當(dāng)今商業(yè)世界中，不斷獲取新技能不再是“一門選修課”?！霸诳焖僮兓?、充滿競爭的世界里，學(xué)習(xí)新技術(shù)的能力是取得成功的關(guān)鍵之一。你不可能是最聰明的，但必須要變得越來越聰明。” 動機心理學(xué)家、《成功人士必做九件事》（Single Nine Things Successful People Do Differently）一書的作者海蒂·霍爾沃森（Heidi Grant Halvorson）表示。約瑟夫·溫特勞布（Joseph Weintraub），巴布森學(xué)院 （Babson College）管理與組織行為教授，《培養(yǎng)經(jīng)理人：成為商界的頂級人才》（The Coaching Manager: Developing Top Talent in Business）一書的合著者對此表示贊同，“我們需要持續(xù)地尋找自我提高的機會，開始時這會讓你感到不舒服，但持續(xù)性的自我提高是成功的必要條件?！睙o論是使用社會化媒體，還是數(shù)據(jù)分析，我們?nèi)绾尾拍苷莆者@些新的技能？問題的答案因人而異，因新技能而異，但我們?nèi)钥勺裱恍┢者m性的規(guī)則：?

Mastering new skills is not optional in today’s business environment. “In a fast-moving, competitive world, being able to learn new skills is one of the keys to success. It’s not enough to be smart — you need to always be getting smarter,” says Heidi Grant Halvorson, a motivational psychologist and author of the HBR Single?Nine Things Successful People Do Differently. Joseph Weintraub, a professor of management and organizational behavior at Babson College and coauthor of the book,?The Coaching Manager: Developing Top Talent in Business, agrees: “We need to constantly look for opportunities to stretch ourselves in ways that may not always feel comfortable at first. Continual improvement is necessary to get ahead.” Here are some principles to follow in your quest for self-improvement:

你準(zhǔn)備好了嗎？

Check your readiness

當(dāng)你致力于掌握一項新技能或?qū)W習(xí)一項新能力時，你要先詢問自己兩個問題。

第一，你的目標(biāo)是否是可實現(xiàn)的？“你能學(xué)到的技能總會有些客觀限制，”溫特勞布解釋說，“例如，你想成為一個腦外科醫(yī)生，但糟糕的手腦協(xié)調(diào)能力卻不能滿足這項技能的基本需求?！?/p>

When working on a new skill or competency, you need to ask yourself two things. First, is your goal attainable? “There are certain limits to what you can learn,”?explains Weintraub. “For example, you may want to be a brain surgeon, but not have the eye-hand coordination required.”

第二，你能投入多少時間和精力？“這不像照方抓藥。”溫特勞布說。自我提高是個辛苦的工作?；魻栁稚硎?，“很多人都想當(dāng)然地認(rèn)為，只有在工作中感到吃力時，我們才需要新的能力。這純屬謬論?！比藗円欢ㄒ庾R到，學(xué)習(xí)一項新技能要更具自覺性。首先確定你的目標(biāo)是可實現(xiàn)的，其次要做好辛苦工作的準(zhǔn)備，這樣你才有可能掌握新的技能。

Second, how much time and energy can you give to the project? “It’s not like going to the pharmacy and getting a prescription filled,” says Weintraub. Self-improvement is hard work. Halvorson agrees: “Many people implicitly believe that if you have to work hard at something, it means you lack ability. This is rubbish.” Instead, recognize that learning a new skill takes extreme commitment. Unless your goal is attainable and you’re prepared to work hard, you won’t get very far.

確定你所學(xué)的技能是必需的

Make sure it’s needed

溫特勞布建議，你所學(xué)的技能必須和目前的職位或組織相關(guān)，兩者兼顧則更佳。你可能非常樂于學(xué)習(xí)在公眾前演講的能力，但你的老板是否認(rèn)為該技能有價值？除非這項技能對你的工作或職業(yè)發(fā)展有用，否則你所在的組織將不會為你提供相關(guān)培訓(xùn)，更不用奢望管理者的支持了。獲得新技能是項投資，你要提前知道它會給你帶來哪些回報。

Weintraub suggests you also make sure the skill is relevant to your career, your organization, or both. You may be jazzed up about learning how to speak in front of large audiences, but does your manager value that? Unless you absolutely need the skill for your job, or for a future position, it’s unlikely you’ll get money for training or support from your manager. Gaining a new skill is an investment and you need to know upfront what the return will be.

找到最佳學(xué)習(xí)方式

Know how you learn best

有些人是通過看圖表或閱讀獲取更多的知識；有些人更愿意觀看演示或聽取已被驗證的經(jīng)驗來提高自己；還有一些人需要親身實踐?；魻栁稚赋?，你可以通過回顧過去找出理想的學(xué)習(xí)風(fēng)格?！巴ㄟ^回顧以往，你可以分別列舉有益的和無益的經(jīng)驗，”“有效的學(xué)習(xí)經(jīng)驗彼此間有何共通之處？無效的學(xué)習(xí)經(jīng)驗又有哪些共同點？”找出有益經(jīng)驗的共同點將有助于你找到最適合自己的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境。

Some learn best by looking at graphics or reading. Others would rather watch demonstrations or listen to things being explained. Still others need a “hands-on” experience. Halvorson says you can figure out your ideal learning style by looking back. “Reflect on some of your past learning experiences, and make a list of good ones and another list of bad ones,” she says. “What did the good, effective experiences have in common? How about the bad ones? Identifying common strands can help you determine the learning environment that works best for you.”

獲得正確的幫助

Get the right help

從他人那里獲得支持將極大地提高學(xué)習(xí)效果。你可以找一些已掌握你急需技能的人尋求幫助，而這些人不只局限于你的直屬上級。

Eliciting support from others can greatly increase learning. Find someone you trust who has mastered the skill you’re trying to attain. And look beyond your immediate manager who has to evaluate you.

溫特勞布建議，你應(yīng)該問自己：“除了我的老板，組織中都有哪些人，會注意到我的改變并且愿意給我實在的回饋？”如果你不能在公司內(nèi)部找到一個導(dǎo)師，那么就在整個行業(yè)或通過私人關(guān)系尋找。此外，“尋找老師時寧缺毋濫，如果組織內(nèi)部有人有能力并愿意為你提供高質(zhì)量的指導(dǎo)，那最好。如果內(nèi)部沒有，那就從外部尋求幫助，”霍爾沃森說。

Weintraub suggests you ask yourself: “Who in my organization, other than my boss, would notice my changes and give me honest feedback?” Then approach that person ,?If you can't find a mentor inside your company, look for people in your industry or from your network. “Ultimately, you want to go with the best teacher. If there is someone in your organization who is able and willing to provide quality mentoring, then great. If not, seek outside help,” says Halvorson.

從小處做起

Start small

選擇新技能時會給人一種難以取舍的感覺，“不要嘗試面面俱到，否則你將適得其反?！睖靥貏诓颊f。相反，在一段時間內(nèi)，集中選擇一兩個技能，并將之分解成可管理的目標(biāo)。例如，如果你試圖變得更加自信，你需要強迫自己盡可能多的在會議開始的前五分鐘內(nèi)發(fā)言。

Self-improvement can feel overwhelming. “You can’t take on everything. If you do, you’ll never do it,” says Weintraub. Instead, choose one or two skills to focus on at a time, and break that skill down into manageable goals. For example, if you’re trying to become more assertive, you might focus on speaking up more often in meetings by pushing yourself to talk within the first five minutes.

不斷反省

Reflect along the way

從實驗階段到真正掌握技能，你需要不斷反思正在學(xué)習(xí)的技能，否則新技能將不會持久?；魻栁稚蜏靥貏诓级冀ㄗh多和其他人討論。“在學(xué)習(xí)的過程中，一定要經(jīng)常和那些為你提供信息或情感支持的人分享你的學(xué)習(xí)目標(biāo)?！被魻栁稚硎尽！凹词贡辉儐栒卟恢雷罱K答案，他們也能提供幫助，例如誠實地告訴你提高的幅度?！?溫特勞布說。討論你的學(xué)習(xí)進(jìn)程有助于你得到有效的反饋，幫助你鞏固學(xué)習(xí)中取得的成果。

To move from experimentation to mastery, you need to reflect on what you are learning. Otherwise the new skill won’t stick. Halvorson and Weintraub both suggest talking to others. “Always share your goals with those individuals who can provide informational or emotional support along the way,” says Halvorson. “Even if that person doesn’t have the answer, he can help you and keep you honest about how much you’re improving,” says Weintraub. Talking about your progress helps you get valuable feedback, keeps you accountable, and cements the change.

挑戰(zhàn)自己，教會別人

Challenge yourself to teach it to others

學(xué)習(xí)新技能最快的方式之一，就是不斷使用該技能并將其傳授給他人。因此，你要和團(tuán)隊、管理者和同事分享你的新知識。你可以設(shè)定一個“分享”日來強迫自己，或者組織一場正式的培訓(xùn)活動。這樣的方式能你的學(xué)習(xí)更有針對性和實際意義。

One of the quickest ways to learn something new, and to practice it, is to teach others how to do it. So share what you learn with your team, your manager, or your co-workers. You can force yourself to do it by putting a “teaching” date on your calendar or agreeing to lead a formal training session a few months down the road. With objectives like those, your learning will be much more focused and practical.

足夠的耐心

Be patient

我們經(jīng)常希望自己能夠馬上掌握一項新技能，但現(xiàn)實是，你需要花費很長的時間。掌握新技能不可能一蹴而就，這通常需要花費六個月甚至更長的時間。與此同時，別人將花費更長的時間來發(fā)現(xiàn)并評估你的新技能?！爸車娜送ǔＶ粫⒁獾侥阕兓械?0%?！?溫特勞布說。

“Too often, we approach a new skill with the attitude that we should nail it right out of the gate,” says Halvorson. The reality is that it takes much longer. “It’s not going to happen overnight. It usually takes six months or more to develop a new skill,” says Weintraub. And it may take longer for others to see and appreciate it. “People around you will only notice 10% of every 100% change you make,” he says.

如果以上規(guī)則讓你難以記憶，只需遵循以下的原則，你的學(xué)習(xí)過程將會事半功倍：

Principles to Remember

要

Do:

選擇一項所在組織和管理者都認(rèn)可的新技能進(jìn)行學(xué)習(xí)；

Select a skill that is valued by your organization and manager

將新技能分解成更小的、易于管理的任務(wù)和目標(biāo)；

Divide the skill up into smaller, manageable tasks

及時反思你所學(xué)到的技能以及想達(dá)到的目標(biāo)。

Reflect on what you’ve learned and what you still want to accomplish

不要

Don’t:

閉門造車——你需要尋求別人的指導(dǎo)和反饋；

Try to learn in a vacuum — ask others for guidance and feedback

偏聽偏信——那些不負(fù)責(zé)評估你的人提供的意見也很重要，不能僅依賴管理者的意見；

Rely solely on your boss for advice — you may want to involve someone who isn’t responsible for evaluating you

操之過急——掌握新技能不可能一蹴而就，這至少需要花費六個月甚至更長的時間。

Assume it’s going to happen overnight — it usually takes at least six months to develop a new skill

騰躍/譯? ? 安健/校

艾米·加洛，《哈佛商業(yè)評論》特約撰稿人。