Manufacturers Agenda: Continuous Learning in the Age of Social Media

As well, it might not come as a surprise that my learning preference is simply reading. Whether ink on paper or pixels on a screen, reading allows me to dictate the speed at which I learn. I can easily reread passages, pore over charts, scribble notes in the margin or clip the most salient points. Still, I'd be missing something if I didn't get out of the office to attend conferences, seminars and workshops, where large groups of like-minded people inject energy, emotion and enthusiasm into the learning process.

See Also: Manufacturing Workforce Management Best Practices

In Milwaukee, I had the pleasure of attending three events -- a conference, a gala celebration and a panel discussion. In the one-hour conference sessions, I learned more on the topics than I would have in hours of searching, surfing, reading or watching.

The gala had its own appeal -- celebrating the state's most successful manufacturers. There I discovered specific companies with unique strategies and leadership approaches that I'd have been hard-pressed to find, let alone learn from, in the vastness of the Web.

The panel discussion was as much a conversation with other panelists and the attendees as it was a straight-up learning opportunity. There I found others working to overcome similar problems, who suggested solutions and asked cogent questions that will inform my research -- and with whom I personally connected and will continue to collaborate.

About each of the topics at each of these different events, I have read reports, watched videos and participated in forums -- and learned quite a bit. But the events provided me with the opportunity to devote more focused attention and personal connection -- to the topics and to other people who care about them -- than I would have been able in the noisy, easily distractible world of digital learning. Plus, the firm handshakes and eye-to-eye contact sealed the collaborative learning process more firmly than the many "likes" and "follows" of social media.

It's for these reasons that I'm looking forward to reconnecting with you at the IndustryWeek Best Plants Conference, where we focus on and energize our learning about how to become more competitive and more profitable manufacturing businesses.