angle we could explore? ➡️ What are we missing? And now? I catch myself doing the same. ✅ Asking “why” instead of assuming. ✅ Using curiosity as a second lens; not a final judgment. ✅ Even prompting AI with “What am I not seeing?” or “What would challenge this idea?” So the next time someone starts with “I’m curious why…” - Pause. Reflect. Lean in. It might just be the beginning of your best learning curve. What’s one thing you could approach with a little more curiosity this week? You might be surprised by what you discover. LinkedIn #leadership #finance #PersonalDevelopment #Productivity #big4

In the last 9 years of training and facilitating professional groups, I’ve learnt that delivering a workshop is not just about sharing knowledge — it’s about orchestrating an experience for the participants which open up avenues for them to draw insights for themselves. Each moment calls for a different hat, and knowing which hat to wear and when is what transforms a session from good to great. I swiftly change my hats when in a workshop, these are some of the roles that I take up often- The Storyteller — When concepts feel abstract, stories bring them to life. A personal anecdote, a metaphor, or a well-timed parable can make ideas unforgettable. Stories ignite emotions, and emotions drive transformation. The Subject Matter Expert (SME) — There are moments when authority is essential. As the SME, I distill complex ideas into simple, relatable insights. Here, precision, clarity, and confidence reign supreme. The Energizer — Energy dips are inevitable, but as the energizer, I inject the room with enthusiasm. It might be an icebreaker, a playful activity, or simply a shift in tone. Momentum matters. The Actor (Theatre in Training) — Embodying a persona makes the experience visceral for participants, encouraging them to confront and solve real-world challenges. The Coach — Not every insight can be taught; some must be discovered. Here, I shift to a coach’s hat — listening deeply, asking probing questions, and letting participants arrive at their own 'aha' moments. This is where ownership of learning happens. The Mindfulness Guide — In moments of overwhelm or tension, I pause and guide participants to reconnect with presence and calm. Silence, breathing exercises, or reflection time are more powerful than many realize. The Detective — Every group is different. I watch for non-verbal cues, unspoken tensions, and subtle resistance. Identifying these dynamics early allows me to tailor the approach on the fly. The Facilitator of Dialogue — No trainer is the sage on the stage, it is essential to harness the group's wisdom. The Challenger — Growth doesn’t happen in comfort zones. As the challenger, I nudge participants to step beyond their limits, question assumptions and see new perspectives. The Motivator — At the end of the day, every participant needs to leave inspired. I remind them of their potential, highlight their wins, and leave them with a sense of possibility. Each of these roles is a hat I wear with intention, but to serve the participants' growth. Essence is not in wearing every hat at once; it’s about knowing which one to wear at the right time. #CorporateTraining #MasterFacilitator #Storytelling #LeadershipDevelopment #LearningAndDevelopment #Coaching #FacilitationSkills #HumanToHuman #facilitation #workshop #session #softskills #BehaviouralTraining #Training Women's Web LinkedIn for Learning

After spending three decades in the aerospace industry, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is for different sectors to learn from each other. We no longer can afford to stay stuck in our own bubbles. Take the aerospace industry, for example. They’ve been looking at how car manufacturers automate their factories to improve their own processes. And those racing teams? Their ability to prototype quickly and develop at a breakneck pace is something we can all learn from to speed up our product development. It’s all about breaking down those silos and embracing new ideas from wherever we can find them. When I was leading the Scorpion Jet program, our rapid development – less than two years to develop a new aircraft – caught the attention of a company known for razors and electric shavers. They reached out to us, intrigued by our ability to iterate so quickly, telling me "you developed a new jet faster than we can develop new razors..." They wanted to learn how we managed to streamline our processes. It was quite an unexpected and fascinating experience that underscored the value of looking beyond one’s own industry can lead to significant improvements and efficiencies, even in fields as seemingly unrelated as aerospace and consumer electronics. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s more important than ever for industries to break out of their silos and look to other sectors for fresh ideas and processes. This kind of cross-industry learning not only fosters innovation but also helps stay competitive in a rapidly changing market. For instance, the aerospace industry has been taking cues from car manufacturers to improve factory automation. And the automotive companies are adopting aerospace processes for systems engineering. Meanwhile, both sectors are picking up tips from tech giants like Apple and Google to boost their electronics and software development. And at Siemens, we partner with racing teams. Why? Because their knack for rapid prototyping and fast-paced development is something we can all learn from to speed up our product development cycles. This cross-pollination of ideas is crucial as industries evolve and integrate more advanced technologies. By exploring best practices from other industries, companies can find innovative new ways to improve their processes and products. After all, how can someone think outside the box, if they are only looking in the box? If you are interested in learning more, I suggest checking out this article by my colleagues Todd Tuthill and Nand Kochhar where they take a closer look at how cross-industry learning are key to developing advanced air mobility solutions. https://lnkd.in/dK3U6pJf

From Knowledge Hoarding to Knowledge Sharing: The Culture Shift L&D Needs. 💡 Companies don’t have a knowledge problem. They have a knowledge-sharing problem. Think about it—when an expert employee leaves, does their knowledge stay? Or does it leave with them? 📌 Why is knowledge hoarding a problem? 🚫 Employees don’t share what they know because they fear becoming "replaceable." 🚫 Teams work in silos, making cross-functional collaboration difficult. 🚫 Companies rely on outdated documentation that doesn’t capture real insights. 🔥 How some organizations solved this: One company, struggling with high dependency on senior employees, built an internal Knowledge Exchange System where employees: 1. Recorded their expertise through short video walkthroughs. 2. Created open forums for sharing best practices and lessons learned. 3. Integrated peer mentorship programs, where employees taught each other. 🚀 The impact? ✔️ Faster onboarding for new employees. ✔️ Less reliance on single experts—knowledge was accessible to all. ✔️ Teams collaborated more effectively, breaking down silos. 💡 What’s one way your company promotes knowledge-sharing? Drop your insights below! 👇

I'm currently working with an organization struggling with low trust internally. In addition to undermining collaboration, performance, and engagement, the environment of low trust is eroding people's curiosity about each other and driving criticism, defensiveness, stonewalling, and condemnation. Via coaching, training, and facilitation, I'm helping people shift from judgment of others to curiosity about others. Not only is this shift important for the vitality of my client, it's crucial to individual and collective functioning and well-being generally. Indeed, the polarization plaguing societies around the world is a product of rapid judgment of others and inadequate curiosity about what drives them and what we have in common. But what if we paused for a moment? What if we chose curiosity over condemnation? Being less judgmental and more curious can transform both your professional and personal life. Here’s why: 👉 Professionally: It fosters innovation, collaboration, and better decision-making. When we approach colleagues and ideas with curiosity, we uncover diverse perspectives and solutions. 👉 Personally: It deepens relationships and helps us navigate conflicts with empathy. Instead of reacting to someone’s words or actions, we can seek to understand the “why” behind them. Here are three practical strategies to cultivate curiosity and reduce judgment: 1️⃣ Ask Open-Ended Questions Replace assumptions with questions like, “What led you to that perspective?” or “Can you help me understand your thought process?” Questions create space for deeper dialogue and understanding. 2️⃣ Pause Before Reacting When you feel triggered or tempted to judge, take a moment to reflect. Ask yourself, “What else could be true here?” This brief pause can shift your mindset from judgment to exploration. 3️⃣ Challenge Your Biases Actively seek out different perspectives, whether through books, conversations, or experiences. Exposing yourself to new ideas helps you grow and appreciate the complexity of others’ viewpoints. The next time you find yourself ready to judge, try shifting your mindset. Ask, “What can I learn from this?” and "What's it like for the other person?" You will be surprised at the insights that come your way and at how much richer and rewarding your relationships become. What strategies do you use to stay curious and open-minded? #curiosity #connection #relationships

Running a workshop as a senior leader in government sounds straightforward on paper — but in reality, the logistics can feel endless.  Venue selection. Registration. Internet connectivity. Audio/visual issues. Content preparation. Engagement activities. Reporting to management.  And when it all goes smoothly? Nobody notices.   But the moment something goes wrong — whether it’s a tech glitch, a bottleneck at check-in, or parking confusion—it’s the *only* thing people remember.  The challenge isn’t just meeting expectations; it’s managing the invisible work behind the scenes while still hitting your KPIs.  Now imagine this:   - No parking complaints.   - No registration lines.   - Clear, engaging presentations on screens that actually work.   - A room full of engaged participants — asking questions, contributing ideas, and thanking you on the way out.   - Management recognizes your effort This isn’t luck. It’s the product of preparation, structure, and the right support systems.  My team has spent years working with government agencies to deliver events just like these. What we found helps: - Detailed, repeatable checklists.   - Skilled, on-the-ground manpower.   - A culture of attention to detail that anticipates problems before they happen.  Workshops are never just “talks.” You already know how much effort it takes to get workshops right.  I know that in 2025, you will do it even better.  

Learning journeys are not built in a day. But they can be built with a system. I created the G.R.O.W.T.H. Framework to help learning designers map experiences that actually stick. Most models stay in theory. G.R.O.W.T.H. is a toolkit you can take into your next project and put to work. Here is what you will find inside: ✅ Six-stage framework to map your journey ✅ Goal-setting worksheet for stakeholder alignment ✅ Empathy mapping template ✅ Learner feedback form ✅ Team retro guide ✅ Real-world case study to show it in practice This is a free download. You will find the full PDF attached to this post. If you are building learning journeys for onboarding, upskilling, compliance, or customer education, this gives you a clear structure to follow. Simple. Practical. Designed to be used. Scroll through the document and tell me what you think. I would love your feedback.