Hi! I’m Stephanie Breedlove, Co-Founder of Care.com HomePay, Author and Angel Investor.
I absolutely adore taking an idea and giving it life in the form a business, then leading it to its full potential. Nothing is more fun. (Seriously!) I’d love for every woman who wants to start her own business to say the same thing, so here I am, mentoring millennial entrepreneurs. When I’m not working, I like to recharge and head outdoors to hike, bike, or stand up paddle board!
Is that list of business news and trending articles you’ve tagged still unread? I get it. Allow me to help. Take a couple minutes to read my summary of articles serving the most pertinent, actionable business topics. Or, take 10 minutes to read the full article, and put another brick on the foundation of your growing career.
Who it’s for:
Everyone. We spend over one-third of our waking hours at work, so we ought to be making the best of them.
Why it’s important:
Learning is the foundation for life: we are constantly learning. Learning must not stop once we get the job we think we want. It must be a central part of our work and personal lives. Thus, there are wins on many fronts when companies provide significant learning and development opportunities to employees.
Mary Shindler, Senior Program Manager for Learning and Development at LinkedIn is an expert in the Learning and Development (L&D) space. She provides four significant ways L&D can help you advance in your career and experience work on a whole new (and fulfilling) level.
- You’ll Be Happier and Feel More Satisfied. Deep down, we all want to feel happy and enjoy a deeper sense of fulfillment and passion in our work. However, according to recent research, the majority of Americans have little or no passion for their jobs. “Data is showing that team members who engage in learning are found to be happier and feel more satisfied,” said Shindler. “That’s a significant benefit, both for the employee and the business.” If you don’t feel this way, get started with your L&D team.
- Adding Skills Will Advance Your Career. “If you’re not learning and growing, you’re missing out on a big opportunity to advance your career,” said Shindler. “We’re in the age of knowledge work. It’s no longer enough to be an expert in your field. The future of work will require and reward skills in emotional intelligence, creativity, teamwork, managing complexity and the ability to develop others. This is where L&D comes in.”
- You’ll Become a Better Person. Learning is such an important part of the human experience, and focusing on learning is a focus on becoming a better person. “People grow through learning,” said Shindler. “When you learn more about leadership, emotional intelligence, play and creativity, it impacts your entire life. It changes how you show up in the world, how you are in your relationships, and the difference you make for the people around you. Most of us weren’t taught in school how to give feedback, have difficult conversations, empower a team, or share appreciation effectively. It’s very meaningful to do this work knowing it spills over into our lives, making us happier, more compassionate and more effective people.”
- Work Is a Perfect Setting for Learning. By some estimates, the average person spends 90,000 hours of their lives at work. At the most fundamental level, humans want to feel important, passionate and fulfilled. If L&D can lead to more happiness, fulfillment and satisfaction, then why not make it a central focus of your time at work?
Top Take-Away: You’re already investing a great deal of time and energy at work. If you can develop your skills, become a better leader and find more satisfaction, that’s a win-win that should not be ignored. So contact your L&D team, and ask them what resources are available and how to get involved. If your company doesn’t have an L&D team, take advantage of online courses and resources that cater to individual learning.
More ways to enhance the skill of life-long learning: