Learning to Learn – Again

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. ~Alvin Toffler

As summer 2012 comes to an end, we are bombarded with back to school messages. This year, Canadian shoppers are expected to spend 13%more than they did last year on everything from pencils and erasers to laptop computers and sneakers. It isn’t just our youth, however, that are returning to school. Adults are also headed back to the classroom; an upward trend expected to continue over the next several years.

For some adults, a return to school – whether to earn a certificate, diploma, or degree – can be as stressful as that first day of Kindergarten. A lot may have changed since the last time they were in a classroom and learning while juggling work and family responsibilities can add to already busy and stress-filled lives. 10Tips to Fit Professional Development Into a Busy Life offers some easy-to-implement solutions when adding the role of student.

As you think about your learning goals for this fall, an important first step may be learning about how you learn. Your learning style may impact the type of educational choices you make (e.g., as a solitary learner a busy classroom may not be the best choice). Uncertain of your learning style? Learning Styles Online offers a great, and brief, summary of the 7 learning styles and a learning styles questionnaire.

Keep in mind that learning doesn’t have to involve a return to formal education or the completion of a degree program. Reading a book, listening to a recorded lecture, or attending a webinar are great ways to start, or re-start, your professional development journey.

Differences Create Strength

Whether you’re about to go into an interview, start a new class, or travel to a new place in the world you’ve never been before, stepping into a different, unknown environment can be challenging. We do everything we can to prepare.

Most people will read up on questions they might be asked in the interview, research the company, find out who will be interviewing and maybe even talk to their network and see who knows who within the company to get the “real” scoop.

When we travel, most of us will do some research, buy a Lonely Planet, book our hotel rooms, maybe even learn some of the language and local customs.

We are always preparing ourselves to enter into a new situation to feel more ease and safety. After all, we hate to stick out like a sore thumb right? But what might happen if you didn’t prepare so much. What might happen if you walked into those situations with a completely open mind, no real context other than what you know already and the eagerness to observe, learn, question, being ready to participate, and be of service?

Now depending on the circumstance it might not be the best thing in the world, but walking into a new situation with some vulnerability might surprise you, and the diversity it might bring into your life might change your world. After all some of the most fascinating experiences in life aren’t when we are prepared. It’s when we enter into a situation or circumstance that brings other views, ideas, and ways of life together enhancing our own beliefs and values.

In 2008 I brought together a group of 12 young women from various geographical locations within the area, socioeconomic backgrounds, cultures, sexual orientations, and lifestyles. It was completely unintended that we would get such a diverse group.

I did not give them context of who would be coming or what all the workshops would be. When they joined the group they only new that I would be instructing a leadership program that would help them be more confident and they would be giving back to community.

The 9 young women who completed the program will tell you that it was challenging sitting in a room with each other at times. They will tell you that had the group been in school or out in the community they would not have even talked to each other.

As we worked through the series of workshops, they judged each other, questioned each other’s life choices, and at times were offended by one another.

Yet with the concept of open mindedness, vulnerability, an eagerness to learn, teaching the idea of open questioning in a respectful fashion, and a willingness to participate, they will now tell you that they are friends. They will tell you that they changed for the better, are far stronger, and have more confidence than before. And they will tell you, that not knowing exactly what they were walking into and being open to possibilities has greatly added to their vision for the future.

I challenge people constantly not to go into every situation thinking about what they know because they lose the possibility of building something within themselves that they may have never thought about before.

Loretta Cella is an International Facilitator, Advocate, and Life Enhancement Coach who has spent the last 11 years dedicated to the empowerment of individuals, families, and communities. Having worked with diverse individuals and groups in Canada, New Delhi, Kenya and Uganda, Loretta has developed a deep appreciation and passion for diversity and connecting the human spirit to purposeful action. Loretta holds her Child and Youth Care Counselling certificate, CCDP, and is currently working toward her Masters at Royal Roads University. You can connect with her at www.lorettacella.com and www.passionfoundation.org. 

Olympians Are The Ideal E-Coaching Clients

Photo by Dave Catchpole

I love the Olympics! I’ve been watching the tv broadcasts for two days now. I find watching the Olympics inspiring. I am moved when I hear about and watch people with such determination and incredible motivation to overcome adversity, injuries, and pain, pressing on to reach towards their goals.

As I think about the Olympians, I can’t help but think of the coaches that train, encourage, and motivate them on towards their goal. When it comes to e-coaching I find the coach’s role is quite similar - to encourage and provide the tools/techniques needed for clients to succeed in reaching their goals.

E-coaching is an effective way to coach many people. With current technology coaches can connect with people in real time via video calling, text messaging, email, social media, and more. It works well for executive coaching, career coaching, and life coaching. Last year I was even e-coached by a personal trainer who set up an entire workout and meal plan for me. But, unlike the Olympians I like to watch on TV, I was unmotivated with no clear goals in mind, and my success fell short of inspiring.

When considering who would make ideal e-coaching clients, think about the Olympians. Clients with high motivation and clear goals are more likely to hear what their coach is saying, and incorporate the tools/techniques needed to reach their goals. And, like the Olympics, when the athlete succeeds, the coach does as well.

Top 3 Benefits Of Diversity

Currently I am the Manager of the Abbotsford Works Employment Service Centre.  Our program has over four locations offering employment focused programming to the community of Abbotsford, British Columbia. Throughout my management career I’ve met many different people from many different backgrounds. From my experience I’ve noticed three top benefits of having a diverse workplace: perspective, performance, and community.

Perspective: Working with individuals from a diverse cross-section of society can lend your company a unique perspective on community and values. Perspective will give your company an advantage in a number of areas: creativity, experience working with other populations, insight and access into communities that would traditionally be closed.

Companies with a diverse workforce attract many talented individuals who enjoy working for diverse organizations. They find them more inviting and may have more opportunity to showcase talents / skills.

A diverse workplace offers an employer value in way of cultural education. Staff share cultural experiences and sometimes leads to office events that build team relationships (e.g., potlucks, celebrations days that provide coworkers with cultural learning.)

Performance: Work values of diverse workplace cultures can enhance the performance of a company. Work ethic demonstrated by a diverse staff can set a positive standard that drives success. When we talk about diversity we include people from different nationalities, many Canadians from immigrant descent have instilled in them an excellent work ethic. They value their jobs and will do their utmost best to make their company successful. They view hard work as a means to achieving better wages and which in turn will help them provide a better future for their family. Overall approach and pride in their jobs make immigrant workers very attractive to organizations.

Community: A diverse workplace can have many beneficial effects on its surrounding community. Diverse companies are more aware of the needs of their community. They tend to give more monetarily and engage in cultural events in their communities. Communities that feel they have a connection with local businesses will be more incline to support those companies.

Today it is very important for companies to think globally when assembling a workforce. The potential for doing business with partners from overseas or in various populations is growing and is becoming the norm. People like to do business with companies that employ people that look like them, are from a part in the world that is familiar, or share similar values and philosophies.

My prediction is that companies that encourage diversity will be the sector leaders of the future.

Garrison Duke has worked in Employment Services for over 10 years; he has assisted hundreds of participants to gain long- term employment. In his many years of management Garrison has mentored countless staff, helping individuals to maximize their potential and reach peak performance. You can connect with Garrison on LinkedIn, Facebook, or on his website at http://pathsetter.blogspot.ca.

Consider Your Career Engagement When Feeling Stressed

In our recent survey on stress management, nearly 61% of respondents reported they were at least somewhat stressed; however, 81% reported they managed their stress either effectively or somewhat effectively. Respondents shared several tips that we compiled into our latest tip sheet – 10 Strategies for Managing Your Stress.   

Any research into stress management is likely to surface similar strategies in addition to ones we didn’t mention in our tip sheet. There is an abundance of literature on reducing and/or minimizing the chance of stressful events as well as coping with and/or surviving through stressful times that are likely to surface, despite our best efforts. If our survey results are any indication, we can all likely do a better job of reducing some of the stress in our lives.

Work, or rather dissatisfaction with work, can be a key stressor for many people. There are many reasons why work can increase the level of stress we experience: from a poor career “fit” (i.e., a job that doesn’t make effective use of our skills and talents / doesn't fit with our personality and/or values) or uncertainty around whether work will exist in the future, to a toxic workplace or difficulty integrating work and family/life responsibilities.

If work is causing you stress, perhaps reflect on your level of Career Engagement. In this model, developed by Life Strategies’ own Roberta Neault and Deirdre Pickerell, lack of engagement with your career can be the result of too much challenge for the level of capacity, which puts you in the overwhelmed category. In opposition, too little challenge puts you in the underutilized category. Although it may seem like underutilized may be a relaxing place to be, both areas can cause stress as work becomes a daily grind – something to suffer through rather than get excited about.

As you reflect on whether you’re more likely to feel overwhelmed or underutilized, ask yourself if this is a temporary situation and, therefore, something you can tolerate for now, or if this is permanent which may result in a need for you to rethink your career – either in terms of the specific role or position or the organization you’re working for. Remember – managing your career, and therefore your career engagement, is like managing your health, finances, or vehicle. It needs time and attention, the occasional check-up and tune-up.

How Diversity Drives Success

Have you ever wondered how diversity plays a part in the success of companies?  Socialcast put together a visual look at how CEOs view the importance of diversity and inclusion.  They believe that diversity drives innovation, which is the key to success.  Do you agree?  Click on the image below to see the infographic that Socialcast created.

Aquifers of Understanding

The rain that falls on the earth’s surface takes several different journeys.  Some of it is collected by streams, rivers and lakes, and returned relatively quickly to the sea.  Some of it stays near the surface of the ground to be absorbed by plant life, and some of it takes a decades-long journey, down through dozens – sometimes hundreds – of feet of rock, arriving eventually at vast underground storage areas known as aquifers.  Freshwater aquifers charge extremely slowly and can take thousands of years to form.  We tap into them for industry and agriculture and they are critical to the prosperity of civilization as we know it.

Similar aquifers exist deep within the psyche of every human being. These aquifers contain not water, but a true understanding of one’s self.  This understanding is the product of events and experiences that have spent years working to penetrate layers of resistance before arriving into full consciousness.  The result of this slow, necessary distillation is a vast, silent reservoir of self-knowledge that is just as critical for human life as water.  It is a deep wellspring we can tap into when we have lost our bearings in the world, and urgently need to find our way.

There is one important thing to remember, though:  As rainfall may take decades to reach underground aquifers, so can it take a lifetime for deeper, fuller understanding to arrive in our own lives.   Nothing we do will hasten this process.  All we can do is try to be as patient, and as permeable, as possible.

Adrian Juric is Canadian Certified Counsellor.  He leads wilderness retreats for adults that use poetry and hiking to help individuals make sense of the transitions occurring in their lives.   See www.innerlandscapes.org for more info.