What they don’t teach you at school: learning how to learn in business

Formal education is primarily about learning rules and boundaries. There are defined containers of information to be digested and then regurgitated within defined assessment parameters. The information even has an expiry date – once the exams are over you can forget it all!

I performed well in my years of formal education and this was, at least in part, because I intuitively grasped the rules. I sensed that certain information was considered to be more important, I was able to strategically reduce the volume of data to be digested, and I applied my creativity to bend what I did know to meet assessment requirements.

Of course, this is all analysis by hindsight. I didn’t think through these steps at the time; it came naturally to me.

More importantly, although this aptitude got me through the system, it has not been enough to get me through my entrepreneurial journey.

Newsflash: business is not school

A job is not school either. Yet, in most jobs where you are not the person in charge (and even when you are), there are still rules and boundaries. Any work you produce, or solution you devise, is created and judged within the accepted processes of that particular company. There is a safety net around the acquisition and application of new ideas.

Entrepreneurship demands more space around, yet also tighter focus on, almost every aspect of life and work. You must be mindful of what you do, who you are, and what you give to the world. Old boundaries (and safety nets) are stripped away as you are challenged to apply all your internal and external resources, in any way you can imagine, to produce something of value.

I’ve found this spaciousness both thrilling and overwhelming.

Overwhelming because, compared to my formal education and even my subsequent corporate career, it now seems the container of information I am required to digest encompasses the globe, and the assessment is undefined and unending. The old tools don’t always work, so I’ve had to learn a new way of learning.

Entrepreneurial learning: expanding the learning toolbox

The tools I carry from my formal education still serve me well in many situations. They help me analyse, summarise, plan, execute, recognise patterns, and apply known principles to new situations. But they aren’t always sufficient when dealing with the evolving nature of entrepreneurial learning.

Here are five additional learning capabilities I have come to see as integral to my success as an entrepreneur.

Take action

Don’t wait until you know everything you think you’ll need to know. (Hint: that time will never come.) Take action. Learn. Take action again. Learn some more. Repeat.

Be patient

Sometimes (often) you’ll feel like you’re back at the same place you were last week, last month or last year. Learning the same lesson over again. Don’t be hard on yourself. Each time around you add to your knowledge. It’s more like a spiral than a circle – you may feel like it’s the same place but you have definitely moved.

Be soft-minded

I couldn’t think of a better way to describe this! It’s more than open-minded. Allow your mind to be like a cloud (at least part of the time) with all your knowledge, experience, ideas and daydreams floating within. Let them bump into each other and form new connections.

Be present

Every breath is an opportunity to learn. Pay attention to what is happening around you and within you. Let go of future and results. Concentrate on what this moment can teach you.

Be humble

Each person has a unique perspective. It’s easy to listen to those whose views you share; take time to listen to people who have a different outlook. Even (especially) if you think they’re an arse, look for something you can take away from the conversation.

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Has entrepreneurship (in business or in life) changed how you learn? What’s the best way you know to learn more about business? Tell me more in the comments!

22 Apr 09   |   Read more on Mindful Business   |   6 Comments »