New Manager, New Learning
When did you last learn something new? (Yan Krukau for Pexels)
As a new manager, you’re learning all the time. When was the last time you intentionally learned something new?
Learning opens horizons. It enables us to see things from different viewpoints, and get insights that we wouldn’t have gained otherwise. One of the most surprising things about the way the brain works is that even learning something that has nothing to do with your work can lead to new ideas directly related to your work!
What have you learned recently?
I’ve been learning Qigong and Reformer Pilates. I enjoy these classes not just for the physical benefits, but also for the opportunity to switch off my brain.
Am I learning, or am I resting my brain?
In these practices I’m doing both, and there are benefits to both:
The benefit of being intentionally open to learning and new experiences is that it trains the brain to be receptive to out-of-the-ordinary ideas. This leads to successful brainstorming!
Neuroscience has proven that there’s benefit in giving your brain space to rest and play. Einstein came up with the theory of relativity while daydreaming about riding on the end of a light beam in space.
Just like our bodies cycle through different modes to achieve balance (sleep and awake, exercise and recovery), the way we use our brain also needs balance. A good approach is to rest your brain (go for a walk, listen to music, sit with eyes closed), and then go and learn something, even from a book. Experience the learning fully and make a note of what that learning made you think of.
Learn outside your comfort zone
I especially challenge you to learn something that’s outside your comfort zone. Don’t give up, even if you think you can’t succeed, because you will find some kind of enlightenment along the way. I once attended a weekend glass-blowing workshop… the heat was incredibly uncomfortable and I could not produce anything worth looking at to save my live, but it gave me an awareness of and huge respect for glass artisans. The enlightenment I found was the reminder that practice makes perfect!