essay on learning a new skill

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Learning a new skill can be hard. Here's how to set yourself up for success

Rommel Wood

Andee Tagle

This is one of my favorite questions to ask people: What was the last thing you taught yourself how to do?

I (Rommel) like it because the answers are usually less about the actual skill and more about the motivation behind learning it. It's a question I leaned on a lot when I was booking contestants on the NPR game show Ask Me Another .

But I don't really get to ask it anymore. Maybe it's because I'm in my 30s and I'm not meeting as many new people these days. The pandemic might also be a factor. Plus, Ask Me Anothe r recently ended, and it got me thinking about my time on the show and "the question" that so often cracked people open in a really interesting way.

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So I reached out to some former contestants to see if they remembered their answers. Sam Cappoli learned how to drive a car with a manual transmission, AKA "a stick." Amy Paull was training herself to do a pull-up. Cappoli's motivation was to finally learn how to do something his mom tried to teach him as a teenager. Paull's motivation was to gain strength so she could become a better escape room teammate. But there is more to both of their stories. Sam realized that he couldn't learn how to drive from just watching a few youtube videos and a shoulder condition made Amy re-evaluate her goal of pullup dominance.

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It can be incredibly gratifying to harness mastery of a skill. But, why is learning new things so hard?

Maybe it's because we need to rethink how we go about learning. Here are some tips! Figure out what it is that you want to learn. Then...

Set yourself up for success

In addition to asking former Ask Me Another contestants "the question" I also turned to my 3-year-old daughter and asked her what was the last thing she learned how to do? She was quick to tell me she can turn on the lights all by herself. After a couple of years of attempts, she is now tall enough to reach a switch and has mastered the fine motor skills it takes to grip a switch and flip it on and off. It's a skill relevant to her but also to everyone — we just don't necessarily think of it as a skill anymore.

Rachel Wu is an associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside. She studies how we learn over the course of our lives. Wu says it's easier for kids and babies to learn new things because their whole lives are centered on learning. Babies are incredibly open-minded. They want to learn everything because everything is relevant to them.

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Wu says we can learn from that by asking, "is the thing I'm trying to learn relevant to my life?" Next, find yourself an instructor — someone who is really good at breaking up the things you want to learn in approachable ways.

Then, give yourself a realistic timeline to learn something new. Using babies as an example — we don't expect newborns to be able to communicate the second they are born. It often takes a baby at least a year to start accumulating a pen of recognizable words in their vocabulary. Give yourself the same amount of time to learn something as you'd give a child to learn it too.

Keep tinkering with the challenge at hand

If you're struggling to stay motivated, or feel like you're hitting a wall in your progress, stop and adjust your process. Play around with your method by introducing a new path to learning.

Take Wu, for example. She's learning how to speak German. She takes classes on the campus where she works, but she also started watching one of her favorite TV shows, The Nanny, dubbed in German and slowed down to 50%.

" The Nann y was nice because it teaches you more everyday language, and phrases that you would encounter on a daily basis," Wu says.

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She uses this handy trick with Pixar films and with listening to German audiobooks for kids.

Tinkering is part of it but so is accepting that you'll need to be open to possibly starting over.

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Feeling artsy here's how making art helps your brain.

Take Nell Painter. Painter is a retired professor at Princeton. She wrote a book called, Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over . When she was in her 60s she earned a bachelor's degree and an MFA in painting. She says an exercise she learned during an early art class really helped her adjust her relationship with her work and mistakes.

She would draw and draw, look at the model, and draw some more trying to get it right, Painter says. Then the teacher would come and tell her to "rub it out and draw it again, 10 inches to the right." Once again, Painter would draw and work to get it right, and then the teacher would say rub it out and draw it 10% smaller.

"The lesson is you can rub out your work," Painter says. "It doesn't all have to be a [masterpiece.] It doesn't all have to be right, and it doesn't all have to be saved. ... You can rub that sucker out."

Don't be afraid to make mistakes

We don't like making mistakes. But when you're learning something, mistakes are an important part of the process.

Manu Kapur is a professor of learning sciences and higher education at ETH in Zurich Switzerland, where he writes and teaches about the benefits of renormalizing failure and the idea of productive failure. He says the struggle to let yourself make mistakes is really hard.

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"It's a constant effort to tell yourself that 'This is something I do not know. I cannot possibly expect myself to get it immediately,'" Kapur says. "when I'm struggling, I just need to tell myself that this is exactly the right zone to be in and then to do it again and again and again. And until such time, you just become comfortable with being uncomfortable because you're learning something."

So, if you're worried it's too late to start that new language class or the fear of failure has stopped you from picking up that instrument, this is your sign to put your caution aside and just get started. Failure will likely be a part of the process, and that's okay. It's the trying — and the learning — that counts most.

The audio portion of this episode was produced by Andee Tagle, with engineering support from Stuart Rushfield.

We'd love to hear from you. If you have a good life hack, leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at [email protected]. Your tip could appear in an upcoming episode.

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Is It Really Too Late to Learn New Skills?

Among the things I have not missed since entering middle age is the sensation of being an absolute beginner. It has been decades since I’ve sat in a classroom in a gathering cloud of incomprehension (Algebra 2, tenth grade) or sincerely tried, lesson after lesson, to acquire a skill that was clearly not destined to play a large role in my life (modern dance, twelfth grade). Learning to ride a bicycle in my early thirties was an exception—a little mortifying when my husband had to run alongside the bike, as you would with a child—but ultimately rewarding. Less so was the time when a group of Japanese schoolchildren tried to teach me origami at a public event where I was the guest of honor—I’ll never forget their sombre puzzlement as my clumsy fingers mutilated yet another paper crane.

Like Tom Vanderbilt, a journalist and the author of “Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning” (Knopf), I learn new facts all the time but new skills seldom. Journalists regularly drop into unfamiliar subcultures and domains of expertise, learning enough at least to ask the right questions. The distinction he draws between his energetic stockpiling of declarative knowledge, or knowing that , and his scant attention to procedural knowledge, or knowing how , is familiar to me. The prospect of reinventing myself as, say, a late-blooming skier or ceramicist or marathon runner sparks only an idle interest, something like wondering what it might be like to live in some small town you pass on the highway.

There is certainly a way to put a positive spin on that reluctance. If you love your job and find it intellectually and creatively fulfilling, you may not feel the urge to discover other rooms in the house of your mind, whatever hidden talents and lost callings may repose there. But there are less happy forces at work, too. There’s the fear of being bad at something you think is worthwhile—and, maybe even more so, being seen to be bad at it—when you have accustomed yourself to knowing, more or less, what you’re doing. What’s the point of starting something new when you know you’ll never be much good at it? Middle age, to go by my experience—and plenty of research—brings greater emotional equanimity, an unspectacular advantage but a relief. (The lows aren’t as low, the highs not as high.) Starting all over at something would seem to put you right back into that emotional churn—exhilaration, self-doubt, but without the open-ended possibilities and renewable energy of youth. Parties mean something different and far more exciting when you’re younger and you might meet a person who will change your life; so does learning something new—it might be fun, but it’s less likely to transform your destiny at forty or fifty.

In “Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over,” Nell Painter, as distinguished a historian as they come—legions of honors, seven books, a Princeton professorship—recounts her experience earning first a B.F.A. at Rutgers and then an M.F.A. at the Rhode Island School of Design while in her sixties. As a Black woman used to feeling either uncomfortably singled out or ignored in public spaces where Black women were few, she was taken aback in art school to find that “old” was such an overwhelming signifier: “It wasn’t that I stopped being my individual self or stopped being black or stopped being female, but that old , now linked to my sex, obscured everything else beyond old lady .” Painter finds herself periodically undone by the overt discouragement of some of her teachers or the silence of her fellow-students during group crits of her work—wondering if they were “critiquing me, old-black-woman-totally-out-of-place,” or her work. Reading her book, I was full of admiration for Painter’s willingness to take herself out of a world in which her currency—scholarly accomplishment—commanded respect and put herself into a different one where that coin often went unrecognized altogether, all out of exultation in the art-making itself. But her quest also induced some anxiety in me.

Painter is no dilettante: she’s clear about not wanting to be a “Sunday Painter”; she is determined to be an Artist, and recognized as such. But “dilettante” is one of those words which deter people from taking up new pursuits as adults. Many of us are wary of being dismissed as dabblers, people who have a little too much leisure, who are a little too cute and privileged in our pastimes. This seems a narrative worth pushing back against. We might remember, as Vanderbilt points out, that the word “dilettante” comes from the Italian for “to delight.” In the eighteenth century, a group of aristocratic Englishmen popularized the term, founding the Society of the Dilettanti to undertake tours of the Continent, promote the art of knowledgeable conversation, collect art, and subsidize archeological expeditions. Frederick II of Prussia dissed the dilettanti as “lovers of the arts and sciences” who “understand them only superficially but who however are ranked in superior class to those who are totally ignorant.” (They were, of course, wealthy, with oodles of time on their hands.) The term turned more pejorative in modern times, with the rise of professions and of licensed expertise. But if you think of dilettantism as an endorsement of learning for learning’s sake—not for remuneration or career advancement but merely because it delights the mind—what’s not to love?

Maybe it could be an antidote to the self-reported perfectionism that has grown steadily more prevalent among college students in the past three decades. Thomas Curran and Andrew P. Hill, the authors of a 2019 study on perfectionism among American, British, and Canadian college students, have written that “increasingly, young people hold irrational ideals for themselves, ideals that manifest in unrealistic expectations for academic and professional achievement, how they should look, and what they should own,” and are worried that others will judge them harshly for their perceived failings. This is not, the researchers point out, good for mental health. In the U.S., we’ll be living, for the foreseeable future, in a competitive, individualistic, allegedly meritocratic society, where we can inspect and troll and post humiliating videos of one another all the live-long day. Being willing to involve yourself in something you’re mediocre at but intrinsically enjoy, to give yourself over to the imperfect pursuit of something you’d like to know how to do for no particular reason, seems like a small form of resistance.

Tom Vanderbilt got motivated to start learning again during the time he spent waiting about while his young daughter did her round of lessons and activities. Many of us have been there, “on some windowless lower level of a school huddled near an electrical outlet to keep your device alive,” as he nicely puts it—waiting, avoiding the parents who want to talk scores and rankings, trying to shoehorn a bit of work into a stranded hour or two. But not many of us are inspired to wonder, in such moments, why we ourselves aren’t in there practicing our embouchure on the trumpet or our Salchow on the ice. This may speak to my essential laziness, but I have fond memories of curling up on the child-size couch in the musty, overheated basement of our local community center reading a book for a stolen hour, while my kids took drum lessons and fencing classes. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, asks himself whether “we, in our constant chaperoning of these lessons, were imparting a subtle lesson: that learning was for the young.” Rather than molder on the sidelines, he decides to throw himself into acquiring five new skills. (That’s his term, though I started to think of these skills as “accomplishments” in the way that marriageable Jane Austen heroines have them, talents that make a long evening pass more agreeably, that can turn a person into more engaging company, for herself as much as for others.) Vanderbilt’s search is for “the naïve optimism, the hypervigilant alertness that comes with novelty and insecurity, the willingness to look foolish, and the permission to ask obvious questions—the unencumbered beginner’s mind. ” And so he tries to achieve competence, not mastery, in chess, singing, surfing, drawing, and making. (He learns to weld a wedding ring to replace two he lost surfing.) He adds juggling, not because he’s so interested in it but because—with its steep and obvious learning curve (most people, starting from scratch, can learn to juggle three balls in a few days) and its fun factor—juggling is an oft-used task for laboratory studies of how people learn. These accomplishments aren’t likely to help his job performance as a journalist, or to be marketable in any way, except insofar as the learning of them forms the idea for the book.

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Vanderbilt is good on the specific joys and embarrassments of being a late-blooming novice, or “kook,” as surfers sometimes call gauche beginners. How you think you know how to sing a song but actually know only how to sing along with one, so that, when you hear your own voice, stripped of the merciful camouflage the recorded version provides, “you’re not only hearing the song as you’ve never quite heard it, you are hearing your voice as you’ve never quite heard it.” The particular, democratic pleasure of making that voice coalesce with others’ in a choir, coupled with the way, when friends and family come to see your adult group perform, “the parental smile of eternal indulgence gives way to a more complicated expression.” The fact that feedback, especially the positive kind stressing what you’re doing right, delivered by an actual human teacher or coach watching what you do, is crucial for a beginner—which might seem obvious except that, in an age when so many instructional videos of every sort are available online, you might get lulled into thinking you could learn just as well without it. The weirdness of the phenomenon that, for many of us, our drawing skills are frozen forever as they were when we were kids. Children tend to draw better, Vanderbilt explains, when they are around five years old and rendering what they feel; later, they fall into what the psychologist Howard Gardner calls “the doldrums of literalism ”—trying to draw exactly what they see but without the technical skill or instruction that would allow them to do so effectively. Many of us never progress beyond that stage. Personally, I’m stuck at about age eight, when I filled notebooks with ungainly, scampering horses. Yet I was entranced by how both Vanderbilt and, in her far more ambitious way, Painter describe drawing as an unusually absorbing, almost meditative task—one that makes you look at the world differently even when you’re not actually doing it and pours you into undistracted flow when you are.

One problem with teaching an old dog new tricks is that certain cognitive abilities decline with age, and by “age” I mean starting as early as one’s twenties. Mental-processing speed is the big one. Maybe that’s one reason that air-traffic controllers have to retire at age fifty-six, while English professors can stay at it indefinitely. Vanderbilt cites the work of Neil Charness, a psychology professor at Florida State University, who has shown that the older a chess player is the slower she is to perceive a threatened check, no matter what her skill level. Processing speed is why I invariably lose against my daughter (pretty good-naturedly, if you ask me) at a game that I continue to play: Anomia. In this game, players flip cards bearing the names of categories (dog breeds, Olympic athletes, talk-show hosts, whatever), and, if your card displays the same small symbol as one of your opponents’ does, you try to be the first to call out something belonging to the other person’s category. If my daughter and I each had ten minutes to list as many talk-show hosts as we could, I’d probably triumph—after all, I have several decades of late-night-TV viewing over her. But, with speed the essence, a second’s lag in my response speed cooks my goose every game.

Still, as Rich Karlgaard notes in his reassuring book “Late Bloomers: The Hidden Strengths of Learning and Succeeding at Your Own Pace,” there are cognitive compensations. “Our brains are constantly forming neural networks and pattern-recognition capabilities that we didn’t have in our youth when we had blazing synaptic horsepower,” he writes. Fluid intelligence, which encompasses the capacity to suss out novel challenges and think on one’s feet, favors the young. But crystallized intelligence—the ability to draw on one’s accumulated store of knowledge, expertise, and Fingerspitzengefühl —is often enriched by advancing age. And there’s more to it than that: particular cognitive skills rise and fall at different rates across the life span, as Joshua K. Hartshorne, now a professor of psychology at Boston College, and Laura T. Germine, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, show in a 2015 paper on the subject. Processing speed peaks in the late teens, short-term memory for names at around twenty-two, short-term memory for faces at around thirty, vocabulary at around fifty (in some studies, even at around sixty-five), while social understanding, including the ability to recognize and interpret other people’s emotions, rises at around forty and tends to remain high. “Not only is there no age at which humans are performing at peak at all cognitive tasks,” Hartshorne and Germine conclude, “there may not be an age at which humans are at peak on most cognitive tasks.” This helps Karlgaard’s case that we need a “kinder clock for human development”—societal pressure on young adults to specialize and succeed right out of college is as wrongheaded and oppressive on the one end of life as patronizing attitudes toward the old are on the other.

The gift of crystallized intelligence explains why some people can bloom spectacularly when they’re older—especially, perhaps, in a field like literature, where a rich vein of life experience can be a writerly asset. Annie Proulx published her first novel at the age of fifty-six, Raymond Chandler at fifty-one. Frank McCourt, who had been a high-school teacher in New York City for much of his career, published his first book, the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir “Angela’s Ashes,” at sixty-six. Edith Wharton, who had been a society matron prone to neurasthenia and trapped in a gilded cage of a marriage, produced no novels until she was forty. Publishing fiction awakened her from what she described as “a kind of torpor,” a familiar feeling for the true later bloomer. “I had groped my way through to my vocation,” Wharton wrote, “and thereafter I never questioned that story-telling was my job.”

In science and technology, we often think of the people who make precocious breakthroughs as the true geniuses—Einstein developing his special theory of relativity at twenty-six. Einstein himself once said that “a person who has not made his great contribution to science before the age of thirty will never do so.” A classic paper on the relationship between age and scientific creativity showed that American Nobel winners tended to have done their prize-winning work at thirty-six in physics, thirty-nine in chemistry, and forty-one in medicine—that creativity rose in the twenties and thirties and began a gradual decline in the forties.

That picture has been complicated by more recent research. According to a 2014 working paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research, which undertook a broad review of the research on age and scientific breakthroughs, the average age at which people make significant contributions to science has been rising during the twentieth century—notably to forty-eight, for physicists. (One explanation might be that the “burden of knowledge” that people have to take on in many scientific disciplines has increased.) Meanwhile, a 2016 paper in Science that considered a wider range of scientists than Nobelists concluded that “the highest-impact work in a scientist’s career is randomly distributed within her body of work. That is, the highest-impact work can be, with the same probability, anywhere in the sequence of papers published by a scientist—it could be the first publication, could appear mid-career, or could be a scientist’s last publication.”

When it comes to more garden-variety late blooming, the kind of new competencies that Vanderbilt is seeking, he seems to have gone about it in the most promising way. For one thing, it appears that people may learn better when they are learning multiple skills at once, as Vanderbilt did. A recent study that looked at the experiences of adults over fifty-five who learned three new skills at once—for example, Spanish, drawing, and music composition—found that they not only acquired proficiency in these areas but improved their cognitive functioning over all, including working and episodic memory. In a 2017 paper, Rachel Wu, a neuroscientist at U.C. Riverside, and her co-authors, George W. Rebok and Feng Vankee Lin, propose six factors that they think are needed to sustain cognitive development, factors that tend to be less present in people’s lives as they enter young adulthood and certainly as they grow old. These include what the Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck calls a “growth mindset,” the belief that abilities are not fixed but can improve with effort; a commitment to serious rather than “hobby learning” (in which “the learner casually picks up skills for a short period and then quits due to difficulty, disinterest, or other time commitments”); a forgiving environment that promotes what Dweck calls a “not yet” rather than a “cannot” approach; and a habit of learning multiple skills simultaneously, which may help by encouraging the application of capacities acquired in one domain to another. What these elements have in common, Wu and her co-authors point out, is that they tend to replicate how children learn.

So eager have I been all my life to leave behind the subjects I was bad at and hunker down with the ones I was good at—a balm in many ways—that, until reading these books, I’d sort of forgotten the youthful pleasure of moving our little tokens ahead on a bunch of winding pathways of aptitude, lagging behind here, surging ahead there. I’d been out of touch with that sense of life as something that might encompass multiple possibilities for skill and artistry. But now I’ve been thinking about taking up singing in a serious way again, learning some of the jazz standards my mom, a professional singer, used to croon to me at bedtime. If learning like a child sounds a little airy-fairy, whatever the neuroscience research says, try recalling what it felt like to learn how to do something new when you didn’t really care what your performance of it said about your place in the world, when you didn’t know what you didn’t know. It might feel like a whole new beginning. ♦

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How to Master a New Skill

We all need to get better at something.

We all want to be better at something. After all, self-improvement is necessary to getting ahead at work. But once you know what you want to be better at — be it public speaking , using social media, or analyzing data — how do you start? Of course, learning techniques will vary depending on the skill and the person, but there are some general rules you can follow.

• Amy Gallo is a contributing editor at Harvard Business Review, cohost of the Women at Work podcast , and the author of two books: Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) and the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict . She writes and speaks about workplace dynamics. Watch her TEDx talk on conflict and follow her on LinkedIn . amyegallo

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9 Key Principles of Learning a New Skill

Why deliberate practice is such an effective learning tool..

Posted December 26, 2019 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

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Learning new skills can be a great way to keep an aging brain in shape. How can adults learn new skills more effectively? Learning techniques vary depending on the skill and the person.

Deliberate practice is purposeful; it knows where it is going and how to get there. Purposeful practice is not just performing the same activities over and over without immediate feedback on the outcome. Evidence has shown that deliberate practice can produce impressive results (Ericsson et al., 2018).

Here are some general rules you can follow in your pursuit of mastering a new skill (Ericsson & Pool, 2016).

1. Set learning goals. Having a clear goal in mind before you begin your journey is essential. Without knowing where you want to get to, you cannot plan. Having narrow and precisely defined goals and questions are far better than broadly defined goals and questions.

2. Start small. Purposeful practice is all about putting a bunch of baby steps together to reach a longer-term goal. The key thing is to take the general goal (get better) and turn it into something specific that you can work on with a realistic expectation. Set yourself deadlines. This way, you will know if you are starting to fall behind or have plateaued.

3. Get feedback on mistakes. You have to know whether you are doing something right and, if not, how you are going wrong. Determine your weaknesses and figure out ways to address them. The joy of seeing yourself improve at something is very encouraging.

4. Stay focused. Deliberate practice is deliberate. That is, it requires a person’s full attention on a specific goal.

5. Use mental representations. A mental representation shows you "what you are supposed to be doing." Mental representations make it possible to monitor how one is doing, both in practice and in actual performance. For example, in music, mental representation allows expert musicians to duplicate the sounds of a piece that they want to produce while they play.

6. Get out of your comfort zone. Getting out of your comfort zone means trying to do something that you couldn’t do better. Doing the same thing the same way is a recipe for stagnation. When you run into an obstacle, you chip away at it gradually, until another barrier arises.

7. Mindset matters. People often shy away from learning a new skill, such as learning to play a musical instrument at a later age. The biggest hurdle for adult learning is attitude, such as a lack of confidence . Eventually, that lack of confidence may become a self-fulfilling prophecy, as cognitive skills slowly decline with lack of use.

8. Sustain motivation . Maintaining the focus and the effort required by purposeful practice is hard work. When you quit a project that you had initially wanted to do, it is because the reasons to quit eventually outweigh the reasons to continue. So, to maintain your motivation, you can both strengthen the reasons to continue and weaken the reasons to quit.

9. Exploit the power of neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity has been shown to be integral to adult learning and development. The power of neuroplasticity suggests that we are not stuck with the brain we were born with but have the capacity to willfully alter our minds and bring about enduring change to our mental and emotional state (Davidson and Begley, 2012). However, that malleability decreases with age, making it progressively harder to learn. That means older adults require specific types of training (e.g., self-paced) to learn new skills.

A meaningful life

The take-home lesson is that to keep our minds sharp in older age, we need to engage in new challenges. Lifelong learners derive great satisfaction and pleasure from exercising their abilities and feel a tremendous sense of personal achievement from pushing themselves to develop new skills.

Ericsson A., Pool R. (2016) Peak: Secret from the new science of expertise . An Eamon Dolan Book: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Ericsson, K. A., Hoffman, R. R., Kozbelt, A., and Williams, A. M. (eds) (2018). Revised Edition of Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Davidson, R., & Begley, S. (2012). The Emotional Life oYour Brain. NY: Avery Costandi M (2016) Neuroplasticity. MIT press.

Shahram Heshmat, Ph.D., is an associate professor emeritus of health economics of addiction at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

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How to Learn More Effectively

10 Learning Techniques to Try

Knowing the most effective strategies for how to learn can help you maximize your efforts when trying to acquire new ideas, concepts, and skills. If you are like many people, your time is limited, so it is important to get the most educational value out of the time you have. Speed of learning is not the only important factor, however.

It is also important to be able to accurately remember the information that you learn, recall it at a later time, and use it effectively in a wide variety of situations. How can you teach yourself to learn? As you approach a new subject, incorporate some of the following tactics:

• Find ways to boost your memory
• Always keep learning new things
• Use a variety of learning techniques
• Try teaching it to someone else
• Connect new information to things you already know
• Look for opportunities to have hands-on experiences
• Remember that mistakes are part of the process
• Study a little bit every day
• Test yourself
• Focus on one thing at a time

Knowing how to learn well doesn't happen overnight, but putting a few of these learning techniques into daily practice can help you get more out of your study time .

Improve Your Memory

There are a number of different strategies that can boost memory . Basic tips such as improving your focus, avoiding cram sessions, and structuring your study time are good places to start, but there are even more lessons from psychology that can dramatically improve your learning efficiency.

If you're wondering how to learn better by improving your memory, these strategies can help:

• Getting regular physical exercise , which is linked to improvements in memory and brain health
• Spending time socializing with other people
• Getting enough sleep
• Eliminating distractions so you can focus on what you are learning
• Organizing the information you are studying to make it easier to remember
• Using elaborative rehearsal when studying; when you learn something new, spend a few moments describing it to yourself in your own words
• Using visual aids like photographs, graphs, and charts
• Reading the information you are studying out loud

For example, you might use general learning techniques like setting aside quiet time to study, rehearsing, and reading information aloud. You might combine this with strategies that can foster better memory, such as exercising and socializing.

If you're pressed for time, consider combining study strategies. Listen to a podcast while taking a walk or join a group where you can practice your new skills with others.

Keep Learning New Things

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One surefire way to become a more effective learner is to simply keep learning. Research has found that the brain is capable of producing new brain cells , a process known as neurogenesis. However, many of these cells will eventually die unless a person engages in some type of effortful learning.

By learning new things, these cells are kept alive and incorporated into brain circuits.

If you want to learn a new language, for instance, it is important to keep practicing the language to maintain the gains you have achieved. This "use-it-or-lose-it" phenomenon involves a brain process known as "pruning."

In pruning, certain pathways in the brain are maintained while others are eliminated. If you want the new information you just learned to stay put, keep practicing and rehearsing it.

Learn in Multiple Ways

Another good "how to learn" strategy is to focus on learning in more than one way. For example, instead of just listening to a podcast, which involves auditory learning, find a way to rehearse the information both verbally and visually.

This might involve describing what you learned to a friend, taking notes , or drawing a mind map. By learning in more than one way, you’re further cementing the knowledge in your mind.

For example, if you are trying to pick up a new language, try varying learning techniques such as listening to language examples, reading written language, practicing with a friend, and writing down your own notes.

One helpful tip is to try writing your notes on paper rather than typing on a laptop, tablet, or computer. Research has found that longhand notes can help cement information in memory more effectively than digital note-taking.

Varying your learning techniques and giving yourself the opportunity to learn in different ways and in different contexts can help make you a more efficient learner.

Teach What You Are Learning

Educators have long noted that one of the best ways to learn something is to teach it to someone else. Remember your seventh-grade presentation on Costa Rica? By teaching to the rest of the class, your teacher hoped you would gain even more from the assignment.

You can apply the same principle today by sharing newly learned skills and knowledge with others. Start by translating the information into your own words. This process alone helps solidify new knowledge in your brain. Next, find some way to share what you’ve learned.

Some ideas include writing a blog post, creating a podcast, or participating in a group discussion.

Build on Previous Learning

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Another great way to become a more effective learner is to use relational learning. This involves relating new information to things that you already know.

For example, if you are learning a new language, you might associate the new vocabulary and grammar you are learning with what you already know about your native language or other languages you may already speak.

Gain Practical Experience

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For many students, learning typically involves reading textbooks, attending lectures, or doing research in the library or online. While seeing information and then writing it down is important, actually putting new knowledge and skills into practice can be one of the best ways to improve learning.

If it is a sport or athletic skill, perform the activity on a regular basis. If you are learning a new language, practice speaking with another person and surround yourself with language-immersion experiences. Watch foreign-language films and strike up conversations with native speakers to practice your budding skills.

If you are trying to acquire a new skill or ability, focus on gaining practical experience.

Don't Be Afraid to Make Mistakes

Research suggests that making mistakes when learning can improve learning outcomes. According to one study, trial-and-error learning where the mistakes were close to the actual answer was actually a helpful part of the learning process.

Another study found that mistakes followed by corrective feedback can be beneficial to learning. So if you make a mistake when learning something new, spend some time correcting the mistake and examining how you arrived at the incorrect answer.

This strategy can help foster critical thinking skills and make you more adaptable in learning situations that require being able to change your mind.

Research suggests that making mistakes when learning can actually help improve outcomes, especially if you correct your mistake and take the time to understand why it happened.

Use Distributed Practice

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Another strategy for how to learn better is known as distributed practice. Instead of trying to cram all of your learning into a few long study sessions, try a brief, focused session, and then take a break.

So if you were learning a new language, you might devote a period of time to an intensive session of studying. After a break, you would then come back and rehearse your previous learning while also extending it to new learning.

This process of returning for brief sessions over a long period of time is one of the best ways to learn efficiently and effectively.  

What is the best way to learn?

Research suggests that this type of distributed learning is one of the most effective learning techniques. Focus on spending a little time studying each topic every day.

While it may seem that spending more time studying is one of the best ways to maximize learning, research has demonstrated that taking tests actually helps you better remember what you've learned—even if the topic wasn't covered on the test.

This phenomenon, known as the testing effect, suggests that spending time retrieving information from memory improves the long-term memory of that information. This retrieval practice makes it more likely that you will be able to remember that information again in the future.

Stop Multitasking

For many years, it was thought that people who multitask had an edge over those who did not. However, research now suggests that multitasking can actually make learning less effective.

Multitasking can involve trying to do more than one thing at the same time. But it can also involve quickly switching back and forth between tasks or trying to rapidly perform tasks one after the other. 

According to research, doing this not only makes people less productive when they work but also impairs attention and reduces comprehension. Multitasking when you are studying makes it harder to focus on the information and reduces how much you understand it.

Research has also found that media multitasking, or dividing attention between different media sources, can also have a detrimental impact on learning and academic performance.

To avoid the pitfalls of multitasking, focus your attention on the task at hand and continue working for a predetermined amount of time.

If you want to know how to learn, it is important to explore learning techniques that have been shown to be effective. Strategies such as boosting your memory and learning in multiple ways can be helpful. Regularly learning new things, using distributed practice, and testing yourself often can also be helpful ways to become a more efficient learner.

This process can take time, and it always takes practice and determination to establish new habits . Start by focusing on just a few of these tips to see if you can get more out of your next study session.

Perhaps most importantly, work on developing the mindset that you are capable of improving your knowledge and skills. Research suggests that believing in your own capacity for growth is one of the best ways to take advantage of the learning opportunities you pursue.

Chaire A, Becke A, Düzel E. Effects of physical exercise on working memory and attention-related neural oscillations . Front Neurosci . 2020;14:239. doi:10.3389/fnins.2020.00239

Mazza S, Gerbier E, Gustin M-P, et al. Relearn faster and retain longer: Along with practice, sleep makes perfect . Psychol Sci. 2016;27(10):1321-1330. doi:10.1177/0956797616659930

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Memorization strategies .

Forrin ND, Macleod CM.  This time it's personal: the memory benefit of hearing oneself .  Memory.  2018;26(4):574-579. doi:10.1080/09658211.2017.1383434

Cunnington R. Neuroplasticity: How the brain changes with learning . IBE - UNESCO.

Mueller PA, Oppenheimer DM. The pen Is mightier than the keyboard: Advantages of longhand over laptop note taking . Psychol Sci . 2014. 2014;25(6):1159-1168. doi:10.1177/0956797614524581

Cyr AA, Anderson ND. Learning from your mistakes: does it matter if you’re out in left foot, I mean field? Memory . 2018;26(9):1281-1290. doi:10.1080/09658211.2018.1464189

Metcalfe J. Learning from errors . Ann Rev Psychol . 2017;68(1):465-489. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-010416-044022

Kang SHK. Spaced repetition promotes efficient and effective learning: Policy implications for instruction . Policy Insights Behav Brain Sci . 2016;3(1):12-19. doi:10.1177/2372732215624708

Pastotter B, Bauml KHT. Retrieval practice enhances new learning: the forward effect of testing . Front Psychol . 2014;5:286. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00286

Jeong S-H, Hwang Y.  Media multitasking effects on cognitive vs. attitudinal outcomes: A meta-analysis .  Hum Commun Res . 2016;42(4):599-618. doi:10.1111/hcre.12089

May K, Elder A. Efficient, helpful, or distracting? A literature review of media multitasking in relation to academic performance . Int J Educ Technol High Educ.  2018;15(1):13. doi:10.1186/s41239-018-0096-z

Sarrasin JB, Nenciovici L, Foisy LMB, Allaire-Duquette G, Riopel M, Masson S. Effects of teaching the concept of neuroplasticity to induce a growth mindset on motivation, achievement, and brain activity: A meta-analysis . Trends Neurosci Educ . 2018;12:22-31. doi:10.1016/j.tine.2018.07.003

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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How to Write Stanford’s “Excited About Learning” Essay

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Johnathan Patin-Sauls and Vinay Bhaskara in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.

What’s Covered:

Choosing an idea vs. an experience, learning for the sake of learning, learning as a means to other ends, be specific.

Stanford University’s first essay prompt asks you to respond to the following:

“ The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning. (100-250 words)”

For this short answer question, your response is limited to a maximum of 250 words. In this article, we will discuss considerations for choosing to write about an idea or experience, ways to demonstrate a love or enthusiasm for learning, and why you should be as specific. For more information and guidance on writing the application essays for Stanford University, check out our post on how to write the Stanford University essays .

Regardless of if you choose either an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning as a topic, there are a few considerations for each.  

Most people gravitate towards writing about an idea. One challenge that arises with an idea-focused essay is that applicants who are passionate about an idea often become hyper focused on explaining the idea but neglect to connect this idea to who they are as a person and why this idea excites them. 

When writing about an experience, it is important to strike a balance between describing the experience and analyzing the impact of the experience on you, your goals, and your commitment to learning.

This essay question allows you to expand on your joy for learning and your genuine curiosity. Stanford is searching for students who are naturally curious and enjoy the process of learning and educating themselves. For example, a compelling essay could begin with a riveting story of getting lost while hiking the Appalachian Trail and describing how this experience led to a lifelong passion for studying primitive forms of navigation. 

There is a strong tendency among applicants to write about formal academic coursework, however, the most compelling essays will subvert expectations by taking the concept of learning beyond the classroom and demonstrating how learning manifests itself in unique contexts in your life.

If you’re someone for whom learning is a means to other ends, it is important that you convey a sense of genuine enthusiasm and purpose beyond, “I want to go to X school because it will help me get Y job for Z purpose.” You may be motivated to attend college to obtain a certain position and make a comfortable income, however these answers are not necessarily what admissions officers are looking for. Instead, it can be helpful to relate an idea or experience to something more personal to you.

Academic & Professional Trajectory

Consider relating the idea or experience you choose to a major, degree program, research initiative, or professor that interests you at Stanford. Then go beyond the academic context to explain how the idea or experience ties into your future career. 

For instance, if you are interested in the concept of universal health care, then you might describe your interest in applying to public health programs with faculty that specialize in national health care systems. You might then describe your long term career aspirations to work in the United States Senate on crafting and passing health care policy.

Personal Values & Experiences

Another way to tie the ideas in this essay back to a more personal topic is to discuss how the idea or experience informs who you are, how you treat others, or how you experience the world around you. 

You could also focus on an idea or experience that has challenged, frustrated, or even offended you, thereby reinforcing and further justifying the values you hold and your worldview.

Community Building & Social Connectedness

You may also explore how this idea or experience connects you to a particular community by helping you understand, build, and support members of the community. Stanford is looking to find students who will be engaged members of the student body and carry out the community’s core mission, values, and projects, so this essay can be an opportunity to highlight how you would contribute to Stanford. 

Be specific in your choice of idea or the way in which you describe an experience. For example, a response that focuses on the joys of learning philosophy is too broad to be particularly memorable or impactful. However, the mind-body problem looking at the debate concerning the relationship between thought and consciousness is a specific philosophical idea that lends itself to a rich discussion. 

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Tips and Strategies For Learning New Skills

Explore the art of skill acquisition with this blog on Learning New Skills. From setting goals to navigating obstacles, discover the secrets to efficient learning. Embrace the 80/20 rule, prioritise personal growth, and create a foolproof learning plan. Elevate your journey with valuable insights and practical strategies.

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Is there a specific time or an age to learn a new skill? The answer is absolutely no. Learning New Skills can be fruitful at any age or time. From boosting a career to discovering a new passion, Learning New Skills can change your life in a lot of ways. All you need is concentration, enthusiasm and some useful tips and strategies to learn a new skill. If you are someone who is curious to learn New Skills and seeking some tips for that, this blog has got you covered. Read this blog and discover the importance of Learning New Skills for personal and professional growth.    

Table of Contents  

1)  Importance of Learning New Skills  

2)  Steps to learn New Skills 

    a) Set clear goals 

    b) Choos e the right Skill 

    c) Determine potential obstacles  

    d) Apply the "80/20" rule  

    e) Aim to Master One Skill at a Time 

    f) Put Personal Growth First  

    g )Creat e a learning plan  

    h) Increase your long-term objectives 

    I) Look for Chances to practise 

    g ) Gather resources  

3)  Conclusion  

Importance of Learning New Skills  

Learning New Skills is of paramount importance in our dynamic and ever-evolving world for several compelling reasons: 

1)  Adaptation to change : As technology and industries advance, the skills that were once in demand may become obsolete. Learning New Skills ensures you can adapt to these changes, stay relevant in your career, and seize new opportunities. 

2)  Career advancement : Acquiring New Skills can lead to career growth and increased earning potential. It can open doors to promotions, job transitions, and even entirely new career paths. 

3)  Personal growth and fulfilment : Learning New Skills is not only about professional development but also personal growth. It provides a sense of accomplishment, self-confidence, and the chance to explore your interests. 

4)  P roblem-solving : Many skills involve problem-solving and critical thinking. Developing these skills not only benefits you in the area you're learning but also equips you to tackle various life challenges. 

5)   Innovation and creativity : Learning New Skills often spark creativity and innovative thinking. The ability to connect different skills and knowledge can lead to groundbreaking ideas and solutions. 

6)  L ifelong learning : In a knowledge-based economy, the ability to learn and adapt is a valuable skill in itself . Embracing continuous learning keeps your mind sharp and ready for new challenges. 

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Steps to learn New Skills  

Here are some tips and strategies to make your skill acquisition process more effective and enjoyable. Let's explore.  

Set clear goals  

Setting clear goals is a fundamental step in achieving success in any endeavour, including skill acquisition. This is crucial because it provides a clear sense of direction and purpose, guiding your efforts with precision. When your goals are well-defined, specific, and measurable, they act as powerful motivators, keeping you focused and committed to your learning journey. 

These goals not only help you identify what you want to achieve but also allow you to break down your skill development into manageable steps and milestones. As you reach each goal, you experience a sense of accomplishment, which in turn boosts your confidence and reinforces your dedication to learning. 

Choos e the right s kill  

Choosing the right skill to learn is a pivotal decision in personal and professional growth. It's crucial because selecting a skill that genuinely interests and motivates you ensures a higher level of engagement and commitment throughout the learning journey.  

When you're passionate about what you're learning, you're more likely to persist and overcome challenges. Additionally, considering the skill's relevance to your personal or career goals is essential. Opting for skills that align with your objectives can directly contribute to your success, making your efforts more meaningful and rewarding in the long run. 

Determine potential obstacles  

Identifying and understanding potential obstacles is a crucial preliminary step when embarking on the journey of acquiring New Skills. This is imperative because anticipating challenges allows you to develop strategies to overcome them effectively. Common obstacles can include time constraints, a lack of resources or access to suitable learning materials, self-doubt, and external pressures like work or personal commitments. By recognising these barriers early on, you can proactively plan how to manage or mitigate them. This might involve time management techniques, seeking support from a mentor or a support network, or breaking your learning into smaller, manageable tasks. 

Apply the "80/20" rule  

The "80/20" rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, is a powerful concept in skill acquisition and productivity. It suggests that roughly 80% of results come from 20% of efforts. Applying this rule means recognising that not all activities contribute equally to your learning progress.  

By identifying the most effective and impactful tasks or methods in your skill acquisition journey, you can direct your energy and time to where it matters most. This approach helps you maximise your efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring that you make the most of your efforts. 

Aim to m aster o ne s kill at a t ime  

Aiming to master one skill at a time is a prudent and effective approach in skill acquisition. This strategy is essential because it allows you to direct your full attention and energy toward becoming proficient in a specific area.   

Trying to learn multiple skills simultaneously can lead to divided focus and, in many cases, slower progress in each. By focusing on mastering one skill, you can delve deeper, practice more consistently, and achieve a higher level of expertise. This depth of knowledge and proficiency can be more valuable and impactful in your personal and professional life.  

Put p ersonal g rowth f irst  

Putting personal growth first is an essential principle in the pursuit of Learning New Skills. This approach is critical because skill acquisition should be a means to personal development rather than just a goal in itself . When personal growth is prioritised, it aligns your skill acquisition with your values, passions, and long-term objectives.  

It encourages you to choose skills that resonate with your interests, fostering a sense of purpose and fulfilment. Additionally, this focus on personal growth allows you to maintain a growth mindset, embracing challenges and setbacks as opportunities for learning and improvement. 

Creat e a learning plan  

Creating a learning plan is a strategic step towards effectively acquiring New Skills. This process involves structuring your approach to learning, setting clear objectives, and establishing a roadmap to achieve those goals. It is essential because it provides a sense of direction and purpose, helping you stay organised and focused.  

A well-thought-out learning plan includes setting milestones and deadlines, breaking down the skill into manageable components, and allocating time for regular practice. By doing so, you not only enhance your productivity but also increase your chances of successfully mastering the skill. Moreover, it allows you to track your progress and make necessary adjustments, ensuring a smoother and more rewarding learning experience. 

Increase your l ong- t erm o bjectives  

Increasing your long-term objectives is a valuable strategy in the context of skill acquisition. This is crucial because setting ambitious goals can provide you with a sense of purpose and direction. Long-term objectives encourage you to think beyond immediate gratification, focusing on what you want to achieve in the future.  

This broader perspective motivates you to learn and master skills that will contribute to your personal and professional growth over time. It also enhances your commitment to ongoing learning as you understand the enduring benefits of acquiring New Skills. 

Look for c hances to p ractise  

Actively seeking opportunities to practice is a fundamental strategy in skill acquisition. This approach is crucial because practice is where the real learning and improvement happen. By actively looking for chances to practice, you can apply and reinforce the skills you're acquiring in real-world situations.  

Whether it's volunteering, joining projects, or participating in relevant activities, each opportunity allows you to gain practical experience and enhance your proficiency. Consistent practice is vital for skill retention and mastery, and it helps you develop confidence and adaptability in using your skills effectively. 

Gather resources  

Gathering resources is a pivotal stage in the process of acquiring New Skills. It involves collecting the tools, materials, and information necessary for effective learning. This step is crucial because the right resources can significantly enhance your learning experience. Resources can include books, online courses, tutorials, mentors, or even educational apps and software.  

By having access to the right resources, you can save time, receive expert guidance, and gain valuable insights, ultimately accelerating your skill development. Whether it's a comprehensive textbook or a supportive community of fellow learners, the right resources can provide the knowledge, inspiration, and support needed to progress successfully in your skill acquisition journey 

Utilise errors as t eaching o pportunities  

Utili sing errors as teaching opportunities is a valuable approach in the journey of acquiring New Skills. This strategy is essential because mistakes are an inherent part of the learning process. When you embrace errors as opportunities to learn, you can extract valuable insights from them.  

Each mistake offers a chance to analyse what went wrong, understand the underlying concepts more deeply, and improve your skills. It encourages a growth mindset, where setbacks become stepping stones to progress. By acknowledging and learning from your mistakes, you can refine your approach and avoid repeating the same errors.  

Measur e progress  

Measuring progress is a fundamental aspect of skill development that plays a pivotal role in maintaining motivation and refining your learning strategies. This step is crucial because it allows you to assess how far you've come and identify areas that may need improvement.  

By tracking your progress, you can set realistic expectations and celebrate small victories along the way. This not only boosts your confidence but also provides valuable feedback for adjusting your learning plan and goals. 

Effective methods for measuring progress can include self-assessment, objective benchmarks, or feedback from mentors or peers. Overall, this ongoing evaluation ensures that your skill acquisition remains on the right track and is a vital element of a successful learning journey. 

Manag e your time wisely  

Managing your time wisely is a critical component of successful skill acquisition. This aspect is indispensable because Learning New Skills requires significant time and consistent effort. The  Importance of Time Management is crucial as it ensures that you make the most of your available hours, allocating sufficient time for practice, study, and other responsibilities.  

Effective time management helps you avoid procrastination, stay organised, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. It is essential for setting and meeting milestones and goals, as well as for maintaining a sustainable pace of learning that prevents burnout. By mastering time management, you can ensure a structured and efficient learning process, making it more manageable and less stressful to acquire New Skills. 

Build a support system  

Building a support system is a vital element in the journey of Learning New Skills. This is crucial because the pursuit of acquiring New Skills can be challenging, and having a network of support can make a significant difference. A support system typically includes friends, family, mentors, or peers who encourage, guide, and motivate you throughout your learning process.  

These individuals provide emotional support, valuable feedback, and can serve as accountability partners. They celebrate your achievements and help you navigate obstacles and setbacks, making the learning journey less daunting and more enjoyable. 

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Conclusion  

We hope you found this blog help ful. The pursuit of Learning New Skills is a transformative journey with multifaceted benefits. Learning New Skills not only enhances personal and professional growth but also fosters adaptability, innovation, and self-fulfilment. 

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Ideas and insights from Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning

The Importance Of Practice – And Our Reluctance To Do It

As leaders, we’re accustomed to being good at what we do. Learning something new is hard, especially at the beginning when we’re likely to struggle and make mistakes.  The reality is, the only way to learn something new is to practice. In his book,  Outliers , Malcolm Gladwell suggests that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become  expert  at something. Perhaps more of a realist, Josh Kaufman, author of  The Personal MBA , writes that to go from “knowing nothing to being pretty good” actually takes about 20 hours of practice – that’s 45 minutes every day for a month. So whether you aspire to “pretty good” or “expert,” practice is essential. Yet practicing can be difficult and painful when we’re used to having a high degree of competence.

Perhaps this is why most leaders are resistant to the idea of practice – often, the more senior the leader, the more reluctant they are to practice something new.  Many leaders believe that intellectual  understanding  is enough, that all they need to do is read about something or discuss it in order to be able to do it well. But we know that skill development is vital.

Swimming is my favorite analogy. Two of my teenage children are competitive swimmers, which means I have been volunteering at swim meets for over a decade. My volunteer job is to monitor races and ensure that swimmers follow legal stroke technique. I have received hours and hours of training – lecture, video, discussion, observation –  on what constitutes proper, legal technique. I can tell you exactly what the butterfly should look like: the kick and the pull, and how the arms have to be synchronous, and how the touch and turn need to work.  I  know  all about how to  swim  butterfly.  But I can’t swim the butterfly at all. Not even 25 yards. That’s the difference between intellectual understanding and the skill development.

As leaders, we generally have the intellectual capacity to quickly grasp concepts and ideas, which can lead us to mistakenly believe we also know how to execute on them right away. The reality is that we don’t – not until we practice, get feedback, refine our approach, and practice again – for somewhere between 20 and 10,000 hours. This is hard to do. Learning something new means being clumsy at it initially, making mistakes, course-correcting, and trying again. It’s uncomfortable. And even when we know the skill is valuable, it often makes our work more difficult at first, causing many leaders to stop trying new things and revert to old habits.

Knowing the importance of practice, how do we build it into our training experiences? And how do we hold ourselves and others accountable for the hard work of practice?

• Acknowledge the Challenge Be honest about the difficulty of learning something new, especially when you’re in a leadership role. Expect mistakes. Celebrate effort and risk-taking rather than expertise and skill level. Create a culture where leaders are rewarded for trying new things and building new skills, even when their early attempts are less-than-perfect.
• Limit the Scope Training often includes information on many different behaviors, approaches, skills, and techniques.  It isn’t possible to practice and master all of them at one time. Encourage leaders to choose one or two things that have a high potential for enhancing their work, and focus their practice on just those things – at least to start.
• Commit Time Commit time every week – ideally every day – for practice. Block time on the calendar.  Minimize distractions, and work on skill development as seriously as you would on any other project. You might even create a project plan with deadlines and deliverables.
• Leverage Tools and Materials in the Program Most training programs include opportunities for practice – action learning projects, individual action planning guides, cases, role plays, etc. Use them as much as you can – individually or in study groups or with partners. These can be extremely helpful for practice, even outside of the program.
• Create Practice Partnerships Work with colleagues to hold each other accountable for practice. Practice partnerships are also a great way to get feedback on your development.
• Consider Coaching Sometimes leaders need more support than can be offered by practice partners. In these cases, a coach can be extremely useful. Coaching may be available through HR or L&D, or you may decide to invest in coaching on your own. A good coach will help you create a plan, offer feedback, and help you stay accountable to your own goals.

Making a commitment to practice is essential to maximize the impact of training. After all, practice is the only way to become proficient in a new skill or behavior. As leaders, we need to embrace the discomfort of being beginners in order to continue to grow and improve.

What new skill should you be practicing?

Jennifer Long is senior manager, programs, at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Email her at  [email protected] .

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Home — Essay Samples — Philosophy — Philosophy of Education — The Best Way to Learn New Things

The Best Way to Learn New Things

• Categories: Philosophy of Education

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Published: Sep 5, 2023

Words: 682 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

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The power of curiosity, active engagement and practical application, diversified learning methods, continuous feedback and iteration, lifelong learning as a mindset.

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June 29, 2023

To Stay Sharp as You Age, Learn New Skills

Older people show significant cognitive benefits from learning, provided they have the opportunity to do so

By Rachel Wu & Jessica A. Church

Jovana Mugosa

In most adults, learning and thinking plateau and then begin to decline after age 30 or 40 . People start to perform worse in tests of cognitive abilities such as processing speed, the rate at which someone does a mental task. The slide becomes steeper after 60 years of age.

These changes are often ascribed to normal aging. But what if instead they represent something more like the “summer slide” that schoolchildren experience? Every year teachers and parents observe how summer vacations lead some children’s academic progress to backslide. During the COVID pandemic, many students missed the equivalent of at least seven to 10 weeks of in-person learning because of remote or reduced schooling. The resulting academic losses were uneven, with kids of different ages, abilities and resources being affected in varied ways .

Interrupted learning may not only affect children. After formal education and job training ends, many adults experience years, if not decades, of reduced or nonexistent learning opportunities. That’s a much longer pause than eight to 12 weeks of summer break or even a few years disrupted by a pandemic.

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Our work suggests that the cessation of learning is indeed a setback for adults—but we have also found that this decline can be addressed. A three-month intervention we designed enhanced participants’ memory and attention so drastically that their abilities came to resemble those of adults 30 years younger at the program’s end. And amazingly, they continued to improve long after the classes were over.

[ Read more about the benefits of lifelong learning in later years ]

In this intervention, we provided an encouraging learning environment to 33 older adults between 58 and 86 years of age. Before and after this three-month intervention, we tested participants’ cognitive abilities, including attention and working memory. (The latter capacity helps people hold information in their head for tasks such as remembering the digits of a new phone number.) Older adults in this program were assigned three classes that met weekly, each session lasting two hours, to learn three new skills. Course options included singing, drawing, iPad use, photography, Spanish language learning and music composition. Once a week, we discussed issues related to learning barriers, motivation and successful aging with our participants.

Over the course of the intervention, people significantly improved their cognitive scores for memory and attention. In a follow-up study, we discovered that the participants had not only maintained their gains but had improved further: their cognitive abilities after one year were similar to those of adults 50 years younger . In other words, giving these seniors a supportive and structured three-course routine—much like an undergraduate student’s schedule—seemed to eventually improve their memory and attention to levels similar to that of a college student.

We are still investigating why cognitive scores continued to climb after the program’s end, but one possibility is that the experience encouraged these adults to continue learning and practicing new skills in daily life.

To be clear, we do not think that formal education is the only or most important way to support learning. Our idea is to instead create enriched environments for older adults, especially for those with few resources, so that they can increase both real-world skills and cognitive abilities over the long term.

If, as these studies indicate, interrupted learning is indeed a common feature of adulthood, many important implications follow. Researchers avoid the phrase “learning loss” when discussing childhood and adolescence because “loss” implies that the learning cannot be recovered. Older adults, meanwhile, are often assumed to be on a downward slope with unrecoverable loss. “Use it or lose it,” the saying goes. Our work suggests that we need to apply a more hopeful mindset and vocabulary when discussing older people—much like that used for childhood or early adulthood. Decline, as we so often see it, may not be inevitable.

We can also set new priorities for older learners. In childhood we focus on the gain of particular skills , such as reading and math. By contrast, cognitive aging research has often focused on maintaining or increasing more general abilities, such as those related to attention and memory, typically through cognitive training, leisure activities and exercise. Older adult research tends to emphasize skill learning only after daily functions start to decline.

For those who have limited time or resources, encouraging new skill learning, as our interventions have done, may be especially advantageous. In later years many personal and societal changes—such as moving out of state to be closer to family members, switching jobs or coping with physical distancing from loved ones—make learning new skills necessary to adapt and succeed. For example, taking a class to improve technological skills could aid seniors’ success in an increasingly digital world, helping them use telehealth or online banking platforms.

The question is no longer whether we should pursue learning as adults but rather how society can optimize the environment to maximize opportunities. Educators and scientists know quite a bit about how to do this for children and adolescents, and we can adapt that knowledge to enhance existing opportunities and develop new challenging, useful and inclusive learning opportunities for adults. Researchers who work on the developmental and aging ends of the life span should share perspectives and communicate findings with one another. Finally, societies could provide resources and opportunities—particularly for older adults who are underserved or disadvantaged—to ensure that everyone can benefit from lifelong learning.

Let’s shift the conversation in adulthood from a focus on staving off loss and decline, or merely maintaining what people have, to a discussion of learning, growth and thriving.

Are you a scientist who specializes in neuroscience, cognitive science or psychology? And have you read a recent peer-reviewed paper that you would like to write about for Mind Matters? Please send suggestions to  Scientific American’s  Mind Matters editor Daisy Yuhas at  [email protected] .

This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the  author or authors are not necessarily those of  Scientific American.

A version of this article with the title “Stay Sharp as You Age” was adapted for inclusion in the October 2023 issue of Scientific American.

Essay on Importance of Learning

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance of Learning in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance of Learning

The value of learning.

Learning is a crucial part of our lives. It helps us understand the world, make informed decisions, and grow as individuals.

Knowledge and Skills

Personal growth.

Learning stimulates personal growth. It encourages curiosity and creativity, fostering a lifelong love for exploration and discovery.

Building Connections

Learning helps us connect with others. It promotes empathy and understanding, strengthening our relationships and communities.

250 Words Essay on Importance of Learning

The power of learning.

Learning is an integral part of human existence. It is a process that starts at birth and continues throughout our lives, shaping our understanding of the world and our place within it. Learning is not confined to the acquisition of knowledge in a formal education setting. It extends to our daily interactions, experiences, and the continuous process of personal and professional development.

Learning and Personal Growth

Learning is the cornerstone of personal growth and self-improvement. It broadens our perspectives, fosters curiosity, and encourages us to question the status quo. Our ability to learn and adapt is what has allowed humankind to evolve and progress over time. Learning cultivates critical thinking skills, enabling us to analyze situations, solve problems, and make informed decisions.

The Socio-economic Impact of Learning

Learning also plays a significant role in socio-economic development. Education equips individuals with the skills needed to contribute to the workforce effectively, thereby driving economic growth. Moreover, it promotes social cohesion by fostering a shared understanding of societal values and norms.

Learning and Technological Advancements

In the era of rapid technological advancements, the importance of learning cannot be overstated. With the advent of AI and automation, the job market is in a constant state of flux, and the ability to learn new skills is more crucial than ever. Lifelong learning is now a necessity, not a luxury.

In conclusion, learning is a powerful tool that not only enriches our personal lives but also contributes to societal progress. It is the key to unlocking our potential and adapting to the ever-changing world around us.

500 Words Essay on Importance of Learning

The essence of learning, personal growth and development.

Learning is essential for personal growth and development. It equips us with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate life effectively. Through learning, we acquire the ability to think critically, solve problems, and make informed decisions. It fosters creativity and innovation, enabling us to generate new ideas and solutions. Learning also facilitates emotional growth, helping us understand ourselves better, manage our emotions, and build strong interpersonal relationships.

Contributions to Society

On a societal level, learning plays a crucial role in driving progress and development. It is through learning that we gain an understanding of societal norms, values, and structures, enabling us to function effectively within our communities. Additionally, learning fosters social cohesion by promoting mutual understanding and respect among diverse groups. It equips us with the tools to challenge societal injustices and contribute to social change.

Global Impact

The role of lifelong learning.

In conclusion, learning is a vital aspect of human life that shapes our personal growth, contributes to societal development, and drives global progress. It equips us with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to navigate life effectively, foster social cohesion, and address global challenges. In the face of rapid technological and societal change, lifelong learning has emerged as a critical component of learning, enabling us to adapt and thrive in the evolving world. Therefore, it is essential that we embrace learning as a lifelong pursuit, striving to expand our knowledge, enhance our skills, and deepen our understanding of the world around us.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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The mind-body benefits of learning a new skill

Whether you’re bored, have extra time on your hands or want to get out of a rut, learning a new skill can give you the mental and physical boost you need.

“We’re meant to grow, stretch, extend and expand,” Dennis Buttimer, M.Ed, CEAP, RYT, CHC, a life and wellness coach at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont. “As you learn new skills, you’ll discover more gifts about yourself and improve your confidence and sense of well-being . You can also positively affect others with your new skills .”

Reasons to learn a new skill

It gives you motivation. A new hobby or skill can give you the motivation you need to get out of bed in the morning. During this pandemic, most of us are spending more time at home and are physically isolated from many loved ones . This can take a toll on our mental health. Learning a new language, practicing an instrument or tending to an herb garden can give you energy, joy and a sense of purpose.

It helps beat boredom. Doing the same thing every day can get boring and sap your zest for life. While trying something new requires more effort than turning on the TV, the benefits are numerous.

It boosts confidence. “If you engage in a new skill, you’re going to thicken the brain’s prefrontal cortex,” says Buttimer. “As you develop a new skill, you’ll gain courage and confidence, which helps you override fear and anxiety. You’ll feel more empowered.”

It keeps you healthy. “ Learning is great for your brain at every age,” he says. “As you take on a new skill, the mind begins to reshape itself because the physical brain is malleable. Previously, it was thought that it was only malleable until adolescence. However, now the research shows it can keep changing throughout our lives and for the better, so you have fewer fear responses and a more positive mindset.”

It helps you be flexible. By consistently educating yourself and trying new things, you’ll learn you’re capable of change and growth, which keeps you open to new opportunities in life. “Learning a new skill can get you out of a rut. If you don’t learn new skills, you can start to wither a bit mentally and physically because you’re falling victim to the same habits and mindsets again and again,” Buttimer explains.

It can benefit others. Think about how your new hobby or skill can help others at work, at home or in your community.

It can boost your happiness. “When you learn a new skill, you increase your level of happiness ," he says. “It was thought for a long time that a person’s baseline happiness couldn’t be lifted. It turns out that you can keep influencing your level of happiness. As you learn a new skill, you can boost it. You won’t be euphoric all the time, but you’ll lift your sense of well-being.”

How to make the most of learning a new skill

Consider your “why.” It doesn’t matter if a new skill is for work or play – you’ll get benefits either way. Think about what you hope to gain from learning a new skill. Do you want to pass the time, reduce stress, improve your career or boost your health? Once you know what you hope to gain, you can determine which skill you’d like to learn.

Explore possible subjects. Once you know your “why,” start exploring potential topics. If you want to improve your health, maybe you want to learn how to practice meditation or yoga or grow a vegetable garden.

If you want to pass the time by doing something other than watching TV, think about something that you’ve always secretly wanted to do, suggests Buttimer. Maybe you’re not a musical person, but you’ve always wanted to play the piano. Why not start now?

If you know you want to do something, but aren’t sure where to start, look at what’s trending right now, such as knitting, studying a new language, bread-making, coding, calligraphy or graphic design.

Consider your learning style. If you’re a visual learner, sign up for a video-based class. If you want to take a deep dive into a subject, look for a course instead of a one-time class. If you learn best by reading, stock up on books at the library. If you learn best by listening, download some podcasts or an audiobook. Do what works for you.

Take a compassionate approach. Learning a new skill is supposed to be something positive in your life. While it may feel challenging, especially at the beginning, it’s important to take a compassionate approach . You don’t have to do it perfectly; just be open and receptive.

“You could affirm to yourself, ‘I’m being open and receptive to learning this new skill while holding it loosely. This will be fun and positive. Some setbacks are normal when learning something new, but all is well,’” suggests Buttimer. “Depressurizing the situation is important.”

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Learning Skills Enhancement Essay

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Types of learning skills

Tools to enhance learning skills, how to incorporate new learning skills, time management, how adult learners differ from the rest of the society, why learning is the foundation to life.

As an adult, there are some basic leaning skills that one should be aware of in the learning process. The first learning skill that can be valuable for adults is lectures. In this case, the learner would be expected to be in a classroom setting with the teacher. This learning concept is very popular when learning about new concepts. Tutorials are also popularly used in some of the cases. When using the tutorials, the learner will be expected to make notes based on the personal understanding of the concepts presented in the tutorials.

Group work is another popular approach that is common among adults. In this case, learners would sit and share their views about a given topic in order to enhance their knowledge. A learner can also engage in private readings in the library. These skills can be used together in order to enhance the ability of the learner to grasp what is being taught.

There are some tools that are always used to enhance learning skills. One of the widely used tools in the current society is the internet. The internet has valuable information that can be used by a leaner to enhance his or her knowledge on a certain topic. Books and tutorials in the library also form an important tool for learners. Some advanced schools use video-conferencing for distant learners or in cases where the lecturer is unable to travel to the physical classroom (Boulay, 2009).

Sometimes it may be necessary to incorporate new learning skills. A learner must determine the best approach of incorporating these new skills. The best way of doing this would be to determine how the skills are related to the current learning skills. This way, it will be easy to come up with a way in which they can be integrated in order to come up with a superior approach of learning (Seo, 2012).

Basic skills to use time properly

Time management is a critical issue for an adult learner. The learner must have a strategy that explains when it is appropriate to conduct private studies, engage in group work, or take time to rest in between the studies. The best way of doing this is to develop a timetable. The timetable will define all the activities that a learner needs to engage in so that he or she can balance class work and other chores.

How to combat stress

Sometimes stress may affect a learner. It is necessary to come up with strategies that are helpful in combating stress. The best way that a learner can use to combat stress is to plan all the activities. The learner will also need to break the assignments into smaller manageable and less stressing tasks.

Procrastination

Procrastination is one of the worst mistakes that some learners make in their academic life. Every task should be completed in time, and the temptation to procrastinate any academic work should be avoided by all means possible.

Age is one of the fundamental factors that differentiate adult learners from other learners in the society. Most of the adult learners always find themselves in class with much younger people, some as young as their own children. However, they are expected to ignore the age factor in order to be academically successful.

In most of the cases, the priority of an adult learner is not academics. They always have families to care for which is their top priority. This always affects their academic performance as they try to balance between family life and academic work (Reischmann, 2004).

The mind set of an adult learner is also different from the young learners. While the young learners may have undefined ambition that they want to achieve through their academic life, the adult learners always have specific reasons that make them go back to class at advanced ages.

Learning is the foundation to life, and this is one of the main reasons why some adults always go back to class. Through learning, research into new fields is made possible. All the fields in education require research in order to sustain the changes taking place in the society.

Intelligence

Through the learning processes, one is able to enhance his or her intelligence, making it easy to survive in the current society that has become very challenging.

Credibility

Learning also enhances the credibility of a person to hold certain positions in life. For instance, if one is a leader, having the right education makes him credible for the position, and earns him some respect among the followers.

Learning like an adult is different from other forms of learning in the society. The age factor and the responsibilities that an adult has pose serious challenges that a normal learner may not experience. This may affect the performance of the adult learner if corrective measures are not taken.

Boulay, D. (2009). Study Skills for dummies . Web.

Reischmann, J. (2004). Andragogy: History, Meaning, Context, Function . Web.

Seo, H. (2012). Social Behavior & Personality. International Journal of Management , 40 (8), 1333-1340.

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13 Ways to Quickly Improve Your Academic Essay Writing Skills

#scribendiinc

Written by  Scribendi

Anyone can learn to produce an academic essay if they begin with a few basic essay-writing rules. 

An academic essay must be based upon a solid but debatable thesis, supported by relevant and credible evidence, and closed with a succinct and thorough conclusion.

By adhering to the best way to write an essay, you can create valuable, persuasive papers even when you're under a time crunch!

What Makes a Good Essay?

As previously noted, the foundation of any good academic essay is its thesis statement. 

Do not confuse your thesis with your opening sentence. There are many good ways to start an essay , but few essays immediately present their main ideas.

After you draft your thesis, you can begin to develop your essay around it. This development will include the main supporting points of your essay, which will scaffold its main body. 

Essays also typically include a relevant and compelling introduction and conclusion.

Learn How to Write a Great Thesis Statement .

Understanding How to Write a Good Essay

When writing an academic essay, you must take a number of qualities and characteristics into careful consideration. Focus, development, unity, coherence, and correctness all play critical roles when it comes to distinguishing an exceptional essay from one that is less than perfect.

The following essay-writing tips can help writers organize, format, and support their essays in ways that fit their intended purpose and optimize their overall persuasiveness. Here are 13 essay tips for developing and writing your next academic paper.

1. Know What You Are Going to Write About Before You Start Writing

While untrained writers might just sit down and start typing, educated and experienced writers know that there are many steps to writing an essay.

In short, you should know what you want to say before you type a single word. The easiest way to narrow down a thesis and create a proper argument is to make a basic outline before you begin composing your essay.

Your outline should consist of rough notes that sketch out your introduction (including your thesis), the body of your essay (which should include separate paragraphs that present your main supporting points with plenty of evidence and examples), and your conclusion (which ties everything together and connects the argument back to your thesis).

2. Acquire a Solid Understanding of Basic Grammar, Punctuation, and Style

Before getting into more refined essay-writing techniques, you must have a solid grasp of grammar, punctuation, and style. Without these writing fundamentals, it will be difficult to communicate your ideas effectively and ensure that they are taken seriously.

Grammar basics include subject and verb agreement, correct article and pronoun use, and well-formed sentence structures. Make sure you know the proper uses for the most common forms of punctuation. Be mindful of your comma usage and know when a period is needed.

Finally, voice is tremendously important in academic essay writing. Employ language that is as concise as possible. Avoid transition words that don't add anything to the sentence and unnecessary wordiness that detracts from your argument.

Furthermore, use the active voice instead of the passive whenever possible (e.g., "this study found" instead of "it was found by this study"). This will make your essay's tone clear and direct.

3. Use the Right Vocabulary and Know What the Words You Are Using Actually Mean

How you use language is important, especially in academic essay writing. When writing an academic essay, remember that you are persuading others that you are an expert who argues intelligently about your topic.

Using big words just to sound smart often results in the opposite effect—it is easy to detect when someone is overcompensating in their writing.

If you aren't sure of the exact meaning of a word, you risk using it incorrectly. There's no shame in checking, and it might save you from an embarrassing word misuse later!

Using obscure language can also detract from the clarity of your argument—you should consider this before pulling out a thesaurus to change a perfectly appropriate word to something completely different.

4. Understand the Argument and Critically Analyze the Evidence

While writing a good essay, your main argument should always be at the front of your mind. While it's tempting to go off on a tangent about an interesting side note, doing so makes your writing less concise.

Always question the evidence you include in your essay; ask yourself, "Does this directly support my thesis?" If the answer is "no," then that evidence should probably be excluded. 

When you are evaluating evidence, be critical and thorough. You want to use the strongest research to back up your thesis. It is not enough to simply present evidence in support of an argument. A good writer must also explain why the evidence is relevant and supportive.

Everything you include should clearly connect to your topic and argument.   

5. Know How to Write a Conclusion That Supports Your Research

One of the most overlooked steps to writing an essay is the conclusion. Your conclusion ties all your research together and proves your thesis. It should not be a restatement of your introduction or a copy-and-paste of your thesis.

A strong conclusion briefly outlines the key evidence discussed in the body of an essay and directly ties it to the thesis to show how the evidence proves or disproves the main argument of your research.

Countless great essays have been written only to be derailed by vague, weakly worded conclusions. Don't let your next essay become one of those.     

6. Build a Solid Thesis to Support Your Arguments

A thesis is the main pillar of an essay. By selecting a specific thesis, you'll be able to develop arguments to support your central opinion. Consider writing about a unique experience or your own particular view of a topic .

Your thesis should be clear and logical, but it should also be debatable. Otherwise, it might be difficult to support it with compelling arguments.

7. Develop an Interesting Opening Paragraph to Hook In Readers from the Get-Go

No matter how you begin your essay, you must strive to capture the reader's interest immediately. If your opening paragraph doesn't catch the eye and engage the brain, any attempt at persuasion may end before the essay even starts. 

The beginning of your essay is crucial for setting the stage for your thesis.

8. Always Remember to Edit and Proofread Your Essay

Any decent writer will tell you that writing is really rewriting. A good academic essay will inevitably go through multiple drafts as it slowly takes shape. When you arrive at a final draft, you must make sure that it is as close to perfect as possible.

This means subjecting your essay to close and comprehensive editing and proofreading processes. In other words, you must read your paper as many times as necessary to eliminate all grammar/punctuation mistakes and typos.

It is helpful to have a third party review your work. Consider consulting a peer or professional editing service. Keep in mind that professional editors are able to help you identify underdeveloped arguments and unnecessarily wordy language, and provide other feedback.

Get Critical Feedback on Your Writing

Hire an expert academic editor , or get a free sample, 9. when developing your essay's main body, build strong and relevant arguments.

Every sentence in the main body of your paper should explain and support your thesis. When deciding how much evidence to include in an academic essay, a good guideline is to include at least three main supporting arguments.

Those main supporting arguments, in turn, require support in the form of relevant facts, figures, examples, analogies, and observations. 

You will need to engage in appropriate research to accomplish this. To organize your research efforts, you may want to develop a list of good research questions . 

10. Choose the Format of Your Essay before Writing It

The final shape that your essay takes depends a great deal on what kind of format you use. Popular college essay format types include the Modern Language Association of America ( MLA ), American Psychological Association ( APA ), and Chicago Manual of Style ( Chicago style).

These formats govern everything from capitalization rules to source citation. Often, professors dictate a specific format for your essay. If they do not, you should choose the format that best suits your field.

11. Create Clear Transitions between Your Ideas

Although unnecessary transition words are the enemy of clarity and concision, they can be invaluable tools when it comes to separating and connecting the different sections of your essay. 

Not only do they help you express your ideas but they also bring a cohesive structure to your sentences and a pleasant flow to your writing. Just be sure that you are using the right transition words for the right purpose and to the proper effect.

12. Always Include an Organized Reference Page at the End of Your Essay

As a key component of MLA, APA, and Chicago Style formatting, the reference or Works Cited page is an essential part of any academic essay.

Regardless of the format used, the reference page must be well organized and easy to read so that your audience can see exactly where your outside information came from. 

To produce a properly formatted reference page, you may have to familiarize yourself with specialized phrases and abbreviations, such as " et al ." 

13. Use Inclusive Language

Incorporating inclusive language in your academic writing ensures that your work is respectful and accessible to all readers. Use gender-neutral pronouns like "they/them" and replace gender-specific terms with inclusive alternatives, such as "firefighter" instead of "fireman." 

You can also respect cultural diversity by avoiding stereotypes and generalizations, specifying details like "Japanese, Thai, and Indian cuisine" rather than "Asian cuisine." Engaging with diverse audiences for feedback and staying updated on inclusive language practices will help you continuously improve your writing.

How to Write a Good Hook for an Essay

The key to a good hook is to introduce an unexplored or absorbing line of inquiry in your introduction that addresses the main point of your thesis. 

By carefully choosing your language and slowly revealing details, you can build reader anticipation for what follows. 

Much like an actual worm-baited fishing hook, a successful hook will lure and capture readers, allowing the writer to "reel them in."

How to Get Better at Writing Essays

You can get better at writing essays the same way that you improve at anything else: practice, practice, practice! However, there are a few ways that you can improve your writing quickly so you can turn in a quality academic essay on time.

In addition to following the 13 essay tips and guidelines above, you can familiarize yourself with a few common practices and structures for essay development. 

Great writing techniques for essays include brainstorming and tree diagrams, especially when coming up with a topic for your thesis statement. Becoming familiar with different structures for organizing your essay (order of importance, chronological, etc.) is also extremely helpful.

How to Write a Good Introduction for an Essay

To learn how to write a good essay, you must also learn how to write a good introduction. 

Most effective essay introductions begin with relatively broad and general subject matter and then gradually narrow in focus and scope until they arrive at something extremely specific: the thesis. This is why writers tend to place their thesis statements at the very end of their introductory paragraph(s).

Because they are generally broad and often relate only tangentially to an essay's main point, there is virtually no limit on what the beginning of a good introduction can look like. However, writers still tend to rely on somewhat cliché opening sentences, such as quotations and rhetorical questions.

How to Write a Good Conclusion for an Essay

Briefly put, a good conclusion does two things. It wraps up any loose ends and drives home the main point of your essay. 

To learn how to write a good conclusion, you will want to ensure that no unanswered questions remain in the reader's mind. A good conclusion will restate the thesis and reinforce the essay's main supporting points.

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Tell me about a time when you had to learn something new – 7 sample answers

Leaning never stops for people who want to keep growing in both their personal and professional life. But this interview question asks about a particular moment in time when you faced some problem or challenge or task , and had to learn something new to solve it. Similarly to many other interview questions, hiring managers care mostly about your attitude. The situation you narrate is of a secondary importance….

They want to hear that you did not give up , and perhaps even went out of your comfort zone , in order to learn what you needed to learn to address the problem, and get the desired result. Sometimes they may add a modifier to the question, for example asking about a time when you had to learn something quickly , or how you actually applied the new things you learned in your work . Make sure to address all parts of their question, should it have more parts.

Let’s have a look at 7 sample answers to this interesting question now. You do not necessarily have to speak about a situation from work , and I included in my selection also some answers dealing with situations from personal life of the applicants, as well as some unconventional answers. Pick one that resonates with you, and adjust it slightly to convey the desired message in your interviews . And do not forget to check also my notes at the end of this post, for some tips on how to impress the interviewers with your answer.

7 sample answers to “Tell me about a time when you had to learn something new (quickly)” interview question

• I’ve had to learn to work with a new software in my last job in a hotel. It was a custom-made solution for a particular hotel chain, and the manual had over 100 pages . To tell the truth, I found it challenging. I am not the most tech-savvy person, and the user interface wasn’t similar to the software I was used to work with in my last job. But I did not give up . Outside of peak times for check-in and check-out , I was diligently studying the manual and learning my way around the software, plus we also had a special training over one weekend to learn it more quickly. At the end I learned to work with the software, and it made my work easier. But as you know, I do not work for that hotel any longer…
• I had to learn to accept rejection in my last job. Working as a sales representative in a call center, you cannot imagine how many times I heard NO on the phone every day . And it wasn’t always a simple no. Some people complained, some said bad words, some hanged up without saying a single word. I wasn’t accustomed to such reactions, and at the beginning I found it hard to bear with it emotionally . I even considered quitting, but I decided to persist , and learn to deal with it. And I eventually did, because I came to a firm conclusion that for every YES I have to hear NO many times –that’s how it works in telesales. So I actually embraced every NO, because I knew it moved me one step closer to another deal. And I also convinced myself that people were not rejecting me. They were rejecting my offer. This change of perception made it much easier for me to handle rejection, and I applied it successfully in my daily job.
• As a process engineer I have to learn something new all the time. Following the same concepts, without experimenting , without applying new technologies , technologies I have to discover and learn about, I wouldn’t be able to improve the processes and achieve desired results. To be honest though, I find it fascinating . I enjoy learning new things, and I do not struggle with motivation when it comes to reading books or attending seminars and conferences.
• I am trying to learn to live without my husband , who passed away a year ago. And it isn’t easy, because we had a good marriage, and did almost everything together. First few months were extremely difficult, and I even lost my job, because I couldn’t cope emotionally with the loss. But I started to work with the psychologist and eventually learned to accept my new reality . I started spending time with supportive people, found new hobbies, and also found courage to do things alone . This interview is a culmination of my efforts . Finally I feel ready to work again, and I can perhaps even find a meaningful purpose in this job.
• I had to learn new teaching methods in my last job. Let me explain. Before, in my only other job, I taught at a school with high level of discipline. You can spend hours lecturing and students always paid attention. That changed completely in the other job. I had disruptive students in every class , and children expected something more from their teachers. Instead of blaming them, I decided to take responsibility , and try to make the lessons more engaging and interesting. Showing documentaries, inviting inspirational guests, and applying new teaching methods , such as flipped classroom or learning by playing, I eventually managed to win most students over . They started to pay attention, because they enjoyed the lessons and played an important part in them. Of course, it didn’t work with everyone. But it worked with many, and I am glad that I went out of my comfort zone and learned something new.
• I changed my career a couple of times already . Because I’ve experienced a couple of burnouts . When you switch from IT to nursing, you have to learn a lot of things. The same is true when switching from nursing to HR. But I always embraced the challenge , because my goal is to do a good job –regardless of what I do for a living. And for doing a good job you have to understand the field and all the nuances of the job. I never struggled spending time outside of work learning , and you can be sure I won’t struggle to do so in your company.
• This is my first job application , and I cannot talk about an example from work. But I studied a hard subject–finance and investment. And I must admit that I wasn’t talented in Math or Statistics, and it took a lot of effort to learn the subjects and pass the exams . Having said that, I always knew why I was doing it. I had career goals I followed . And I am glad that I put in the effort and did not give up. Because if I did, I would never have a chance to interview for a job in this amazing company…

Story from your personal life can resonate strongly with some interviewers

You should never forget that interviewers are people like you or me , regardless of their position and salary. They also have their life outside of work, their families, their joys and sorrows. Talking about a new situation you were confronted with in your life–and struggled to learn to live with –such as when your partner passed away, or left you, can resonate strongly with the interviewer, especially if they experienced something similar in their life. And perhaps they still struggle to cope with it.

Of course, examples from work are better. But perhaps you apply for your first job , or did the same thing for past fifteen years . In such cases, it is better to narrate a tough lesson from your personal life, than talking about something minor you had to learn in your work, or at school.

* Special Tip: This isn’t the most difficult question you will face while interviewing for any decent job. You will face questions about prioritization, dealing with pressure, solving problems , and other tricky scenarios that happen in the workplace. If you want to make sure that you stand out with your answers and outclass your competitors, have a look at our Interview Success Package . Up to 10 premium answers to 50 tricky scenario based questions (+ more) will make your life much easier in the interviews. Thank you for checking it out!

You attitude is the key

Ensure the interviewers that you never stop learning , that you want to keep improving . Because the world evolves quickly, and unless you try to keep up with the pace, you will fall behind with your knowledge and skills .

What’s more, you enjoy learning new things , and you care about the results you achieve at work. Hence you continue working on your education , and trying something new at work. That’s the attitude they seek in the very best job applicants. Show it in your interviews, and improve your chances of walking away with a new job contract…

Ready to answer this question? I hope so! Do not forget to check sample answers to other tricky interview questions :

• How would you describe your personality?
• Give an example of a time when you handled a major crisis .
• What are your weaknesses?
• Interview Success Package – Premium answers to all interview questions.
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IELTS Cue Card 35: Describe a practical skill you learned recently

It is essential to learn new skills to improve our personality as well as to make a better career. I have learnt some practical skills during school and college days but here I will talk about the skill which I learnt recently. This skill is driving.

• Post author By CITY IELTS
• Post date 8th December 2019

I think, practical skills are essential for making a good personality and career. I have learnt many practical skills during school and college days but here I will talk about the skill which I learned recently from my sister.

She is an excellent painter. I have always seen her having interest in paintings which inspired me to try it. She could convey her thoughts through her paintings which are hard to describe in words. So, I approached her to help me paint something. She taught me to use brush, mixing the colours and outlining the objects. Then she taught me how to choose and fill colours.

After painting for 2-3 times, I came to realize that it is not just the painting but the idea behind it is also important. So now, whenever I have spare time, I try to utilize it by making sketches of objects. In recent days, I started feeling more interest in painting and I think it has become my hobby now.

Last month, I made three painting, one of flower which I got framed and gifted to my Aunt and she appreciated me for this beautiful painting. Other two paintings were of solar and wind power operated houses which I posted on Facebook and Instagram and I got 300 likes for these paintings. I can say that I like painting and it is a good activity to remain involved and reduce the stress.

So, this is the skill that I learned recently.

It is essential to learn new skills to improve our personality as well as to make a better career. I have learnt some practical skills during school and college days but here I will talk about the skill which I learnt recently.  This skill is driving.

I could drive a bike or scooter but I didn’t know how to drive a car. We know that driving is an important practical skill which is so much beneficial these days. We need to travel daily; sometimes we need to go by our private vehicles. Going by a cab is too much expensive. Only good way is to learn driving a car.

I remember, two months back, my father was away from home on work. My mother got a medical emergency; we arranged the car but could not arrange a driver. I was regretting why I had not learnt driving a car. So on that day, I made up my mind to learn driving car in coming days.

So I joined a driving school. We have a playground in our Village.I practiced driving there. After 6 weeks, I was able to drive car myself. I was very happy to learn this skill.

I am sure; this skill would help me a lot in rest of my life. I can travel to different places.I can help others in emergency situations. Also, I can support my parents, in case they want to travel somewhere.

So this is the practical skill that I learnt recently.

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Studying abroad is an exciting and transformative experience, especially in a diverse and dynamic country like the UK. However, the journey comes with its own set of challenges. To thrive academically and personally, international students must develop a range of essential skills. In this blog post, we will explore the top five skills for student success that are crucial for international students in the UK (and everywhere else in the world).

1. Effective Communication Skills

Effective communication is one of the most important skills for international students. This encompasses both written and verbal communication. In the UK, where academic standards are high and the educational culture may differ from your home country, being able to express your ideas clearly and confidently is vital.

Written Communication

From essays and reports to dissertations, written communication is a cornerstone of academic success. Developing strong writing skills allows you to convey your arguments persuasively and meet the academic standards expected in the UK. This involves understanding the structure of different types of academic writing, mastering grammar and punctuation, and developing a formal academic tone.

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication skills are equally important. Participating in class discussions, giving presentations, and collaborating with peers are common aspects of university life. Improving your English language proficiency and practising public speaking can greatly enhance your confidence and effectiveness in these areas.

2. Time Management

Time management is a critical skill for students' success, whether you are an international student or not. That being said, international students may be juggling academics with adjusting to a new cultural environment which can be time-consuming. Proper time management helps you balance your studies, part-time work, and social life, ensuring you meet all your deadlines without unnecessary stress.

Prioritisation and Planning

Effective time management starts with setting clear priorities and planning your schedule accordingly. Use tools like planners, calendars, and digital apps to keep track of your assignments, exams, and other commitments. Breaking down large tasks into smaller, manageable chunks can also make your workload seem less overwhelming.

Avoiding Procrastination

Procrastination is a common pitfall for many students. To combat this, set specific goals and deadlines for yourself, and reward yourself for meeting them. Developing a disciplined study routine and finding a conducive study environment can also help maintain your focus.

3. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving

The ability to think critically and solve problems is a fundamental educational skill for students. In the UK, where independent thinking and original analysis are highly valued, honing these skills can significantly enhance your academic performance.

Analytical Skills

Developing analytical skills involves learning to evaluate information critically, identify patterns, and draw informed conclusions. This is particularly important when conducting research for essays or dissertations. Engage with a variety of sources, question assumptions, and develop your own insights to produce high-quality academic work.

Creative Problem-Solving

Creative problem-solving skills are also crucial. This involves approaching challenges from different perspectives, generating innovative solutions, and being adaptable in the face of obstacles. Engaging in activities like brainstorming sessions, group projects, and case studies can help you build these skills.

4. Cultural Adaptability

Cultural adaptability is an essential skill for international students adjusting to life in a new country. Embracing the cultural diversity of the UK and developing an understanding of different perspectives can enrich your educational experience and personal growth.

Cultural Awareness

Being culturally aware involves understanding and respecting different cultural norms, values, and practices. This can help you build positive relationships with peers and professors from diverse backgrounds. Participate in cultural exchange programmes, join student societies, and engage in community activities to broaden your cultural understanding.

Flexibility and Openness

Flexibility and openness to new experiences are key aspects of cultural adaptability. Be open to trying new things, whether it's food, traditions, or ways of thinking. This not only helps you integrate into the local culture but also enhances your overall experience as an international student.

5. Resilience and Emotional Intelligence

Resilience and emotional intelligence are critical soft skills in education that can help you navigate the ups and downs of studying abroad. These skills enable you to manage stress, stay motivated, and maintain a positive outlook, even in challenging situations.

Building Resilience

Building resilience involves developing the ability to bounce back from setbacks and maintain your focus on your long-term goals. Cultivate a growth mindset, where you view challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Seeking support from friends, family, or professional services when needed is also crucial.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, as well as empathise with others. This is another important soft skill for building strong interpersonal relationships and working effectively in team settings. Practice self-awareness, active listening, and effective communication to enhance your emotional intelligence.

Final Thoughts

Developing these essential skills can significantly enhance your academic success and overall experience as an international student in the UK. Effective communication, time management, critical thinking, cultural adaptability, and resilience are all key components of a successful educational journey.

As you work on building these skills, remember that you don't have to do it alone. Our services are here to support you every step of the way. Whether you need help with essay writing , dissertation writing , academic editing, or proofreading , our team of experts is ready to assist you.

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• Published July 30, 2024
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The Top 20 Leadership Challenges

Leadership Issues Are Shared

Anyone guiding a group toward a shared result will encounter challenges along the way — but what’s most challenging about leading organizations today? What are the top challenges of leadership, and have they shifted since the pandemic?

Our research team has been exploring such questions for decades now to stay abreast of the challenges and issues most commonly faced by leaders at every level. (See our  2021 technical report  and  2013 white paper for more information.)

Our Research Into the Challenges of Leadership

Based on the collective challenges reported in over 7,000 organizations around the world, and using anonymized data on individuals collected through our global 360 assessments , our research team has examined what over 48,000 leaders have identified as their most critical leadership challenges over the past several years.

Using an AI-powered language processing model to review and analyze their responses, we identified the most consistent challenges of leadership across many industries and sectors around the world. We further analyzed the data to determine how these challenges evolved in the wake of the pandemic.

Here we present what our research has found are today’s biggest challenges of leadership — the top 5 challenges faced by leaders at each of level of the organization — ranked by their relevance post-pandemic. And because development is more effective when it uses data to support the challenges of leaders at different levels, this list of leadership issues can be the focus for training & development efforts in all organizations, everywhere in the world.

The Most Common Challenges of Leadership at Every Level

The top leadership challenges of frontline managers.

Regardless of where they live or work, those managing others in supervisory roles reported that their most common leadership challenge is frustrations with people and time — and this issue has only increased in frequency since the pandemic. Here are the top 5 most common challenges for frontline leaders, based on our research:

• Frustrations with people and time
• First time managing people
• Deficient operational processes
• Team performance
• Personal improvement

1. Frustrations With People and Time

Many frontline managers reported that their top leadership issue is feeling overwhelmed with inefficiencies and frustrated with others. This includes challenges with offering guidance to direct reports, overcoming resistance to change, dealing with difficult employees , and adjusting communication and feedback styles to collaborate more effectively with different people. And again, this appears to have become an even bigger concern for leaders at this level since the pandemic.

2. First Time Managing People

Another common leadership challenge among new managers is learning to juggle day-to-day challenges — such as managing others who were formerly peers, or employees who are older than they are — and just generally gaining respect as a new, first-time people leader.

3. Deficient Operational Processes

Needing stronger operational processes to address organizational problems was another frequently cited leadership challenge for this group.

4. Team Performance

First-level leaders also reported challenges with developing teams, giving effective feedback , providing direction, holding coaching conversations , and dealing with resistance from direct reports.

5. Personal Improvement

Learning to be better at active listening to understand the perspectives of others, improving flexibility, and being less reactive in pursuit of an “ideal self” are other commonly reported challenges for leaders on the front lines, our research found.

The Top 5 Leadership Challenges of Mid-Level Managers

Managers who are leading from the middle — with senior leaders above them and direct reports below — face many similar challenges of leadership as well. Our research found that the most common issues for mid-level managers were:

• Personal limitations
• Challenging business context
• Ineffective interpersonal style
• Cross-functional influence
• Competing people and project priorities

1. Personal Limitations

A top challenge for leaders at this level is their own personal limitations and feelings of inadequacy, as they often must overcome their own doubts about their abilities and readiness to lead — as well as the doubts of their peers or supervisors. Dealing with the challenge of personal limitations requires overcoming impostor syndrome , humility to seek the input of others, courage to do the right thing, and projecting confidence while communicating effectively.

Since the pandemic, mid-level managers have reported this as an issue even more frequently. With new cultures brought on by remote and hybrid workplaces, overcoming common limitations in order to make an impact as a leader has become even more challenging.

2. Business Challenges

In a tumultuous work environment, managers (particularly mid-level leaders) may struggle to deliver results. Leading within a challenging business context requires the careful deployment of limited resources, improved processes, and keeping employees engaged and motivated .

3. Ineffectiveness

When a mid-level leader has an ineffective interpersonal style, they struggle with relationships. This can play out on a spectrum, from dominating interactions to lacking the self-confidence to be assertive. On the other hand, effective interpersonal styles and embodying the characteristics of a good leader allow for open and honest conversations.

4. Influence

Successful leadership requires the ability to influence others beyond one’s group — often without formal authority. For those leading from the middle, the challenge of influencing others across functions includes building credibility, developing cross-organizational networks, and building and bridging partnerships.

5. Competing Priorities

Mid-level leaders report that they often find it difficult to balance competing people and project priorities, especially when they’re sandwiched between project-based deadlines and their employees’ engagement. It’s an important paradox that leaders must manage both relationships and tasks effectively . When resources are limited, motivating team members who vary in personality, abilities, and experience can feel at odds with effective project management.

The Top 5 Leadership Challenges for Senior Leaders

Overall, our research found that the challenges of leadership for those at a senior level include:

• Credibility gaps
• Limited market / sales growth
• Process improvement across groups
• Limited self-awareness
• Transitioning into a new role

We noticed that the pandemic shifted the top leadership challenges for this group somewhat. Before COVID, limited self-awareness was cited as the most frequent leadership issue among senior leaders who head up functions, business units, departments, divisions, and regions, but the frequency of this challenge dropped significantly more recently. The challenge of overcoming credibility gaps, on the other hand, has become more pressing after the pandemic.

1. Credibility Gaps

This includes the challenge of building credibility as an organizational leader. Examples include gaining the trust of stakeholders and enhancing visibility within an organization. Senior leaders may also need to strengthen their leadership image or presence to be most effective.

2. Limited Market / Sales Growth

Making strategic shifts to maximize market growth and sales is another top challenge of senior leaders. This may include expanding the organization beyond core products, extending market reach, shifting to a market / customer orientation, and better aligning of sales.

3. Process Improvement Across Groups

Another key challenge for senior leaders is influencing the organization to improve and accept new processes, which requires being a strategic leader , effective boundary spanning leadership, and developing a broader perspective by taking a systemic view.

4. Limited Self-Awareness

Understanding how others perceive them and recognizing their impact on others — along with improving their confidence, approachability, and communication style (particularly when delivering difficult messages) — can be especially challenging for leaders at the senior level.

5. Transitioning Into a New Role

Adapting to changes in responsibilities and managing new people or former peers is a final key leadership issue at this level. This challenge may be brought on by a promotion, a new role, a functional shift, or a geographic move, or simply through preparing for the C-suite .

The Top 5 Leadership Challenges for Executives

Finally, senior executives leading the enterprise told us that their top 5 leadership challenges are:

• Dynamic business environment
• Strategic responsibilities
• Interpersonal rigidity
• Organizational readiness
• Lack of cooperation

1. Dynamic Business Environment

For C-level leaders, the challenge of working in a dynamic business environment topped their list of leadership issues. This challenge can be brought about by new regulations, market and economic conditions, competition, or growth. To be effective, leaders must be able to develop and keep the talent needed to support change and revise their organization’s models and systems as required.

Notably, this challenge experienced the biggest rise in the wake of the pandemic. Even before the pandemic, senior executives were already used to leading their organizations in adapting to ever-changing circumstances, but COVID and its fallout accelerated that need even more.

2. Strategic Responsibilities

Developing strategy for an organization is another top leadership challenge for senior executives. This includes aligning priorities and initiatives across groups and developing teams to support strategic efforts. It’s helpful when senior leaders are able to link business strategy to leadership strategy .

3. Interpersonal Rigidity

For many senior leaders, shifting the way they interact with others to be more effective and the ability to adapt their style for varying situations or stakeholders is an important challenge. Leaders in C-suite need to have different techniques for flexing their approach, including in how they communicate the vision , manage or influence others, or leverage power over others to get things done.

4. Organizational Readiness Amid Uncertainty

Preparing their organizations for a turbulent future is an ongoing issue for senior executives. This challenge of leadership is experienced most often when there are organizational mission shifts, significant resource constraints, technology changes, or when new ways of working are needed.

5. Lack of Cooperation

Lastly, influencing others toward collaboration is a key leadership challenge for senior executives. This is especially common when they’re new to a role, managing former peers or more experienced colleagues, or collaborating with others on the senior team.

How to Respond to These Top Leadership Challenges

Tips to help leaders address the most common leadership issues.

Now that you know the most common challenges of leadership, how do you begin addressing them? One way is by looking at the larger themes that emerged from our research. Across all levels of the organization, we found that the challenges of leadership generally fall into 3 high-level themes, related to:

• Challenges of personal growth,
• Challenges related to managing people and getting work done, and  
• Challenges in managing across the organization and within a larger system .

Here are some recommended ways to respond to these 3 common themes in our overall leadership challenges research.  Many of these suggestions are part of developing the core leadership skills needed in every role , at every stage of a career.

1. To respond to leadership challenges related to your personal growth, work to maximize personal value .

Personal shortcomings and the aspiration to become a better leader define our first theme. Challenges here include learning to be more assertive during interactions, developing confidence, and understanding how others perceive you.

Individuals overcome leadership issues and create value for their organizations by focusing on the unique contributions that only they can make. Understanding what those unique values are, and delegating everything else (or as close to everything else as possible), allows leaders to maximize their value.

It’s important to recognize your own characteristics, behaviors, and habits in order to know what may be triggering challenges for you in your career. This way, you can work toward increasing your self-awareness and strengthening specific skills and growing as an individual leader.

Some internal challenges that many leaders face include a lack of confidence, a fear of failure, maintaining authenticity  during self-promotion , impatience, resistance in  responding to new ideas , or struggling to manage conflict in the workplace . All of these can be potential roadblocks to leadership success.

Understanding your own strengths and weaknesses and maximizing your unique value are part of improving your personal leadership brand .

2. To respond to leadership challenges around managing people and getting work done, focus on delegating more to others .

Our second leadership challenge theme involves the demands of managing both people and tasks. Specific challenges include managing for the first time, building cooperation between people, and overseeing multiple projects that compete for importance and resources.

You’ll be more productive, give your colleagues a greater sense of ownership, and  build more trust on your team if you delegate , as well. But effective delegation requires more than just getting a task off your desk — it involves a repeating cycle of 4 key steps:

• Understanding your preferences . Effective delegators prioritize their workload and decide which tasks to keep and which to give to someone else. They also understand how much feedback they want while the person they’ve delegated to works on the task.
• Knowing your people .To delegate effectively, you must assign tasks to others with the necessary knowledge and skills. That means that you have to understand people’s preferences and abilities, using delegation to help direct reports develop, and coach people while allowing them to learn as they take on new tasks.
• Being clear about the purpose of the task . A task’s purpose gives it meaning. By aligning this purpose with team or individual beliefs and goals, delegation can become part of purpose-driven leadership and an opportunity for personal growth.
• Assessing and rewarding . You should engage in collaboration and work with your direct reports to develop ways to help them, and you, decide if a task has been completed properly, and to reward them appropriately.

3. To respond to leadership challenges related to managing across the organization, work to increase boundary spanning and build high-performing teams .

Working within the larger system of an organization is our third high-level leadership challenge. Examples include working in a dynamic business environment, needing stronger operational processes, and creating cross-functional influence.

As a leader, you must be able to create and lead teams effectively. To build high-performing teams, use our team effectiveness framework , which has 4 components:

• Core : Communicate a team’s reason for being so that all team members understand their core purpose and value. ( A team charter can help with this.)
• Collective Mindset : Be sure everybody on the team knows what it takes to be a good team member. Teams adopt a collective mindset when they understand all members’ roles and responsibilities, as well as team norms for how team members work together.
• Cohesive Relationships : Ensure team members relate interpersonally by fostering a psychologically safe work environment where everybody feels a sense of belonging, is treated with respect, and communicates effectively.
• Connection : Teams can have a broader organizational impact when collaborating across boundaries . In other words, when colleagues who have different backgrounds and experiences connect, innovation and collaboration are enhanced.

A Final Word for HR Leaders on Our Leadership Challenges Research

Focus development efforts to address the top challenges of leaders.

Developmental initiatives are more effective when they align with the real challenges that leaders are facing. For those who work in HR or Learning & Development, understanding these common leadership issues can be the catalyst for creating initiatives that truly address real-world needs, growing needed leadership capabilities for your organization’s talent pipeline.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Build your team’s capacity for overcoming common leadership challenges. Our array of leadership development programs are carefully designed to address the leadership challenges faced by leaders at every level. 

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Based on Research by

Ramya’s expertise is in analyzing data by using advanced algorithms to extract valuable information, and she has extensive experience in the fields of data science and machine learning. At CCL, her work involves data collection, building AI-based models, and data visualization to drive key insights from internal and external data. Her thought leadership combines cutting-edge data science, data ethics, and machine learning techniques to analyze information equitably and effectively.

Steve led our experimentation with new analytic approaches and methodologies, including CCL Fusion , a predictive analytics tool that links people data with business data to inform leadership development investment. He also led research and product development in the areas of user-driven feedback tools, virtual coaching tools, and big data and analytics.

Jean develops, oversees, and helps implement programs, projects, and processes that support the vision and the short- and long-term plans of the global Leadership Research and Analytics group. She’s published more than 100 pieces on leadership, assessment, and feedback — in the form of peer-reviewed articles, popular-press articles, book chapters, and books — and has presented over 70 papers at professional conferences such as the Academy of Management and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychologists.

With over 30 years of experience at CCL, Cindy has contributed to many aspects of CCL’s work: research, publication, product development, program evaluation, coaching, and management. She designs and manages R&D projects, coaches action learning teams, writes for multiple audiences, and is a frequent speaker at professional conferences.

With over 30 years of experience in the field of leadership development and over 80 publications, Marian is widely regarded as a thought leader in the field. Her particular areas of expertise include the career development of women, work-life integration, the intersection of voice and leadership recognition, and the role of well-being in leadership development. She has worked with a diverse array of colleagues and clients from around the globe conducting both original research and bringing into CCL the best of what the larger field of leadership scholarship has to offer.

Jennifer’s work with us focused on global leadership and generational differences around the world. An internationally recognized expert on generational differences, Jennifer has published on generational issues, executive selection, cultural adaptability, global management, and women in management. She’s the co-author of What Millennials Want from Work: How to Maximize Engagement in Today’s Workforce .

Katelyn helps manage many aspects of the standardized data collection and reporting processes for our leadership programs. She also works on custom client evaluation work and other projects led by Leadership Research & Analytics . Before joining us, she worked as a research scientist at Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO), where she partnered with clients to develop large-scale assessment solutions.

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More From Forbes

The Essential AI-Ready Skills Everyone Needs For Tomorrow’s Jobs

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Thanks to AI, work will look very different in the near future than it does today. According to the World Economic Forum, 85 million jobs will be impacted by AI by 2030, and millions of new jobs will be created that don’t yet exist.

In a world where the pace of change is accelerating dramatically, it will be our skills -rather than our education, work history or past achievements – that define our value.

In practical terms, employers will be less concerned about what we know or have achieved in the past and more interested in how we can apply knowledge and abilities to solving modern business challenges.

So, what will this mean in the age of AI? How do we prepare for a world where machines will carry out many of the tasks that humans have traditionally had a monopoly on? And what skills will we need to ensure we remain relevant and able to create value? Let’s take a look.

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Nyt ‘strands’ hints, spangram and answers for tuesday, july 30th, ios 17.6—update now warning issued to all iphone users, two core skillsets for an ai future.

I believe the skills essential for staying relevant in the future can be divided into two groups. Broadly speaking, we can refer to these as AI skills and human soft skills.

Firstly, having AI skills doesn’t necessarily mean becoming an AI engineer or data scientist.

Instead, it involves the ability to use AI effectively, augmenting our own abilities and overseeing its output. This means becoming an effective AI collaborator, delegator, and supervisor.

As AI becomes increasingly omnipresent, the ability to identify and use the best tools will be crucial in virtually every profession.

Secondly, human soft skills represent abilities that AI either can't do yet or can't do as well as humans. These skills are rooted in the qualities that have made humans so successful as a species in evolutionary terms. They allow us to work together, solve complex problems using diverse data, navigate social situations, creatively solve problems, critically evaluate progress, and create emotional connections with others.

As machines become more capable, the value of these uniquely human abilities increases. These two skill subsets are complementary, and developing them in tandem is key to building future-proof skills.

Let's explore each of these skill sets in more detail.

AI skills are a broad category encompassing everything that has to do with working with AI effectively.

Of course, it includes the technical data and computing skills needed to design, build and deploy AI systems. But not everyone will need to do that.

It also covers general AI literacy, which means understanding what AI can do and how to apply AI tools to achieving specific goals.

This involves understanding the AI landscape in terms of the available tools and applications, and their capabilities and limitations, as well as proficiency in using and operating these tools.

It covers skills such as prompt engineering, which involves being able to frame human and business problems in a way that AI can address.

A central concept is “augmented working” – a term that’s frequently used to describe the ability to use AI to automate routine tasks, allowing a human professional to work more efficiently.

Understanding how to use AI to aid and boost creativity is a valuable skill, too. This could involve using it to generate ideas or create multiple iterations of our own ideas to suit different audiences.

People with skills needed to supervise AI workforces and act as the critical “human-in-the-loop” required to ensure accuracy, safety and fairness will be highly valued in workforces of the future.

Crucially, so will those with an understanding of the ethical and legal implications, such as an ability to recognize when there is a danger of bias or breach of privacy or when an organization’s use of AI might be overstepping the boundaries set out by regulation and legislation.

Soft Skills

With AI taking care of much of the technical work, human soft skills – things that machines can’t yet do – will become exponentially more valuable.

Among the most important will be the ability to strategize at a high level.

For example, ask an AI delivery optimization algorithm to plot the most efficient route for a van driver to drop off parcels, and it will do it more effectively than a human.

What it probably won't do is suggest exploring drone delivery. Or reducing the weight of packaging to make deliveries more fuel-efficient. This is because most AI applications are highly specialized and don't have the “ general ” intelligence capabilities of humans.

Creative problem-solving is another vital soft skill. Humans excel at lateral thinking, connecting disparate ideas, and imagining novel solutions to complex problems. Our ability to envision and articulate a better future – whether in technology, society, or the environment – is uniquely human. This imaginative capacity, combined with the power to inspire others towards these visions, will remain crucial in an AI-driven world, allowing us to conceptualize and pursue innovations that AI alone cannot conceive.

Developing plans that encompass long-term goals and take into account a multitude of factors that aren’t necessarily going to be in the training data will be out of reach of AI for a long time.

Then there’s critical thinking, which involves objectively analyzing and evaluating every aspect of a problem, situation or opportunity in order to make a judgment. While AI can critically assess a plan of action or an idea, once again, it’s limited by its training data, which may or may not contain the specific insights required.

Teamwork, leadership and mentorship all require explicitly human skills, too, including a high level of emotional intelligence. This is our ability to recognize and respond appropriately to our fellow humans on an emotional level and is essential to collaboration and relationship-building.

Partnership building, for example, is critical in modern business. An AI’s lack of emotional intelligence means it will always be at a disadvantage when it comes to the subtleties of negotiating, building rapport, and establishing the alignment of mission and values, which are critical to effective partnering.

And human soft skills are still important for project management, where there’s a need to balance resources, budgets, time constraints and any number of unexpected factors that could emerge.

Once again, we can see that computer intelligence is still too specialized to deal with many potential scenarios that can throw a spanner in the works of even the most carefully laid plans.

Adaptability and Life-Long Learning

One skill, perhaps more than any other, that will determine whether we remain relevant in the AI era will be our ability to adapt to change and continuously learn and improve.

Technology is constantly evolving, and the AI available in ten years’ time will most likely be far beyond anything we can imagine now. No matter how carefully we prepare for it now, it will take us by surprise. So, the ability to adapt and keep our knowledge and skills up-to-date is crucial.

This isn’t just about keeping pace with technology; it's about developing a change-oriented mindset that will allow us to continue to perform as the world becomes more complex and uncertain.

The tradition of front-loading ourselves with education in our formative years is increasingly outdated. Seeking out roles where we will continuously learn, as well as pursuing opportunities for self-directed learning, can all help us to develop this mindset.

Likewise, the human skills we’ve discussed – communication, creativity, emotional intelligence – are not innate traits that some are born with and some aren’t. They can all be cultivated through practice and diversity of experience!

By focusing our efforts on developing both human and AI skills and developing the habits of embracing change and lifelong learning, we can give ourselves the best chance of thriving in the age of AI.

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