Have businesses become too narrow-minded when it comes to sharing knowledge? Chris Sheppardson outlines the benefits of breaking down barriers to continued learning and development
Networking connections and friendships made at Business School are invaluable for developing careers but it is important to recognise that these relationships need to be maintained and nurtured. There is so much to be learnt and gained from different perspectives and the sharing of knowledge. By the same token, lack of time is no real excuse when so many senior businesspeople today complain of loneliness. So it is important to maintain and build new and existing relationships as this can, in turn, lead to new opportunities and to new business.
There is an old saying that ‘learning and leadership are very closely aligned’ because leaders learn every day, or at least, that should be the case; leaders who aren’t learning, arguably aren’t leading at all. Building knowledge should not just be gained from textbooks either as real life is also about judgements that are made on the business field of play, which means that we should learn from the personal experiences of leaders.
Watch and learn
Watching experienced leaders in action is fascinating too, particularly when it comes to observing how they interact with, and influence, audiences. There is certainly an art or a level of confidence associated with truly effective networking, yet the most important tools in one’s networking armoury are often overlooked or underestimated. Despite evolution in technology and the various channels we use to communicate today, quite simply, the ears (listening) and the eyes (for silent communication) remain two of the most crucial elements of interaction. Interestingly, a great number of leaders both young and old still don’t know how to use these two assets to their greatest advantage and that can become a barrier to success.
There are of course plenty of other barriers that stop us from networking or learning to our full potential. People often worry about rank or seniority when it comes to learning from those around them and there are still some stigmas that suggest the young must learn from the old, yet the reverse can also be true. Life is life and experience has something to offer no matter how old you are, what industry you work in, or what you believe.
There is also a danger that the modern world continues to show more respect and acknowledgement for those in society with higher or recognised qualifications, and this has creates unfair barriers for those who don’t have a degree or diploma, for instance, but who may have an exceptional business mind or entrepreneurial flair.
Hard graft meets intellect
The judgement of individuals in the business world and in life has had a profound effect on workplace culture today and on teams. Everyone deserves a fair opportunity to be able to aspire and inspire. Teams need the combination of the ‘hard grafter’ who breaks down traditional walls, as much as they need the well-trained mind.
In a process-driven world, there are also barriers to sharing knowledge. Statistics tell us that it was arguably easier for someone pre-1975 to rise from humble beginnings to a very senior level, than it is today. This may be because of perceptions that people have to work 10 times harder today to see real progression and, as a result, some opt out of corporate life altogether. Yet this is unfair and wrong; businesses need to give people a fair chance today and allow talent to breathe – and that means allowing people to fail, take risks, learn and walk the walk without fear. Only then will people be able to make the most of new learning opportunities.
It’s becoming clearer today that we need to be more open in business and continually push ourselves outside our comfort zones when it comes to learning and development. Knowledge sharing thrives on new perspectives and the benefits these can bring. It is one of the many business challenges today, particularly when so many are anxious, tired, weary and demotivated. The real danger for many businesses is that we have become narrower in the way we act and think when it comes to sharing knowledge.
Space and time
We need to support learning and the opportunity to create more space and time to think at a senior level. In the past, people have said that in an ideal world a CEO should be allowed to think and not have to answer any day-to-day communications, but that scenario is very rare in the modern workplace. The truth is that in order to learn and expand our horizons, everyone needs to find time in their day to think, reflect and consider issues around them rather than merely respond on the immediate pressure to act.
The barriers that may be stopping us form exploring and discovering new learning paths need to be removed if we are to broaden our mental agility. We should be taking inspiration and knowledge from people across a variety of different industries, levels of seniority and walks of life.
Broadening the way we think in business when it comes to building relationships could open up a wealth of knowledge that we may have otherwise overlooked. It can be lonely at the top and most of us would agree that we tend to excel more naturally when we feel valued or part of something bigger than ourselves. People are tribal by nature; we want to belong and we value the concept of building meaningful relationships in both life and at work. It is a huge part of our culture and something that holds the future key to our learning and development goals.
Chris Sheppardson is CEO at EP Business in Hospitality, a communicator in business thinking and opinion with a focus on shared knowledge and connectivity across the hospitality industry.
