A learning culture is not a nice-to-have

Developing an environment in which you and your team are consistently sharing and learning new things is crucial to surviving in the fast-paced world we find ourselves in. According to HackerRank’s 2019 Developer Skills Report a learning culture is the number one criterion for developers who are job hunting.

“The most important factors for developers, across all job levels and functions, was the opportunity for professional growth and work-life balance.”

The word “culture” can easily be substituted with “mindset” in this article. Whether you’re a company or a one man band, here are 6 effective ways in which to cultivate a continuous learning environment.

1. Read widely, make it a habit

Not twitter, real books.

2. Keep smart company

Surround yourself with people who are smarter or think differently than you whenever you can. Hire curious people.

3. Share what you know

It’s really, quite simple: See one, do one, teach one

If you require further incentive, learning by teaching has proven to be extremely effective.

4. Keep a list of things you want to learn

I use github

5. Start your own (side) project

Internal or side projects are a great opportunity to accelerate learning and experiment with new tools and frameworks.

6. Prioritise learning

Laura Vanderkam laid this out beautifully in her 2012 Wall Street Journal article: Are you as busy as you think?