| Downsizing and technological advances put demands | | | | at over 100. Would anyone complain about the |
| on us to learn more and learn it faster. As support | | | | method? |
| staff and auxiliary positions disappear, job functions | | | | Then she took a job where her boss told her he |
| are consolidated, teamwork becomes the norm, and | | | | wanted a newsletter in two weeks, and gave her |
| computer and other technologies keep proliferating, | | | | — wouldn’t you know? — a Mac. |
| we are faced with a stressful amount of new things | | | | Being used to tinkering, she started right in, asking an |
| to learn in a diminishing amount of time. | | | | office mate some pertinent questions, and figuring it |
| Yet the faster you can learn new things, the more | | | | out fairly rapidly although she had never touched a |
| valuable you will be to your employer, and the more | | | | computer before. Someone else might have refused |
| likely you’ll be to advance in your career. It | | | | that job or demanded lessons. |
| isn’t an option these days. | | | | The next job Alicia had she was required to use a |
| WHAT LEARNING CURVES HAVE IN COMMON | | | | PC, and she tackled that on her own as well. |
| What can you do to accelerate your learning curve | | | | Nick, however, learns best from formal instruction, |
| and increase your value to your employer? The | | | | and then having a manual at his side. It confuses him |
| interesting thing is that there are things all learning | | | | if someone tries to instruct him sitting by his side or |
| curves have in common, whether you’re | | | | talking to him. He would rather work on his own, in |
| learning how to facilitate team work, learning a new | | | | peace and quiet. |
| software program, learning a new language, or | | | | Emotional Intelligence starts with self-awareness |
| learning how to negotiate. The better you understand | | | | — knowing your emotions as well as your |
| the mechanics of THE learning curve, the better | | | | cognitive abilities, and particularly how they interface. |
| you’ll be able to deal with the individual ones | | | | Nick and Alicia were both able to learn computer |
| that come along, and this is part of Emotional | | | | skills, but they were comfortable in different settings, |
| Intelligence. | | | | and it’s emotional comfort, that gets |
| GETTING RID OF THE FEAR | | | | rid of the fear and accelerates the learning curve. |
| If you think back on things you’ve learned in | | | | Learning has a huge emotional component to it that |
| the past, you’ll probably realize that one of | | | | is just now being honored in our schools and in the |
| the things that slowed you down was fear. I can | | | | work place. |
| certainly think of examples in my own case. | | | | MOVE RAPIDLY FOR BEST RESULTS |
| An example of how fear can slow you down is | | | | A crucial point is the longer you stay in the confused |
| evident if you’ve watched a young child learn | | | | stage, the more stress you’ll experience. This |
| how to ski. A child doesn’t fear failure nor | | | | will reinforce itself, making it harder for you to learn |
| success, nor do they fear falling down. New things | | | | in the future. In essence you’ll be slowing |
| are an every day occurrence for a child, and this is | | | | down your learning curve each time. |
| just the next one. In learning to ski, they fall | | | | The faster you learn each thing, the less agony, and |
| repeatedly and bounce back like a rubber ball. They | | | | the better and faster you’ll learn in the future. |
| consider it all fun. Thus there is nothing slowing down | | | | It’s a win-win. Your employer wants you to |
| the learning except their ability to master the motor | | | | learn fast, and it’s in your best interest to |
| skills. What a relief! | | | | learn fast. |
| Many of the Emotional Intelligence competencies | | | | Another great benefit is then learning is fun — |
| facilitate learning. One of them is flexibility. The skiing | | | | like the 6 year old learning to ski. This is turn will |
| example shows a sort of physical flexibility, but this is | | | | make you more resilient (the stress-buster for the |
| applicable to mental tasks as well. We don’t all | | | | 00s) because studies have shown that lifetime |
| learn best the same way. You may be sent to a | | | | learning contributes to resilience. |
| seminar or training that doesn’t fit your | | | | The ability to change rapidly, be flexible and learn |
| learning style. If you’re flexible, and have | | | | quickly are highly valued by today’s employers |
| learned how to learn (the learning curve), | | | | and reduce your personal stress levels. |
| you’ll be able to shape things to your own | | | | These are all Emotional Intelligence competencies you |
| benefit. | | | | can learn. How? Start with an overview of the field |
| Take learning a new software program, for instance, | | | | and an assessment of your own Emotional |
| something many of us are faced with almost | | | | Intelligence (EQ or EI). You can take an interactive |
| monthly. One person may learn better by reading the | | | | Emotional Intelligence course on the Internet, and |
| manual, while another may do better by being shown. | | | | then work with a certified Emotional Intelligence |
| Yet another may be used to the throw them to | | | | coach who can provide individual instruction to |
| the wolves method, or by hearing a tape or | | | | improve your competencies. |
| looking at an interactive video on the computer | | | | Developing your Emotional Intelligence has many |
| screen. | | | | benefits. It can accelerate the learning curve because |
| This has to do with your innate learning style which | | | | it teaches you correct patterns, makes previous |
| can be discovered through an assessment such as | | | | knowledge more accessible, allows for better |
| the StrengthsFinder® profile, by working with a | | | | cognitive functioning, and manages the emotions so |
| coach, or by analyzing your own history. Generally | | | | they help the process, not hinder it. It can also |
| when left to your own devices, you’ll do what | | | | increase your ability to get the help — and the |
| comes naturally to you, which will always be the | | | | kind of help — you need from others. |
| quickest and easiest way for you to learn. | | | | Even if faced with learning something completely |
| LEARNING HISTORIES | | | | new, you’ll learn to recognize the steps and |
| A client I’ll call Alicia learned how to type when | | | | feelings that go along with each stage which will |
| she was 6 years old. Her mother let her | | | | eliminate a lot of stress. |
| play’ on the family typewriter. By the time | | | | You’ve taken care of your academic |
| she got to high school and took a typing class which | | | | education, but what about your Emotional |
| attempted to teach her touch typing, it was | | | | Intelligence? Take a second look. Many people are |
| too late to unlearn the old ways, yet she keyboards | | | | finding it to be the missing piece in their career plan. |