Some Lessons on Learning from People You Work With

Learning from those you work with is one of the most rewarding aspects of an ambitious career. 

I have chosen jobs in the past because I wanted to work with certain people. I knew they would help me become better at my job and teach me skills and ideas I could take with me. 

I want to share a few lessons that may help in incorporating learning from those we work into a learning system. 

Lesson #1: Some of the best people to learn from, you might not get along with (at least at first)

When I reflect on my 10+ year career, I realize that some of the most important people I worked with, at least from a learning perspective, were not the easiest for me to get along with. 

There was a PM colleague at Microsoft where we butted heads constantly. It felt like we couldn’t have a single meeting without arguing about something. 

I’m sharing this lesson because it helps to keep this in mind if you are working with someone that is hard for you to get along with. In my case, I figured a few things out with this particular person and we ended up becoming really great friends and colleagues. 

My specific tactic with him was to sit down once per month over lunch and share with him what I was hoping to accomplish for the month and get his feedback / sync with his priorities. This single tactic helped us row in the same direction and eliminated most of the conflict we were having. 

Lessons #2: There’s something special about breaking bread together 

I don’t know what it is exactly, but there’s something special about grabbing a meal with someone to build a better connection. 

There has been so many times I’ve found value in inviting a colleague to lunch and using it as an opportunity to get to know them more. This helps immensely in learning from my colleague. I see there point of view better. I learn how they think because I understand them as a person. 

An easy piece of advice for anyone early in their career is to schedule your lunch hour every day. Get with people to get to know them better and to learn from them. Never eat alone. 

Lesson #3: Everyone has something to teach you

One of my favorite professors in business school taught me this lesson. Whoever he met, he became intensely curious about, asking them all sorts of questions—about their life, their work, their hobbies, their experiences. 

His mindset was simple: everyone has something to teach you. And he lived it by taking a sincere, active interest in the people around him. It didn’t matter if it was the CEO of a major company or the janitor—he was just as eager to learn from them.

This perspective has been incredibly helpful for me. Often, we overlook people who don’t work in the same role or level as us, but that’s a mistake. There is wisdom in every perspective, whether it’s about solving problems, understanding workflows, or just managing the day-to-day. Everyone has unique experiences, and there is always an insight or lesson if you’re open to seeing it.

Lesson #4: There is an ongoing, informal nature of learning from peers - build a habit of reflection to capture these lessons 

Some of the best learning experiences I’ve had at work didn’t happen in formal meetings or structured mentoring sessions. They happened in the hallway, while chatting over coffee, or during those few minutes before a meeting officially started.  Sometimes, the most impactful lessons come in passing. . 

To truly maximize the value of learning from the people around you, build a habit of reflecting on what you’ve learned. After a big meeting, or even after casual conversations, ask yourself: What did I take away from this person? What did they do that I can learn from or apply? 

I continue to believe this daily reflection habit is one of the foundational things to develop as a lifelong learner. 

#HappyLearning