The Lack of Training Culture: You unlearned Learning
Our software industry has a significant Lack of Training Culture. In my last articles, I wrote "Learning is not an Integral Part of your Profession", "An Employer must support their Employees", and "You hire for Skills but not for Attitude". Today, I focus on an employer who unlearned learning.
If you want to know more about me, you have the short version in my previous post "Learning is not an Integral Part of your Profession", and the extended version in my post "About Me".
Today, I'm arguing from the employee's perspective. I'm also writing about the software domain. This is only a stylistic choice.
Learning is like a sport. First, you must learn the basics. This includes techniques and personal strategies on how to learn. Then, you must apply your practice daily and maintain your learning skill. I assume you were once pretty good at mastering the first part of your learning journey. This was your challenging time in school, university, and when you started a new job. I assume also you achieved a lot in your professional career. As a professional, the second phase of your learning journey starts. This second phase requires daily practice.
You are pretty good at your job as a senior professional. This means that you probably stopped doing your daily learning doses. You are pretty comfortable and do what is necessary to master all the daily challenges in your job. Neither does your company have a training culture to give you daily learning doses, nor do you do it in your spare time. Why should you? This works perfectly until new, fundamental challenges arise. This may be a new programming domain, technique, language, or even a new programming paradigm. Now it's time to return to square one and start learning, as you did so great in the past.
