tawandamusarurwa
Entrepreneurship Matters
Dr Kudzanai Vere
WHILE learning is pervasive in the world of business, politics, personal development and many other fields, the biggest challenge remains converting that which is learnt into action.
Progress and success are the practical application of knowledge.
We learn in order to become better problem solvers in life and business.
Better standards of living are as a result of continuous learning and execution.
Why do we learn?
Learning is the acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience or being taught.
We learn through studying how things can be done, reading books, watching videos and analysing trends.
We can also learn through experience, which is more practical.
You learn by doing and eventually become an expert through practical action.
Mistakes that are made along the way are necessary as they give us the experience to work around them in future.
Most people in business learn through experience.
Learning is also through being taught.
Knowledgeable and experienced people can impart valuable lessons to those willing to learn.
Every successful businessperson in the world has a teachable spirit.
Give in to new information.
However, there can never be a one-size-fits-all learning formula.
Learning motives
We basically have three learning motives: to be knowledgeable, to understand an idea better and explore it as widely as possible, and to increase your independence or efficiency.
Lack of knowledge is dangerous.
Hosea 6:4 says people perish for lack of knowledge.
Likewise, businesses are perishing due to lack of knowledge.
So, learning broadens horizons.
While some are just curious to know more about something, in business, the most important learning motive is to improve the way you do things.
The world is fast changing, and so are demands of our market.
Old methods might be disastrous given the demands of a new and evolving market.
Ideas that worked before might be incompatible to new circumstances.
There is need to learn more about the idea and to determine if it works in the obtaining environment.
An informed decision can, therefore, be made to apply it or leave it.
Execute
It does not make sense to be knowledgeable and informed, but unsuccessful.
Knowledge must be applied to get the desired results.
How much business seminars have you attended?
Have they transformed your person and business?
Most of the things we learn, we quickly forget because we are not applying them.
This concept that applies to time equally applies to knowledge — what you do not use, you lose.
To progress and advance economically, we have to execute.
If you know you are not going to implement what you have learnt, do not waste time and resources attending conferences, seminars and forums.
These are for people who are actioned-oriented.
Learning is not for fun but for impact and transformation.
Putting into action all we have learnt will help better businesses, processes, customers, employees, societies, economies and countries.
Dr Kudzanai Vere is the director of programmes at the Institute of Entrepreneurs Zimbabwe and CEO of Kudfort, an accounting and business advisory firm. He can be contacted on: [email protected] or +263719592232
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