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Early on in my career I remember a saying on the office wall, “When you stop learning, you start dying.” Years later I discovered it was by Einstein. A man whose life was a perfect example of continuous self-development. So what is self-development and what can we do to make sure we don’t “start dying”?

Self-development is about taking responsibility for our learning. The real benefit is that it keeps our skills relevant – especially in this constantly changing world. It’s an appetite that devours new thinking. And if we demonstrate this appetite, our team will also want to eat from that same table.

case study A director I used to work for would often ask me, “Michael, what have you learned lately?” At first I’d be confused. I must have learned something! I’d think back and mumble a few words about a book I’d read or something I’d been told. In time, I got clever and, when I did learn something, would make a mental note to use it when I next saw my director. After a while I was amazed at how many examples I was storing up! I wasn’t ‘the brightest bulb on the tree’, but I was learning so much. What my director had done was raise my awareness of how much learning I was exposed to every hour of my day.

So how do we develop ourselves? Try these tips.

 Take personal responsibility for your own growth. It’s not the training team or HR’s responsibility. It’s yours.

 Develop a plan that identifies key areas you want to know more about. Keep a learning log where you make notes of important lessons from any book, CD, programme or conversation.

 Get yourself a mentor. Someone who can facilitate your learning.

 Broaden your reading. Don’t just read the same publications. Go for something that’s different. Shake up your thinking.

 Regularly ask yourself, “What have I learned today?” Don’t settle for the obvious. Think about issues in a deeper way.

 Really listen to someone with whom you’re having a disagreement. Ask questions about their point of view. Don’t just turn off! You may emerge with a real insight.

 Tap into other people’s experiences. How have they done things? Be a sponge and absorb all of that free education.

Self-development keeps our skills relevant in a constantly evolving workplace.