When the economy is bad often the first things businesses cut are advertising and training; line item entries that are not headcount. Sadly, lack of training is hard to compensate for when recovery comes. Training is teaching. And teaching done well is also learning.  Learning what’s what among the young. It’s bidirectional.

When developing a brand plan for a K12 educational technology company I noticed the young teachers were adept at teaching the not-so (how to use technology).  The natives teaching the immigrants, as it were.  

Corporate and business trainers also benefit from the teaching and learning bidirectional approach.  But they have to listen a bit. Everyone is looking for skills and in a changing world skills are not just top down. While working at a social networking start-up I learned how in Japan, kids and seniors are more agreeable to the mentor/mentee thing. There was bidirectional value for both.  In Bedford Stuyvesant, Bailey’s Café has a similarly focus and it is brining the community together.  

The best teachers understand leaning because they have their own learning switch on. Planners are learners first. Socializers second. Strategists third. Always be learning! Peace.