Chapter 2: Learning

All workplaces expect different things from employees.  Some workplaces give you lots of supervision.  Other workplaces expect you to learn the job on your own.  It will be up to you to find out what your workplace expects of you and how to learn on the job.

The same kinds of people who helped you learn things as you were growing up will also help you in the workplace.

You will need to find people who can help you learn about "how things work" in your workplace.  These people may be your supervisor, or someone working along side you, or another person in another department. For the purposes of this lesson, we are referring to these people as mentors.  But remember they may not be formal or assigned people.

It is important to find yourself a mentor or guide to help you learn about the workplace.

Research shows that people who find these mentors or guides succeed better in their jobs.  They are more confident.  They learn their jobs more efficiently and effectively than people who don't have mentors.

You don't need to be "assigned" a mentor.  But you do need to find someone who can help you learn the ropes.

Most workplaces have an orientation process for new workers.  This may be as short as a couple of hours or as long as a couple of weeks.  It will depend on the kind of job you have.

Front line workers usually are given basic information about policies and practices.  Then, they are sent to a supervisor who gives them more details about their particular job.  But, supervisors may assume you know more than you do.  So, it is up to you to make sure you have what you need to learn your job.

New hires who are supervisors or managers may also need to learn many new things.  Even if they have been in the company for some time.  

All new employees should expect a "steep learning curve."  No one expects you to know all about your job in the first few weeks.  But they will expect you to be prepared to learn on your own.

 

Here is an interview with  Julieta, a young employee who recently started working for a fast food chain. Listen to the interview and notice how she learned the job and what helped her to learn better. 

Even if you have taken a training course to get your job, you will learn most of what you do on the job. You will be expected to learn on your own.... and not depend on others to tell you what to learn.

You will be expected to learn much of your job by:

Observing others doing similar tasks

Asking others about how things are done

Practicing in small chunks until you get proficient

Requesting feedback when you have done a task

Reading manuals or data sheets

 Figuring out things on your own

When you watch someone do something you are trying to compare a mental image of how you do it, so you can repeat their performance.  We are asumming that most new hires are not able to do jobs as fast and efficiently as "old hands." 

People with more experience are the ones to help you learn your job.  So, watching them and thinking about how they do things can help.

 

In order to learn your job, you will need to ask questions of others. This people will include co-workers, supervisors, lead hands, managers and any others who can help you.

 

Of course, not many of us have such dramatic events as the previous Monty Python sketch.  But, we may need to think about "good" questions to ask.  If you don't ask questions to learn your job, you may stay confused or uninformed.  It's better to ask something even if someone has told it to you before, then not to ask it.

What are some "good " questions?

You should feel cmfortable asking questions about:

How a work process is sequenced.

     For example:  What comes first, second, third, etc.

Where to get more information

Who you can ask about details of your job

Why does something work the way it does? (This may be different than your previoius work experience.)

 

 

No one expects you to know your whole job right away.  Everyone expects that you need time to learn your job, to practice new skills, and get more efficient.  You need to divide up your job into tasks.  Sometimes supervisors will already do that for you.  But they may not, so you have to figure it out.

You should expect to practice one part until you get confident that you are doing it correctly.  Then, ask for feedback.

Here's a short video to help you think about how you might divide up a new task.

You may be anxious about the work you are doing when you start your new job. So, you may think you need feedback for every small step.  But you probably don't.  You need feedback when you are learning parts of your job to make sure that you are getting the sequence correct or that you are using tools or equipment properly.  But, it is unlikely that your supervisor will micro-manage you. 

When should you ask for feedback?

When you think you have successfully completed a task

When you think you are efficient enough and are pretty sure you know the task

When you want to move on to a new task

All workplaces expect you to read documents.  These may be in the form of work cards, manuals, shift reports, production sheets, or other industry specific information. You may need some additional help to read these documents or to identify the information you need for your job.

Reading documents is a different kind of reading than the reading you are doing for this course. You will need to skim and scan in order to find specific information you need.

If you have problems reading documents, you will need to talk to your supervisor about adiditonal help.

You have now finished your first lesson.  You can now go on to the next lesson.