candlescupcake.bmpOne of the most fun things about life is learning.

Many people choose to take active advantage of the myriad learning opportunities life offers. In the work context, active learning involves not just learning more about your specific job, but also about the jobs of those above you, plus the jobs of those to the left and right of you. If you ever want to be promoted and have a greater span of responsibility and authority, it would be a good idea to know what those you are now supervising are doing, right? If you want to be able to come up with good ideas, to innovate, to create value, it helps to have a diverse database.

A while back I wrote about Jorge Perez, CEO of The Related Companies of Florida. I was impressed that in his autobiography, “Powerhouse Principles,” Perez wrote of seeking to learn the hows and whys of the disciplines of those who surrounded and supported him. He attempted to learn as much as possible of their skill sets.

Those who actively learn can create true “ten years of experience.” Those who sleepwalk through life, do their daily tasks by rote, and do not assert themselves to learn daily, create “one year’s experience ten times over.”

In the good times, it may take some time for the difference to show up. In troubled times, the difference stands out a lot faster.