Always Learning

I was fascinated by a recent article I read in the Harvard Business Review advocating the importance of creating a work culture that encourages ongoing learning.  In the piece, Four Ways to Create a Learning Culture on Your Team, authors Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Josh Bersin encourage managers to prioritize their own ongoing learning—as well as that of their team members—as a way to remain vibrant and successful and help drive the impact of your business. 

The authors argue that the desire to seek knowledge, learn, ask questions and apply information in new ways is more critical than ever as our organizations are radically and constantly evolving in response to the ongoing digital revolution. Businesses that celebrate a constant quest for knowledge in its team members, they explain, will have a leg up on the competition. As the take away, they provide four tips to implementing a culture of learnability with your own organization.

• Reward continuous learning and critical thinking as a way to ignite innovation.
• Give meaning and constructive feedback to highlight “knowledge gaps” in order to promote learning and improvement.
• Hire curious people to build a team driven to problem solve and innovate new business.
• Lead by example when it comes to your own ongoing learning.

What has stayed with me from the article is the recommendation that leaders promote a culture of learning by practicing what they preach and leading by example. This makes perfect sense to me as I continue to be driven each day by the desire to learn new things and take what I have learned and incorporate it into the work I do.

It is this passion to continue to learn and seek opportunities to learn more, lead by example and the belief that there is always room to grow that has led me pursue a Doctor of Business Administration. In January, I will begin working towards a Ph.D. in Business Administration at the Muma College of Business at the University of South Florida. 

I have thought about getting a Ph.D. for years, but the timing has not worked until now. By entering the DBA program, I hope to build on my hard and soft skills and all that I have learned thus far in my over two decades of applied experience. The reality is that the health care industry is always changing and at a dramatic pace, especially as the paradigm of health care delivery moves from provider driven to consumer-focused. To remain vital, you must always be willing to learn, adapt and implement. I hope that what I learn as part of this program, will help better inform the work I do at TGH and out in the community. 

As I work towards my Ph.D., I will also continue to advocate for and encourage my leaders to pursue additional educational opportunities and degree programs. I will also be there to support them along the way. By prioritizing education, we will each not only realize personal and professional goals, we will continue to elevate the quality of work and services provided by TGH. We will build upon and implement all that we have learned and experienced to continue to provide the highest quality service and care—a win for us all.