Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

Every brand today needs to constantly learn to adapt, sustain, and thrive. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a professional working in an organisation, or someone looking to start out fresh after a flailing business, you are ‘usually safe’ when you are learning along the way.

We all experience difficult patches in our careers and business at some point. But accepting these frailties beforehand and planning a succession from thereon is what our strategic imperative should be. Instead of ruminating of what didn’t work, you should think of how can you redirect yourself from your failure towards a new progression path.

Truth be told: this sounds easier than we think. But if we are firm in what we can offer to the world through our expertise or even evolving know-how, you’d always go north.

So, as the title reads, what does ‘learning insurance’ mean anyway? And how can we apply this perspective to our thinking complex, simply?

Learning insurance means you’re [financially] covered and progressively secured in your career as long as you invest in your personal and professional development.

When you learn more through others’ midway [and even starting] failure points, you can pivot accordingly.

That said, how can you cultivate a learning mindset and still be insured when you’re facing trying times?

  • Focus on learning outcomes. Instead of flubbing with your performance goals, focus on deducing learning outcomes through playful experimentation. That way, your curiosity- of exploring new possibilities – will help you stay driven even when you don’t see some conspicuous results. The good part? When you operate through your place of comfort-stretches, you’d see incremental improvements, which over a period of time will strengthen your performance in your business/ career. See from the lens of learning agility and you will learn to create value as per your market’s demand

 

  • Nourish and nurture your seeking system. Alive At Work by Daniel M. Cable talks about the amazing benefits of activating our seeking system– which is the dopamine circuit in our brain, linked to intrinsic motivation. When you activate your seeking system, you are fuelled with self-expression, excitement and curiosity that will keep you consumed in doing what you love. Your seeking system doesn’t just help you learn creatively, it also drives you to make art through your passion for your work. And this involves achieving your goals faster when you learn what you’re passionate about creating something meaningful, purposeful.

 

  • Read books [yes, paperback]. Don’t just read in your leisure time. Try and finish at least 2 books a week – related or unrelated to your profession. It can feel great and consumed when you read paperback books. Books can offer a new perspective and stretch your mind to think beyond your cognitive capacity. There is something magical about a fresh new book: it can make you think deeper and absorb you to delve into new thinking patterns. Books can also sharpen your business intuition, which in turn will make you solve complex business problems through clear and holistic thinking. And not to forget, reading books infuse you with new business ideas to grow and monetize your expertise.

 

How are you keeping your brand’s ‘learning’ insurance in check?

Let me know!