Fully keeping up with technology is impossible. You need to learn how to learn, especially just-in-time learning. You don’t have to take a class to learn. Here are some ways to learn:

  • Wikipedia. This may sound lame, but it works quite well. So picture this scenario: you are in a meeting, and in the discussion suddenly there are terms and acronyms you’ve never heard before. Everyone else seems to know these things except for you. You are about to get left in the dust. You need a quick explanation of what that stuff is. What should you do? Do a quick search on Wikipedia. The entries for technology and pop culture are especially well written, but I don’t care about pop culture. Read the first paragraph or two of the Wikipedia entry and you are back in the game.
  • Play. Budget some time to explore some areas you’ve always wanted. You may be surprised at the payoff, even though it may take a while. I got a wonderful job because of something I did as an unrelated side project. It doesn’t have to be related to your current job responsibilities. But be careful not to take noticeable time away from your current job.
  • Follow links. Click one level deeper than you usually do. Do a little exploratory reading. Not only does it give you more context, the cool thing it gives you is more relationships.
  • Listen. Spend time listening to people outside of your core area. You’ll be surprised at what you can apply from them. You will see patterns emerge that cross multiple areas.
  • Read. I’ll explain in more detail in a later post, but consume lots of summaries. Go for breadth instead of depth.
  • Ponder. My best ideas come either in the shower or driving in the car with the radio off. Take time away from work and give your brain some space to wander around unguided. For me, this happens when the screen and speakers are off.
  • Get a devil’s advocate. Take your favorite topic that you believe the most in, and let someone pick it apart as if it was a series of mistakes. Contrary to what you may think, there is always more than one way to do it. You may find a better way. Unpleasant as it may be, being pushed and challenged is a great way to get better. And some of the best lessons learned are the lessons that come from mistakes. Pain has an amazing way of improving your memory. :-)

If you thought you were done learning when you graduated from school, think again. In the I/T field the learning never stops. The question is: can you keep up?