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In the ever-evolving landscape of today's careers, the concept of climbing the linear career ladder is rapidly becoming obsolete. Instead, individuals and organizations are recognizing the importance of learning agility—the skill of learning from experiences to succeed in new and uncertain situations. In a world where change is constant, understanding the three building blocks of learning agility—navigating newness, understanding others, and self-awareness—is key to fostering personal and organizational success.
What is Learning Agility?
Learning agility is the ability to learn from experiences and succeed in unfamiliar situations.
Today, career success is no longer a one-size-fits-all concept. Helen Tupper, co-founder of Amazing If and co-author of The Squiggly Career, emphasized the non-linear nature of modern careers in her TED Talk. “A squiggly career is both full of uncertainty and full of possibility,” she says. “Change is happening all of the time. Some of it is in our control, and some of it's not.”
Learning agility is the compass that guides individuals through workplace ups and downs, enabling them to navigate the uncertain terrain of evolving careers successfully.
The 3 Building Blocks of Learning Agility
Research underscores the significance of learning agility as a strong predictor of success in current and future roles. To develop this skill for yourself, there are three essential characteristics to consider. They are:
- Navigating newness
- Understanding others
- Self-awareness
In other words, agile learners excel in high-ambiguity scenarios, actively seek dissenting opinions, and maintain high self-awareness about their role in the workplace. And to intentionally enhance agility, workers and organizations alike should aim to develop their own "learning agility playbook."
Strategies for Enhancing Learning Agility
Building learning agility requires intentional actions. Strategies such as practicing a beginner's mindset, leading ambitious experiments, adjusting listening-to-talking ratios, and defining how one wants to show up in learning situations contribute to the development of this critical skill.
The shift from a traditional 9-to-5 workday and the prediction that approximately 50% of employees will need re-skilling by 2025, according to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs 2020 Report, further emphasize the urgency for individuals to invest in learning agility.
Conclusion
Learning agility is a necessity in today's dynamic work environment. As we bid farewell to the rigid career ladder, the squiggly career path beckons. “Losing the ladder starts with redefining our relationship with learning at work,” Tupper notes. Organizations and individuals must understand that success lies in the ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn in the face of uncertainty. As we navigate the squiggles of the modern career landscape, one thing remains clear: learning agility is the compass that leads to continuous growth and success.
Sources
Performance Improvement Quarterly
This article was originally published by Certainty News [Link to Article]
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