Article published on LinkedIn.com: June 06, 2023

03_learning_change_060723.pdf

Learning & Change

We are in a new age, the age of information, of global competition!

We have no choice but to prepare for this new age in which the key to success will be the continuous education and development of the human mind and imagination. I like to call it the ‘’Learning Age.’’

In the 21^st-Century, the new disadvantaged will be those who do not have the capacity to learn. They will sink, unable to change and adapt, as they are flooded with ever more information and change.

However, learning is about more than just getting by in a changing world. Our ability to learn is what makes us human; we are born curious and our ability to continue learning is what defines us as individuals, as communities, and as societies.

Learning can bring you, your family, your organization, and your community any number of benefits. Just some of them include: personal growth, and expanded horizons, increased employability, improved career development prospects, a broader range of interests, and a wider social life, that is, the ability to create your own future.

Every day, people around the world are changing their lives through learning. Learning something new can help you to earn more money, get a better job, and do something you really enjoy. It can be a way to gain confidence and discover talents you never knew you had.

It can be a way to meet new people and have a bit of fun. If you feel you are in a monotonous routine, it could help you escape. Even if you did not like learning when you were at school, you must find a way to enjoy it now.

Why do we learn?

Learning is acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information.

All kinds of people can learn all kinds of things. It does not matter if you have worked for years or have just left school. Young, old, male, female, working, non-working, all can achieve trough learning. 

When we ask students, workers, professionals, or retired people what they understand by learning, responses such as these are received:

·         Learning is a quantitative increase in knowledge.

·         Learning is acquiring information.

·         Learning is memorizing.

·         Learning is storing information that can be reproduced.

·         Learning is acquiring facts, skills, and methods that can be retained and used as necessary.

·         Learning is making sense of something or abstracting meaning from it.

·         Learning involves relating the parts of a certain subject matter to each other and to the real world.

·         Learning is interpreting and understanding reality in a different way.

·         Learning involves comprehending the world by reinterpreting knowledge.

In a constantly changing world, it is important that we embrace our role with optimism. A life’s journey is all about development, improvement, growth, and particularly learning. It is also, for the most part, all about our work, which will permit us to be at peace with others and ourselves.

We approach work according to guiding principles, such as:

·         We work to earn the position of trusted family member, community member, partner, educator, advisor, coach, consultant, and facilitator.

·         We respect the confidentiality of the people with whom we work.

·         We look for and act upon opportunities to foster collaboration with others in the community by promoting cooperative goals, making connections, and providing support, advice, and thoughtful leadership.

·         We offer solutions that are driven by the goals, needs, and agendas of the people we work with.

·         We involve others through a consultative engagement process that involves robust assessment and diagnosis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.

Work is to be embraced as a positive factor in realizing our life’s journey. Including learning in our day-to-day activities as part of our positive philosophy enables us to capture the essence of the world surrounding us.

 Learning cannot be seen as something we’ve already completed before we start a career. It must be viewed as an element integrated into our life’s journey.

Remember that without learning stagnation will install itself, and any effort to change will be automatically stopped.

Also, in the same chapter you can familiarize yourself with questions, reflections, and answers about:

How can I become a more effective learner?

Is learning a process?

What is a life development program?

What do I want to know and learn about?

Is reading important?

How can I find the right mentor?

Do I want to be a Mentor?

What is Change?

How do individuals and organizations respond to change?

What about a plan for change?

Do I need to think ahead?

What are the reasons for resisting change?

What are the change processes?

What is the downside of change?

What should I consider?

Change Your Future, Now!

This 642-page book is the result of a four-year project called Project Tomorrow. During the four-year period, we followed more than 500 trainees, aged from 16 to 72.

The trainees were from colleges and reinsertion programs in administration and computer science. Some of the trainees that were implicated where dropouts from school districts, and others were new immigrants or unemployed workers from different economic and social backgrounds.

To graduate, the trainee had to perform during a period of three months in a business environment. At the end of that time, an appreciation evaluation was performed to determine both the amount of change the trainee experienced during the period and the impact of that change on the trainee.

Many of the questions, reflections, and answers presented in this book are issued from our findings during this period. We would like to thank all the trainees for their efforts and determination during the process.

In a nutshell, to change your life for a better future, you will need to be completely open and transparent as you look inside yourself to answer the tough questions about what you think you need to do to succeed in life.

To help you to develop a clear and detailed program, for your personal growth and happiness in life you will need Change Your Future, Now!

The book through questions, quotes and reflections provides the necessary elements to explore your soul, to find out who you really are, what your true passions are and how you can become more efficient and effective, so you can shape your life.

This 642-page book is the result of a four-year project called Project Tomorrow. During the four-year period, we followed more than 500 trainees, aged from 16 to 72. It is also the fruit of forty years of experience acquired with local and international organizations and companies and during consultancy, change management, transition, and marketing services. For more information go to: www.webtechpublishing.com .

About the Author In addition to writing, Germain Decelles acts as Change Management Strategist. He has over 40 years of business and consultation experience with local and international markets, including sectors such as retail trade, distribution, information technology and communications, transportation, manufacturing, financial services, and government organizations. Other publications: ISO Pour Tous – Le manuel d’information ISO – Le guide de préparation ISO – La gestion du changement en affaires – La gestion de projet d’affaires – Le changement POUR TOUS – Change Your Future, Now! – Mon succès est votre succès – My Success Is Your Success. Press Contact Germain Decelles, o.s.j. WebTech Management et Publication Incorpored

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