Never Stop Learning - by Bradley R Staats (Hardcover)

About the Book

We now live in a learning economy, says Brad Staats, and while learning has always been important, the returns on lifetime learning are greater than ever. Our primary focus must be on our ability to learn. We must strive to develop new skills to create more value--or be left behind. As Jeff Immelt, Chairman and former CEO of GE, has noted, "You never hire somebody, no matter what the job you're hiring for, for what they know. You're hiring them for how fast you think they can learn." In Never Stop Learning, Staats outlines the framework that will help you become more effective as a lifelong learner. The steps include: Valuing failure Focusing on process, not outcome, and on questions, not answers Making time for reflection Learning to be true to yourself by playing to your strengths Pairing specialization with variety Treating others as learning partners Replete with the most recent research from behavioral science about how we learn as well as engaging stories that show how real learning happens, Never Stop Learning will become the operating manual for your brain in this new environment.--

Book Synopsis

Keep learning, or risk becoming irrelevant.

It's a truism in today's economy: the only constant is change. Technological automation is making jobs less routine and more cognitively challenging. Globalization means you're competing with workers around the world. Simultaneously, the internet and other communication technologies have radically increased the potential impact of individual knowledge.The relentless dynamism of these forces shaping our lives has created a new imperative: we must strive to become dynamic learners. In every industry and sector, dynamic learners outperform their peers and realize higher impact and fulfillment by learning continuously and by leveraging that learning to build yet more knowledge.

In Never Stop Learning, behavioral scientist and operations expert Bradley R. Staats describes the principles and practices that comprise dynamic learning and outlines a framework to help you become more effective as a lifelong learner. The steps include:

• Valuing failure
• Focusing on process, not outcome, and on questions, not answers
• Making time for reflection
• Learning to be true to yourself by playing to your strengths
• Pairing specialization with variety
• Treating others as learning partners

Replete with the most recent research about how we learn as well as engaging stories that show how real learning happens, Never Stop Learning will become the operating manual for leaders, managers, and anyone who wants to keep thriving in the new world of work.

Review Quotes

"Never Stop Learning is an engaging and important book. It makes a compelling case and provides a framework for dynamic learning across all sectors of work life. It is highly relevant to education leaders at all levels and should be widely shared." -- School Administrator magazine (AASA, The School Superintendents Association)

Selected as a "Next Big Idea Club" pick for Summer 2018

Named a Business Book of the Month by the Financial Times

Advance Praise for Never Stop Learning:

Adam Grant, New York Times--bestselling author, Give and Take, Originals, and Option B (with Sheryl Sandberg)--
"Once upon a time, competitive advantage belonged to the people who knew the most. Now it accrues to those who know how to learn the most. In his new book, Brad Staats skillfully takes you through the latest evidence on how to accelerate your learning at work."

General (Ret) Stanley McChrystal, Commander, U.S. and International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan; bestselling author, Team of Teams--
"A brilliant tutorial in how we learn--or more often--how we don't. The essential guidebook to prepare for a new age."

Daniel H. Pink, author, When and Drive--
"In this astute work, Brad Staats . . . demystifies the learning process and explains how each of us can become a dynamic learner. This book is essential reading for anyone hoping to learn faster and better."

Matt Breitfelder, Chief Talent Officer and Managing Director, BlackRock--
"Now more than ever, the best leaders know they need to be lifelong learners in order to stay ahead of the curve. Never Stop Learning is packed with powerful insights and tips to help you master the art of learning."

Francesca Gino, Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School; author, Rebel Talent and Sidetracked--
"If we are to succeed in this ever-changing environment, then learning and adapting is absolutely critical. In this book, Brad Staats unpacks the science of why we don't learn at work and compellingly shows us how we can do better. A vital guide for thriving in the twenty-first century."

Alan Murray, Chief Content Officer, Time Inc.; President, Fortune--
"With change accelerating, the ability to learn has become the quintessential business skill. Teaching people and companies to become fast, effective, and continuous learners--which Staats does compellingly in this new book--is a fundamental first step toward conquering the future."

Robert Sutton, professor, Stanford; bestselling author, Good Boss, Bad Boss and Scaling Up Excellence--
"Never Stop Learning is the best book ever written about how you, your team, and your organization can keep learning to do better and more fulfilling work . . . a masterpiece that is so fun to read and so useful that you won't be able put it down."

About the Author

Bradley R. Staats is an associate professor of operations at the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School. His work has been featured in many publications, including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, the New Yorker, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, as well as on NPR.

Author Website: public.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/faculty/staatsb/