Coaching Towards a Love of Learning

The goal of lifelong learning is one shared by most entrepreneurs, leaders and business owners, and is also an important goal consistently fostered by business coaches. But, in order to instill that love of learning and nurture it into a way of life, a coach must first understand what drives others to learn and want to keep on learning. These motivations are often very different for everyone. Included here are a few of the main reasons why people strive to learn.

Reward
For some people the goal of learning is a means to an end, in many cases the end being the reward of higher financial status. In some types of organizational structures, your salary increases according to how many courses you have completed, licenses you have attained, or classroom hours you have put in. In these cases the learning that is taking place means the reward of more money.

Natural Characteristics
For the naturally curious, wanting to learn about everything is just as natural as breathing. They have an insatiable curiosity about the world around them that has been with them as long as they can remember. Whether this personality trait is a result of nature or nurture has long been a debate, but suffice it to say that for some, it’s just how it is.

To Make a Difference
The drive to make some small difference in the world is very strong in some people. Quite often these folks are compelled to keep learning about something in order to be able to keep making that difference. If being able to help accomplish something requires learning new information or skills, they are ready and willing to take on the task.

Future Investment
In some professions, methods and tools change rapidly and people who want to remain in the field have no choice but to keep up with the changes as they are happening. This type of learning is seen as a necessity to remain at a job that they love.

Fear
Although certainly not a desired motivation for learning, fear can sometimes be the driving force behind it. For some who believe that their job is at risk if they don’t take courses, learn new skills or keep up with changes in their field, learning becomes another part of their job, or something they have to do but don’t really want to do.

While these are some of the main reasons why people choose to pursue continuous learning, it is by no means an exhaustive list. There are likely as many reasons for wanting to learn something as there are things to learn. The job of a good business coach is to try and understand what drives a person to learn, so he can better help them turn their quest for knowledge into a positive lifelong activity.

Rachel Clarkson
Rachel Clarkson helps small business owners to grow their companies, increase revenues and become great leaders. Rachel’s articles can be found at the OneCoach blog.