An organization's ability to learn and adapt is crucial for success in today's rapidly changing business environment. As Peter Senge stated in his influential book The Fifth Discipline, "the only sustainable competitive advantage is an organization's ability to learn faster than the competition" (Senge, 2006). For individual professionals and leaders, developing a mindset and skills for lifelong learning is equally important to remain relevant, advance one's career, and contribute maximum value to employers over the long run.
Today we will explore the connection between an individual's capacity and willingness to learn continuously, and their career success and progression.
Defining Learning for Career Success
Before delving into specific strategies, it is important to first clarify what is meant by "learning" in the context of career advancement. At its core, learning involves acquiring new knowledge, developing new skills and capabilities, and evolving one's mindset or perspectives through experience (Knowles et al., 2005). For professionals looking to progress their careers, two broad categories of learning are most relevant:
Technical/Professional Learning: Gaining deeper expertise in one's current role and industry through activities like continuous education, training programs, seminars, conferences and certifications. This enhances job performance and keeps technical/professional skills up to date amid market changes.
General/Transversal Learning: Acquiring "soft" skills, management competencies, and a broader business perspective that enhances leadership potential and readiness for more senior roles. This involves learning experiences outside one's immediate job such as mentorship, coaching, project work, networking, and developmental job assignments.
Both types of learning are important, though their relative emphasis may shift at different career stages. Technical mastery is critical for individual contributors, while general learning becomes more important for middle and upper management. A balanced focus yields the best returns.
Research on Adult Learning and Career Success
Scholarly research provides empirical validation for the link between learning and career outcomes. Some key findings:
In a seminal 22-year longitudinal study, Ng et al. (2005) found formal education and on-job training throughout one's career significantly predicted higher income, job complexity and job security later in life.
A review by Ellinger (2005) showed managers engaging in self-directed learning reported higher job satisfaction, career commitment and perceived marketability, impacting promotions.
Van Woerkom & Croon (2008) found learning goal orientation and having a "thirst for learning" correlated strongly with managers' career success, promotions and professional growth.
Martins & Martins (2002) observed continued education and lifelong learner mindset separated top executives from average performers, distinguishing their career trajectories.
Studies featured in Burke & Hutchins (2007) all found proactive learning behaviors like learning from experience and seeking feedback predicted career advancement over purely technical competency.
This research provides a foundation validating the practitioner argument - developing oneself continuously as a learner correlates highly with enhanced career outcomes like promotions, responsibility growth, salary increases and leadership opportunities over time in organizations.
Learning Strategies for Career Success
Armed with this understanding, here are some specific strategies individuals can employ to cultivate a learning mindset supporting career progression:
Conduct Regular Skills/Knowledge Assessments: Do self-reflections and have developmental conversations with managers discussing gaps between current and ideal competency levels for one's role and career stage. Aim to identify 2-3 specific learning targets annually.
Customize an Annual Learning Plan: With manager input, craft a plan outlining learning activities, timelines and objectives to address priority development areas. Review progress periodically.
Take Ownership of Training and Development: Proactively seek out internal and external training opportunities aligned with learning goals. Invest personal time and budget for conferences, seminars and certifications.
Volunteer for Stretch Assignments: Put hand up for special projects, task forces, or rotational roles outside comfort zone offering exposure to new domains and people. Mitigate risks through preparation and mentor guidance.
Build a Learning Network: Cultivate mentors, both formal and informal, inside and outside organization who can advise on challenging issues, introduce to new concepts and people, and champion your progress.
Learn from Daily Experiences: Pause regularly to reflect on successes, failures and feedback from projects or interactions, identifying learnings. Modify behaviors accordingly and share lessons with others.
Implement Learning Immediately: Test out new skills or knowledge in current role right away through small experiments or pilots, gaining comfort before significant application. Track impact regularly.
Real-World Examples
Many professionals have accelerated their careers notably using learning-focused approaches. Two examples:
John Doe, Director of Marketing, ABC Inc.: As Marketing Manager, John's annual review identified a need for broader business acumen. He joined a Finance for Non-Financial Managers certification program and shadowed the CFO on investor presentations. Combining this with networking among other functions, John earned a Director role overseeing a larger P&L within 18 months.
Jane Smith, VP Operations, XYZ Corp: When Jane stepped into leading a factory, production issues plagued her first year. Undeterred, she augmented internal coaching with operations strategy university courses and benchmarking plant visits worldwide. Fine-tuning processes and building a learning culture, Jane turned the facility around in two years, opening doors to her current high-level position.
In both cases, proactive yet pragmatic learning transformed individuals' careers rapidly through newly acquired perspective, skills and confidence to drive tangible business impact.
Conclusion
Organizations and career paths continue evolving faster than ever, requiring professionals to learn and grow constantly too. This essay argued a lifelong commitment to learning is a must for long-term career success, supported by extensive research and examples. Individuals boosting job performance through new competencies, and developing leadership potential to take on bigger responsibilities continually learn, progress and stay competitive. While technical skills matter, general learning mindsets serve professionals even better to navigate future changes creatively. Ultimately, organizations and one's career thrive when learning becomes a daily habit through ambition, humility and grit exemplified in the strategies shared. A learning orientation lays the surest foundation for peak contribution and achievement.
References
Burke, L. A., & Hutchins, H. M. (2007). Training transfer: An integrative literature review. Human Resource Development Review, 6(3), 263–296. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484307303035
Ellinger, A. D. (2005). Contextual factors influencing informal learning in a workplace setting: The case of “reinventing itself company”. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 16(3), 389–415. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.1145
Knowles, M. S., Holton III, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2005). The adult learner (6th ed.). Elsevier.
Martins, E. C., & Martins, N. (2002). An organizational culture model to promote creativity and innovation. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 28(4), 58–65. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajip.v28i4.53
Ng, T. W. H., Eby, L. T., Sorensen, K. L., & Feldman, D. C. (2005). Predictors of objective and subjective career success: A meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 58(2), 367–408. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2005.00515.x
Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. Currency.
Van Woerkom, M., & Croon, M. (2008). Operationalising critically reflective work behaviour. Personnel Review, 37(3), 317–331. https://doi.org/10.1108/00483480810862297
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
