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Orientation- Learning at Work
Chapter 5: Taking Initiative
Ways to take initiative
- Show someone what you have learned
- Share previous knowledge with others
- Ask for new responsibilities or chances to learn
- Share how you are following up on learning your job
- Take appropriate risks in learning new things
- Find a mentor or guide
- Do additional research
Elma the Science temp
In this short video, Elma, the main character, is doing temporary work as a science technician. She regularly takes initative and shows her co-workers how to do new things.
As you watch this, ask yourself:
How does Elma introduce something she did in her previous job?
Do you think this is probably a good thing?
How does she explain what people will see in the microscope?
Elma the Science Temp
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This short video shows how we need to share knowledge in the workplace
Share knowledge
As you saw in the video, Elma was willing to share her knowledge with her co-workers. In this way, she took initiative.. She was also able to transfer knowledge from her previous job to her current job.
Taking initiative means sharing knowledge and thinking up new ways to do things
Sharing knowledge
Elma shares her knowledge with her work group
Sharing Knowledge
It is not enough to learn on your own. As part of learning on the job, you need to share your knowledge with others. This is not a way of bragging about what you know, but a genuine interest on your part to share your experience with others. In this way, you can compare your past learning with what you are learning now. You will remember your new knowledge better if you integrate it with your past experience.
People won't know you have knowledge unless you share it!
Apply Skills to New Situations
Many employees don't realize that many of their skills can be applied to new situations. These skills are often called "transferable skills." Transferable skills are sometimes learned outside the workplace and then applied within the workplace. Recall how Elma transfered her skills and knowledge in quality assurance from her previous department to her new one.
Skills learned in hobbies, sports, volunteer work are often applicable in the workplace.
One example of a transferable skill is the ability to work as a team member. This is an essential workplace skill, but employees have often learned this skill first in another context, such as participating on a sports team. Working as part of a team in the workplace requires similar skills to working as part of a team for a sport activity. Therefore, the skill is transferable.
Demonstrating you are willing to learn
In your new job, you will be asked to do and learn many new things. As you learn different parts of your job, you should show others that you are interested in learning. This might be asking others about their jobs or following up with some self-study such as web-searches or additional research.
Employers expect that good employees will demonstrate not just willingness to learn but interest in the job and in the company.
Use Repetition to Complete Tasks
Did you ever wonder how experts develop their expertise? Have you noticed that some people can perform a task with seeming effortlessness?
In many cases, performing a skill repeatedly develops a higher skill level.
Elma understands the value of repetition in developing skill and expertise. She says, "After learning from my mistakes and trying over and over, I was able to quickly pull out the defective pouches."
Ask for new responsibilities or chances to learn
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Taking risks
In your new job, you will be expected to take some risks. Not risks that are dangerous or are unsafe. But you will need to take risks to show you can learn new things and try things out.
Every learning experience requires us to take risks.... if you don't take a risk you can't learn. You might try out doing something before you have memorized all the steps. Or you might use trial and error to test out a method or example.
In the next short video you can watch some teenagers learning to skateboard by using trial and error.
Finding a mentor
Earlier in this course we talked about the importance of finding a mentor or guide to help you learn how things work in your organization.
But how do you actually do that?
Learning by trial and error
Watch these teenagers practice skateboarding by trial and error
Ways to find a mentor
- Ask your supervisor, "I would like someone to help me learn the ropes. Can you recommend someone?"
- Ask your co-workers to recommend someone who is known for helping others
- Watch around you and see who seems the more expert. Is that person also someone who seems friendly?
- Observe in the lunchroom or coffee breaks who seems helpful and approachable.
Doing extra research
You need to show others that you are willing to learn more by self-learning. You might do this by:
Browsing the internet in your spare time about some aspect of your job
Reading manuals or guides about parts of your job
Watching others do your job and compare your performance
Talking to others who you know who have done similar jobs to find out how they learned them
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