Welcome to another post in our “Skill for Success” series. In this post, we’re focusing on why it’s important to have a learner’s mindset as a Salesforce Admin. Let’s dive in!
Fourteen years ago, I read a book that inspired me and has been a large part of my development ever since. The book was It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be by Paul Arden. The key message of the book is to not limit yourself by how good you are or how much you know today, but to understand how good you want to be and strive for it.
I started out in the Salesforce ecosystem as an admin/business analyst and have since gained experience in multiple other roles, such as project management and program management, and now in my current role as a consultant. Having a learner’s mindset has been essential to my career progression and success.
So, what is a learner’s mindset, why is it important for admin success, and how can you develop it? Let’s dive in to find out!
A learner’s mindset is as much an attitude and an approach as it is a skill. It’s being curious to understand how things work, how they connect, how they can be enhanced, or how they are limited. It relates to context, functionality, skills, interactions, and the ability to observe, evaluate, test assumptions, and reflect. At its core, it’s an intention and desire to grow and expand one’s knowledge, understanding, and application of a topic or experience.
The Salesforce Platform constantly evolves. New features are released three times a year, and new products are always being added to the Salesforce suite. In addition to this, users continually adapt the ways in which they work on the platform to achieve many different objectives. Things are in a constant state of change, and as a result, Salesforce Admins must remain flexible in acquiring new knowledge to meet these demands.
The learner’s mindset is a critical skill for admins to keep up with the pace of change, be dynamic in the application of knowledge, and to grow both personally and professionally. It’s a key attribute for employability to demonstrate how you approach gathering knowledge, skills, and experience—and ultimately use these to deliver results. Effective demonstration of the learner’s mindset shows self-awareness, a proactive attitude, and a desire to grow and be better.
There are many ways you can show your learner’s mindset to potential employers on your resume and in interviews. For example:
Describing how to develop a learner’s mindset is a complex and difficult task, as everyone has a different approach to or way of learning. We don’t always have a clear understanding of what we need to learn in order to achieve success or a particular goal. Alas, we must start somewhere! Let’s begin with these five tips:
The above approach is just one way to look at developing a learner’s mindset. Here are some additional ways in which you can grow and harness this skill:
A learner’s mindset is a great skill to have, and to improve it, all you need to do is follow your curiosity and act on it. It’s a great life skill to develop—both personally and professionally—and one that both you and others around you can benefit from sharing.
I developed this skill to progress, acquire new knowledge, and further my career. I view it as my personal point of difference, and I wear it proudly. You should too!
The list below is a handpicked selection of some useful resources related to developing the learner’s mindset that you may find useful in enhancing your skill set.
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