The belief that you can continually improve your knowledge is essential for agents and brokers in the ongoing effort to stay current with emerging coverage trends, increased customer demands and shifting regulations.
A passion for lifelong learning is tough to teach.
Fewer than two-thirds of working Americans have taken a course or received additional training in the past year to improve their job skills or advance their careers, according to a recent report from the Pew Research Center.
Plus, pursuit of lifelong learning tends to wane as we get older. Once you know our way around the industry and see a few business trends come and go, that appetite for new information decreases.
But the latest thinking suggests our propensity for lifelong learning is determined at a remarkably young age. In researching her book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,” Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck asked four-year-olds to complete jigsaw puzzles. Once the children finished, they had two choices: redo the easy puzzle or try a more difficult one. The choice the children made was a strong indicator of their penchant for learning for the rest of their lives, Dweck found.
Individuals with a “fixed mindset” preferred to repeat the easy puzzle in order to affirm their intelligence. Conversely, children who opted to attempt the more difficult puzzles exhibited a “growth mindset” and a desire to increase their intelligence.
Individuals with a growth mindset see opportunity in failure. They have a passion for learning and believe hard work and continuing education can mold abilities.
The belief that you can continually improve your knowledge is essential for agents and brokers in the ongoing effort to stay current with emerging coverage trends, increased customer demands and shifting regulations. The benefits of lifelong learning for both individuals and organizations are well documented: 96% of organizations report that continuing education has a positive impact on job performance, and a vast majority say it factors into salary and promotions, according to a survey conducted by EvoLLLution.
As agencies increase efforts to retain institutional knowledge and stay current in a rapidly changing industry, finding lifelong learners with a growth mindset is a must. And once they’re a part of your organization, fostering their impulse to gain more knowledge is critical.
Martin J. Frappolli, CPCU, FIDM, AIC, is senior director of knowledge resources at The Institutes, a leading provider of risk management and property-casualty insurance education with offerings including the premier CPCU® designation.
How to Do It Here’s a three-step to-do list for building lifelong learning into your organization’s culture: 1) Hire for it. Focus on lifelong learning during hiring. It can be as simple as asking, “What’s the last good business book you read?” in an interview. 2) Lead by example. Employees should see managers and leaders pursuing lifelong learning. 3) Provide opportunities. Whether it’s study time during the workday or incentives to complete a designation or course, emphasize learning as an important part of your agency’s culture. —M.F. |
