CIOReview | | 19 FEBRUARY - 2023By Rolland Kornblau, Director of Information Technology, City of San BernardinoI consider myself a lifelong learner and try to learn something new every day. I believe we should all be lifelong learners. Learning can take many forms, but you must be humble and willing to listen to a different perspective, sometimes even when you don't agree. Since we human beings learn more from failure than success, it can lead to complacency when everything is going well. Failure is a better teacher, but if you can learn from other people's experiences instead of your own, all the better. A great way to learn from others is to build a Professional Learning Network (PLN) and engage daily. My PLN consists of colleagues, organizations, and periodicals. Listening, reading, and then sharing your knowledge within your network not only keeps you up to date but also helps others in your network do the same. It is a win-win solution benefiting both sides.I start my PLN network with people. Colleagues can be in the same building or industry, but they don't need to be. They can be across the state or even in a related field. You can learn from anyone. Social media can be used to build or contact your group. Just remember to filter the noise. There can be a lot of other information on social media that can interfere with or sidetrack you from your connections. This form of communication may be the most versatile since it compresses time and space into a single window on your phone or computer. I often use social media to solicit an idea for feedback, not just to share. The most important thing to realize when utilizing social media is to keep an open mind and use your filter mentioned previously. Some of the feedback may be more than you asked for. A nasty comment, even in jest, can impact your day if you let it. Having said that, someone in your circle has most likely had an experience that you can learn from and if not, you may have gone through an experience that can benefit them. Either way, exchanging ideas is a great way to learn.Organization memberships get you in touch. There are organizations out there to help with learning and information sharing. One of the best organizations in government technology is the Municipal Information Systems Association of California (MISAC). MISAC has a Member Forum where members can ask questions, get answers or bounce ideas off each other. There is always someone in this group that has experience in an area that you do not. They have a yearly Conference where you can meet, learn, and network. Another great benefit is that MISAC includes educational courses, webinars, and workshops. MISAC is only one of the great organizations, others like the League of California Cities (CalCities), California Special Districts Association (CSDA), and California IT in Education (CITE).The last piece of my PLN is Periodicals. Periodicals would include any articles or stories online as well as written. I place podcasts and interviews into this group as well. With Technology moving so fast, online may be better, but I wouldn't dismiss printed information. A treasure trove of information is available in many forms. Written or spoken content can contain as much, if not more, than person-to-person sharing. While I enjoy interfacing with colleagues, periodicals are portable and can travel with me as needed. I cannot read in the car while driving, but I can listen to an audio book or podcast. Periodicals are a great way of gaining an education. As detailed, a PLN is an invaluable tool for me keeping me connected and up to date.Colleagues, Organizations, and Periodicals are just some of the many ways you can build your PLN. The Personal Learning Network has been and currently is an invaluable tool that helps me do my job better and benefits my organization at the same time. I spend less time, money, and frustration researching and bouncing ideas off others than I would just do it myself. We really are better together. Go out and build your PLN today. PROFESSIONAL LEARNING NETWORKCXO INSIGHTSWritten or spoken content can contain as much, if not more, than person to person sharingRolland Kornblau
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