Learning about learning
Petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid; little by little the bird builds its nest, this French idiom tells us. Whatever the nest may be, it will take time to construct. My graduate position at ARROW VANE brought this idiom to mind, and I was struck by how relevant it was to all the unknown that has come with my new role, particularly to learning. Learning, in and of itself, is a slow and steady process. It doesn’t happen overnight and, really, there is no limit to when it stops. The real scope of what learning is has been made very apparent to me recently: everyday is a steep learning curve and I am constantly being encouraged to evolve my way of thinking. Everything from the marketing industry to business practices and even learnings about myself are being built upon every single day. Needless to say, my personal development as well as my professional development is expanding constantly.
The intersection of personal and professional learning and development is always an interesting one: how can you take what you have learnt in either area and apply it to the other? How can you actively strive to always be learning and pushing yourself to the edge of your comfort zone?.
“The more you get comfortable with being uncomfortable, the more you will professionally and personally develop”
I’ve found myself a lot recently sitting in this zone. I have noticed, however, that the more you sit here the more you get comfortable with being uncomfortable. You also realise that your ‘boundaries’ are self-made and not as concrete as you once thought.
These realisations reframed much of what I thought I knew about learning and how I go about fishing out this knowledge. I’ve been pushed to rework what my definition of learning in an independent way is, for example. Sometimes the best way to work is collaboratively, leaning on your team to guide you and shape your processes; other times hunkering down and working through the nuts and bolts by yourself is the most fruitful way. I’ve had to shake off hesitation and just ask questions regardless of whether the answer is ‘obvious’ or the question itself feels ‘low-level’. Ultimately, asking that one question unknowingly informs a whole wealth of areas, in my experience. The benefits of sitting in your comfort red-zone outweigh sticking to your small sliver of convenience and ease.
Another thing I have come to understand is the trial and error of learning - it takes more than one go to find what is the best method to learn and how to make that learning stick. Different methods work for different people, and for different situations also. The open-mindedness required to try new things isn’t a new idea to us, but it has found new meaning for me in the context of my career and being comfortable with the fact that I have come a long way in my learning, but have a way to go yet.
Being humble enough to ask questions, being obsessive enough about your work to be the best in the room and being curious enough to delve that little bit deeper are traits that have taken on new meaning for me. I’ve come to understand the relevance of them as well to areas outside of just business and career. I know now that growth doesn’t come from comfort; putting yourself in positions where you are going to be challenged is going to achieve the most impactful learnings. I’ve learnt to revel in these moments of professional discomfort because I know that this is the sweet spot. The notion of constant growth is something that should be embraced, and always being on the precipice of knowing more is an exciting place.
And what a way to be. Stagnation is the biggest killer of inspiration, creativity and learning. In a sphere such as marketing, the ability to be able to constantly learn and absorb new information can never be underestimated. Marketing is constantly evolving; the invention of new mechanics and new, creative campaigns is almost constant. Therefore, to be within this discipline requires the capacity to be always ready to learn, ready to build upon the information you already have in your toolbox, or even to throw your old preconceptions out the window and start afresh. The desire to learn more, I think, should always be insatiable. Recognising that you don’t know everything can be the best step in finding your own sweet spot. Take the discomfort that comes with new things and trust that it will evolve you.
To be the best in any field innovation is essential, but even more so in marketing. And in a field that does not wait, it is crucial that we all strive to stay ahead of the curve. I see my new learnings as being integral to the development of my career and even my personal capabilities. My newfound awareness ties into an infinite amount of opportunities and I am developing the capacity to do more, and to do them to a higher standard and quality. Little by little, I am building my own nest of knowledge and understanding, like the bird in the French idiom. How are you building yours?