Learning at Work – Lessons for Life!

Do you remember that teacher recruitment campaign a few years ago called ‘everyone remembers a good teacher’?

Here at LPD Associates we remember teachers from way back when. One of Adrian’s favourites was a man called Brian Cleary, an English teacher at Batley Grammar School in the 1970’s. He was such a positive influence on Adrian’s lifelong love of reading, particularly the Classics (those books without pictures) and introduced him to amateur dramatics, which, curiously enough was how LPD got started…. but that’s another story!

Of course, in the same way that everyone remembers a good teacher, people also remember a good manager and leader. In our previous careers we look back with immense fondness and gratitude to the managers and leaders who were willing to invest in our education, enabling us to do the things we wanted to do most of all, which was to learn, perform effectively and continually develop, as leaders and as people.

This month we will again support Learning at Work Week. This is an annual event run each year which has been organised by the Campaign for Learning since 1999 and aims to put a spotlight on the importance and benefits of learning and development at work.

In schools’ teachers do a brilliant job of helping students to learn and equipping them for life. But, of course, teachers need continuous personal development, too. And whether you work in education or in business, the organisations which stand out are the ones which encourage a culture of continual growth. This requires more than simply an acknowledgement of this as a good idea. Rather, it needs leaders who are willing to drive a learning culture and invest in their people, both short term and long, promoting a genuine love of learning and leading by example.

The benefits of such a culture are enormous, for both employer and employee. For the organization, the results are higher engagement, better retention, less absenteeism, and a happier working environment. For the individual, career enhancement, feeling more valued, greater motivation and less stress are typical benefits of working for a learning-centred business.

Our company, LPD, stands literally for Learning, Performing and Developing. This is what we do and have done throughout our professional lives. We love to learn and make everyday a learning day. This, coupled with many years’ experience in leading and supporting highly functioning teams makes us ideally placed to support organisations who want to have a reputation for attracting and retaining a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

We think it’s a wonderful trip, this journey of discovery and being in a profession that helps others on this voyage is truly an amazing privilege. We’ll be supporting Learning at Work week and are encouraging others to do likewise.

Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher said, “no man ever steps into the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man”. And for those who love to learn, every day is a new adventure. It brings a fresh perspective, new thoughts and ways of reasoning and another opportunity to be the best version of you.

That good teacher you’ll always remember may be long gone, but in a time where learning is always right at our fingertips the opportunity for self-development has never been higher.