Posted by Brian Klee on Nov 29, 2017
Anyone who stops learning is old, whether 20 or 80; anyone who keeps learning is young.” – Henry Ford
 
Most Rotarians pride themselves as community leaders but as mentors, how many of us have stopped learning?
 
Managing Director of Daimler Benz has predicted the following:
  • Software will disrupt most traditional industries in the next 5-10 years.
  • Uber is just a software tool, they don’t own any cars, and are now the biggest taxi company in the world.
  • Airbnb is now the biggest hotel company in the world, although they don’t own any properties.
  • Artificial Intelligence: computers become exponentially better in understanding the world. This year, a computer beat the best Go Player in the world, 10 years earlier than expected.
To keep Rotary alive, we must attract newly established professionals, and this requires ongoing learning. To stick to ‘the tried and true’ organisation methods, at the expense of embracing today’s technology, we’ll be viewed as ‘institutional dinosaurs’ – unattractive and fading away.
 
Study your children and grandchildren and study what they are learning and especially the tools they are using in their lives these days, e.g. what has happened to desktop computers, landlines, calculators, wristwatches, etc? It’s now laptops, iPads, smartphones, Apps, and more recently the iWatch. Statistics tell us that 92% of all connections to the District website is via smartphones and tablets, not desktop computers and laptops!
 
We want to engage the younger generation with leadership roles, but they will do things differently. As mentors, we must comprehend and embrace their generational innovations – to be excited and learn from them!
 
ClubRunner is one such piece of software disrupting tradition. It’s an organisational tool for us to learn about. It’s what the younger generations are most familiar with and they will be more attracted towards those Rotary clubs using it. It’s consistent with their insistence on relaying information – instantly. People are doing it on the go, from the couch, in the office, in the coffee shop, on the bus, train, etc...
 
Speaking as a Baby boomer, getting  ‘Links’ (try "Go Player" above) in articles provide incredible benefits for reducing or expanding stories or documents. Combining technology with the Internet to communicate resource material economically is so valuable.
 
Yes, there are so many exciting things to learn but consider these two wise messages:
  1. Change is difficult; not changing is fatal!
  2. It’s hard by the yard but a cinch by the inch!"