How do you know when you need to keep learning and when you need to stop and implement what you know?
Particularly for small business owners, they love to learn and gobble up courses about marketing and sales. But sometimes they need to stop learning and start applying the knowledge they already have.
How do you know when to draw the line? Can you share an example of times you've spend money you shouldn't have or times you spent money that paid off beautifully. Or the converse: are there times you didn't buy that book or take that course that held you back?
Good Answers (12)
Tara M. B
Independent Writing and Editing Professional, Entrepreneur and Small Business Owner
Best Answers in: Small Business (1)
If you have to ask, it's time to implement!
When I was first launching my businesses, I took course after course, read book after book, devoured newsletter after newsletter. At some point, I became aware that I already knew much of what I was consuming; it wasn't knowledge I was seeking, but confidence.
Sometimes, we choose to pursue information to try to protect ourselves from making mistakes. If that's your motivation for spending money on courses instead of marketing campaigns, STOP!
Being a small business owner requires risk-taking and "mistake-making." So go out and make the mistakes. There's more than one way to learn!
Great question, Andrea!
Links:
FRANK F
—►CEO NorthStar —►Strategic Futurist ex-Banker = "A Future You Can Bank On!" —►Keynote Speaker
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It should be a simultaneous, iterative,
non-stop process of "applied learning" --
a cycle of "learn -- apply -- re-learn".
Learning is lifelong and never stops.
There should be no line drawn
between learning and application.
And sometimes we need to learn to forget ;-)
FRANK FEATHER
Global Business Futurist and ex-Banker
~~ "A Future You Can Bank On!" ~~
Website: http://FFeather.com
e-Mail: Frank.Feather@Gmail.com
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Matthew T
+Leadership Discovery+ Inter-generational Opportunities+ Business Design Strategies
This is a great question! Learning, like so many things is very personal (we all learn at different rates and have different interests). Finding the right mix for you can usually be found in what you've done in the past. What are the areas of study you enjoy and why? What don't you know that you can't outsource to someone else?
I agree, that learning should be continual, however, you need to how it fits with your over-all goals. Your learning focus should match what you like. That way, it's not a chore to implement.
I have generally found that learning becomes implemented when you have the need for it. If you don't, then it was probably just an interest or isn't relevant now.
Write out 3 goals or steps that will help you in the next 18 months. Then, look at your book shelf and see if you have any books that will move you closer to your goal. Or, look back at any previous workshop, seminars etc. and use the information from those.
Hopefully, you will see a pattern emerge that will show you how you like to learn and what is important to you. After that, find someone to fill you gaps and work from your strengths.
Please feel free to contact me if I can help you with this any further.
Thanks for asking!
Matthew Tuttle
Taylor E
Speaker, I teach businesses how to work on themselves and automate their social media marketing presence
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You never stop learning, but the difference here is that just taking in information isn't learning. Implementing that information into your life is when you really learn. I draw the line by recognizing when I need to implement the information I've gotten into my life so that I really can learn it.
Jason H
President at Steel Penny Games, Inc.
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I think it's a business decision, mainly, because it is a question of time versus quality. How much longer can you spend learning to do something better, versus how much better are the results? The curve has diminishing returns at some point. Like any investment, once you choose the areas where learning is necessary, make sure these support your product now and in the future, or you may be wasting resources...
Sasha G
Marketing Services at Peer Evaluations LLC
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When you have a solid idea that you are eager to implement - stop learning and start implementing it.
Rather - don't stop learning, but learn while implementing. :)
As soon as I learn something I put it into practise and use it 5 times that day. That way I remember it. I don't take another class until I have learned what I was taught. That way it never becomes toooooooo much
Rachel P
Creative Director at The Balagan Group
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when you're excited about putting into place whatever you've been learning ( i suppose by default, when you see a value in it ! ) Otherwise most people don't embrace change, so i guess its when the discomfort of implementing something becomes less than the pain of not doing it (because you see what you're missing, or what it costs you ) if i was a mathematician, i'd say this D (discomfort) - P (pain of not doing) x S (seeing somethign you didn't see before) = C (change/implementation)
hey, i like that ! (or it could just be that you have a free afternoon in your diary ?
Matthew B
Owner, Best Solutions, Entrepreneurial Coach
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As many of the others have said, you never stop learning. I have a colleague who set a goal to fail more this year than ever before. He understood that failure isn't an end - it's part of the process of learning, growing and ultimately succeeding.
If you only consider book learning/formal education as learning, then you have a challenge. Learning happens while you implement, fail, adjust, re-implement, fail, adjust, etc. It's what allows you to make improvements.
How much formal learning do you need? Depends on what information you are seeking. There's a limit to how much technical knowledge you really need for a specific situation until you come up against the law of diminishing returns.
Karen E. L
Administrative Assistant (Temporary) at Spherion Staffing & Volunteer at ARC/GNY seeking a great nonprofit position
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As a good friend (and something of a role model/hero) of mine once told me: "I intend to go running into the grave and learning every step of the way."
You never stop learning, but it is important to apply the book (or classroom/Web) knowledge in the real world. In general, I'd say you should start the learning process with an objective in mind. When you've learned enough to achieve that objective, give it a try. Learn from any errors or missteps, then repeat the learning process. When that objective is met, or near enough, move on to the next objective. And so on.... "every step of the way."
Often the question is "how?", not "when?". In my experience, new learning is seldom followed up by real change in procedures. Too often the game becomes making the same old same-old look like something new. Real organizational learning requires visionary thinking and persistence, and far more time than most organizations are willing to give it. I've participated in many attempts, but I don't think I've ever witnessed an actual turnaround. I've read accounts of them in trade publications and the Harvard Business Review, so I know they can happen, but it requires uncommon leadership and determination.
I recently gave up public relations and went into teaching secondary school. I find that I'm in using and relaying more knowledge these days than I am acquiring, but I'm certainly learning a lot about teaching--the hard way!
Peter B. G
Social Media-Business Strategist▫Speaker▫Author▫Consultant ►Call for consultation on your Enterprise Social Med
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When talking about implementation it can to some extent be about the right use of the 80/20 rule and knowing when 'good enough' is enough.
Yes we keep on learning, and what we did last week is not perfect, but we must forge ahead.
Drawing the line is largely about knowing when to stop, when is itg good enough?
Links:
More Answers (8)
Kare A
ceo at Say it Better Center, LLC
Best Answers in: Customer Relationship Management (1), Business Plans (1)
You don't but, speaking personally, you get restless to start... maybe not the smartest approach but, intuitively it often works.... as a fan of your writing Andrea, methinks you do something similar
Links:
You always need to engage in life long learning. Self Mastery is a process that is never ending.
Joy M
building your business system so you can build your business
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You need to never stop learning and you need to apply what you learn as you go.
Coby N
Rocket Science Creative Work
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My website has been worth the cost. So has my Mac computer
and development of my logo. Software is always pushing me
forward and I need catch up. Starting my jingle business has been
a nice added boost. Clients have always been happy with the work
we have produced.
Links:
Josh C
General Manager at Web Industries; Itinerant Writer; and Decent Little League Coach
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Hi Andrea,
I always need to keep learning. It's what makes it a decent day for me that I learned something.
It's what I don't know that I don't know that I worry about....
Josh.
Kathy B
Designer/visionary at Periwinkle Lane Interiors specializing in senior living design,kathybradway@yahoo.com
Best Answers in: Change Management (4), Ethics (4), Career Management (1)
Wow great question. wish I had the answer since so many of the books are contradictory you can spend all your time figuring it out, yet if you do figure it out then you can capitalize on it, maybe write a book or something. Then everyone else will have to listen to your advice and the beat will go on.
Brian C
Training people to speak English (Fortaleza, Brazil)
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Dear Andrea,
I'm implementing my material, and learning even more.
Brian
It is an ever revolving cycle, constant in its progression and growth.
You must learn to apply and than you apply to learn again.
The problem some people can have is to learn to many things and not actually know how to implement it.
For example I recently met a director of company who spoke about loyal customers and tthat is your target for you customers. Something I agree with but he didn't beleive it was his job to make that happen but Operations job. But it is a task for everyone in the organization from the the security guard right up to the CEO.
He had staken the stance about a customer who he believed to be unhappy because of the service they were receiving from support but when the root cause was analysed it was due to the pitch sales had made and they were scoring service & support 9/10 and Sales 5/10.
I hope this helps you out.
