How important do you think it is to learn on the job?
You’ve gained employment or started a business, but is that where it ends?
Unfortunately, some people believe so. This is a terrible attitude.
Constant improvement on your job not only helps you scale up but also improves your professionalism and self-worth, both in the eyes of clients and in the eyes of employers (if any).
Moreover, it contributes to your personal growth.
All of these are of infinite importance to your success.
Learning on the job doesn’t require any special skills or training. It just requires a simple strategy and the right mentality.
Here’s how to get started
If you’re looking to learn on the job, you’ll need to follow in the footsteps of those who are ahead of you on the job. This could be in terms of rank or experience.
Image credit: Bluebudgie from Pixabay
Then, you’ll need to ask questions, which includes asking questions of yourself and seeking information from the right people or internet sources. You’ll equally need to be communicative and willing to learn. Finally, you’ll need to experiment.
Follow The Right Footsteps
Who are those you consider to be experts in your field? Make it a point of observing what they do.
Even if they are not experts per se, knowing what others are doing will help you analyse what you’re doing similarly and what you’re doing differently to them. This will help you gain some extra perspective as to what is required of you.
If you’re new on the job you might consider observing:
Your new colleagues
Your boss
Outside professionals in the similar field
If you’re already used to the job, then you probably also have an idea of who the world-leading experts are. It is so easy to find them and samples of their work on the Internet.
For instance, to improve as a writer and SEO professional, I follow industry-leading experts in my field such as
Catherine Hughes the Aussie
I’m certain there are experts too in your own field. Find them.
This strategy is so important because as humans we learn by modelling.
Ask Questions
I won’t say you won’t be able to learn if you don’t ask questions, but your learning will be severely hampered.
First, you need to ask yourself:
What am I doing right or wrong?
What are my deficiencies? (There always are. You just need to let yourself see them.)
How can I be a better worker than I am currently?
But by far the best question is:
If my productivity and work levels were solely what I depended on for paying my bills, how successful would my business be and how comfortably would I be living?
Further, you’ll need to be able to ask your colleagues:
How does this work?
Am I doing this the right way?
How do you go about it?
Think about their answers, then compare them with what you do. Sieve out any extra details and add the substance to your own work life.
Take Every Chance to Communicate
Communication is not underrated.
It’s been talked about countless times. We all know how important it is. And if you’re feeling unsure, check out this, this, and this article.
Talk to your colleagues about things related to work strategies. If you’re communicative, it’s easier to find out how things work. Moreover, the more you talk about ideas related to your work, the more you visualize possibilities around them and improve.
So don’t be hesitant to let your own ideas out. And if you can’t think of any, go to Google and search for something related to your workplace.
Here’s an example:
I’ve randomly searched for this on Google.
Here is the top result:
Now I have an idea I can toss around with my colleagues.
Be Willing to Experiment
You have to be ready to tinker and try out new things. Many of the things you’ll learn in your job will be through a trial-and-error process. You won’t get anything perfectly right away.
Ask yourself:
How does this work?
How and why does this particular way of doing things lead to the solution we provide for customers and clients?
Are there alternative methods that will lead me to the same solution?
Asking yourself these questions and then actually trying out any new ideas that come to you will help you gain the comprehensive understanding that you need in order to improve.
Conclusion
Try out these strategies to get workplace improvement.
Don’t forget, though, that the most important thing is that you actually put yourself out there and work.
Some new workers are often afraid to take on responsibilities because they are afraid they’ll fail.
Understandable, but don’t forget that nobody starts as an expert. There is always room to learn on the job.
Don’t let your fear of failure keep you from giving it a try.