How do you become a learn-it-all?

30 Sept

Written By Meg Smith

The future belongs to the learn-it-alls. While a know-it-all is obsessed with telling everyone how much they know, a learn-it-all is motivated by curiosity.

Learn-it-alls cultivate an open and questioning mindset.

When Satya Nadella became CEO of Microsoft this is the challenge he gave to all staff. And it turned the company around.

Confession: we're recovering know-it-alls.

We have built careers out of being the people in the room who know more about technology than anyone else. But now that we're seeing technology change at a much faster pace (thanks AI), that approach doesn't work anymore.

Life is moving at break-necking speed and required learning, especially at work, kills curiosity. Which is unfortunate because one of the ways to be future-ready in a world that adopts and embraces AI more every day is to keep learning; to go deeper in your area of expertise and broaden your knowledge in topics that interest you.

This is the first in a new series about Learning. In the coming weeks, we'll explore how we can learn:

1. How to learn
2. How you learn
3. Why you should learn
4. "Just-in-time" learning techniques

What stories are you telling yourself about your ability to learn?

Maybe as a child you were told you were stupid - that you weren't good at school, you couldn't focus, or you would never get it.

Or maybe you loved learning, were good at it, and the people around you tried to cut you down - put you back in a box designed to preserve their own comfort.

Your first step to becoming a learn-it-all might require re-writing those stories.

Try this Prompt

If you want some help, take 15 minutes to try this prompt with your favourite AI tool:

I want to develop a “learn-it-all” mindset and understand how I learn best. Please help me explore this by:

1. First, ask me 3-5 questions about my relationship with learning, both past and present. Focus on:

-Early experiences with learning (messages I received as a child or student about my abilities)
-Current stories or beliefs I hold about my capacity to learn
-When I feel most curious and engaged versus when learning feels like a chore
-What gets in the way of my learning now

2. After I answer each question, ask relevant follow-up questions to help me go deeper and make connections between past and present.

3. Once we’ve explored these areas, create a personalized “learning approach” summary that:

-Identifies patterns in how I learn best
-Acknowledges any limiting beliefs from my past that might still be influencing me
-Highlights my strengths as a learner
-Suggests 2-3 concrete strategies for cultivating curiosity in my daily work
-Recommends one small experiment I could try this week to practice being a learn-it-all

Please begin by asking your first question.

Let me know if you have any questions or feedback on this exercise, or about learning in general that you'd love to see covered in this series.

AI SkillsLearning