4 - learning organization

8/6/2019 4 - Learning Organization

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Learning organizations


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Definition

organizations where people continually

expand their capacity to create the results

they truly desire, where new & expansivepatterns of thinking are nurtured, where

collective aspiration is set free, & where

people are continually learning how to learn

together.

- Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline


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Definition

A learning organization is an organization

skilled at creating, acquiring, interpreting,

transferring, & retaining knowledge, & at

purposely modifying its behavior to reflect

new knowledge & insights.

- David Garvin, Learning in Action


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The Learning Organization

An organization in which everyone is

engaged in identifying & solving problems,

enabling the organization to continuously

experiment, improve, & increase its

capability.


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The core idea behind learning

organization is that organizations of all

kinds will not survive, let alone thrive, if

they do not acquire an ability to adapt

continuously to an increasingly

unpredictable future.

Learning Organizations


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The Learning Manager:

Five Disciplines to Develop

1. Systems thinking: the big picture

2. Shared vision: common purpose

3. Challenging mental models: question currentthinking that prevent change

4. Team learning: help group succeed, rather than

pursuing individual goals

5. Personal mastery: know job, people, processes

at very deep level; intimate with work.


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Systems Thinking

A framework for understanding the structures,

patterns & relationships that mold organizational

behavior

A discipline for seeing wholes

Permits identification of ways to change

Acknowledges the power of internal processes (not

individuals, not outside forces) in shaping work


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Personal Mastery

Commitment, with proficiency, by the individual to

own lifelong learning

A discipline in which the individual constantly

clarifies what is important & sees reality clearly

Grounded in competence & skills

Generates a sense of purpose, power, self-worth,

& a personal vision


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Mental Models

Deeply held internal images of how the world

works

A discipline for shaping these personal pictures of

the world & understanding how they affect

individual action

Can be consciously examined and shaped


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Shared Vision

Ability to maintain a collective picture of a future

that is sought

Reflects a desire to be connected & becomes

part of pursuing a larger purpose that is

embodied in the organizations services

Commitment is by choice, not compliance

Scenario planning: tool to build shared vision


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Team Learning

Begins with skilled discussion, dialogue

Skilled discussion: conversation guided by a

repertoire of techniques that help members fit

together the pieces of their situation

Dialogue: the free, creative expression &

exploration of ideas

A group discipline leading to alignment of

members thoughts & achievement of desired

results


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Core Competencies for

Learning Organization

Analytical skills, problem solving, decision making

Communication skills

Creativity, innovation

Expertise & technical knowledge Flexibility, adaptability

Interpersonal, group skills

Leadership

Organizational understanding & global thinking

Ownership, accountability, dependability

Planning & organizational skills

Resource management ability

Service attitude


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Evolution of the Learning Organization

1.Traditional OrganizationTop managers maintain

central control of actions

and strategy

Employees

Top

Managers

Power to

Influence

Strategic

Direction

EmployeesPower to InfluenceWork Flow Decisions &Actions


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1.Traditional Organization

Top managers maintain


and strategy

2. Horizontal/Network

Organization

Teams with empowered

employees responsible for

quality

Employees

Top

Managers

Power to

Influence

StrategicDirection



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1.Traditional Organization

Top managers maintain


and strategy

2.Horizontal/Network

Organization

Teams with empowered

employees responsible for

quality

Employees

Top

Managers

Power to

Influence

StrategicDirection


3. Learning Organization

Employees see big picture

& have all information.

Formulate emergent

strategy & responsible for

customer satisfaction


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Web of Interacting elements in the Learning Organization

Learning

Organization

LeadershipLeadership

SharedShared

InformationInformation

EmpoweredEmpowered

EmployeesEmployees

StrongStrong

CultureCulture

HorizontalHorizontal

StructureStructure

EmergentEmergent

StrategyStrategy


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Characteristics of a Learning

Organization Learning Culture- an organizational climate that nurtures learning.

Processes

- processes that encourage interaction across boundaries.These are infrastructure, development & management

processes, as opposed to business operational processes

(the typical focus of many BPR initiatives).

Tools & Techniques

- methods that aid individual & group learning, such ascreativity & problem solving techniques.

Skills and Motivation

- to learn and adapt.


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Learning Culture Future, external orientation these organizations develop

understanding of their environment; senior teams take time out to thinkabout the future. Widespread use of external sources & advisors e.g.customers on planning teams.

Free exchange & flow of information - systems are in place toensure that expertise is available where it is needed; individualsnetwork extensively, crossing organizational boundaries to develop

their knowledge & expertise. Commitment to learning, personal development - support from topmanagement; people at all levels encouraged to learn regularly;learning is rewarded. Time to think & learn (understanding, exploring,reflecting, developing)

Valuing people - ideas, creativity & "imaginative capabilities" arestimulated, made use of & developed. Diversity is recognized as a

strength. Views can be challenged. Climate of openness and trust - individuals are encouraged to

develop ideas, to speak out, to challenge actions.

Learning from experience - learning from mistakes is often morepowerful than learning from success. Failure is tolerated, providedlessons are learnt


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Key Management Processes

Strategic & Scenario Planning - approaches to planning that gobeyond the numbers, encourage challenging assumptions, thinking

'outside of the box'. They also allocate a proportion of resources

for experimentation.

Competitor Analysis - as part of a process of continuous

monitoring & analysis of all key factor in the external environment,

including technology & political factors. A coherent competitor

analysis process that gathers information from multiple sources,

sifts, analyses, refines, adds value & redistributes is evidence that

the appropriate mechanisms are in place.

Information and Knowledge Management - using techniques to

identify, audit, value (cost/benefit), develop & exploit information as

a resource; use of collaboration processes and groupware to

categorize & share expertise.


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Key Management Processes.

Capability Planning - profiling both qualitatively & quantitatively the

competencies of the organization.

Team & Organization development - the use of facilitators to help

groups with work, job & organization design & team development -

reinforcing values, developing vision, cohesiveness & a climate ofstretching goals, sharing & support

Performance Measurement - finding appropriate measures and

indicators of performance; ones that provide a 'balanced scorecard' &

encourage investment in learning

Reward & Recognition Systems - processes & systems that

recognize acquisition of new skills, team-work as well as individual

effort, celebrate successes & accomplishments, & encourages

continuous personal development.


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Tools & Techniques

Include a wide range of learning & creativity skills in the

following groups:

Inquiry - interviewing, seeking information

Creativity - brainstorming, associating ideas

Making sense of situations - organizing information &

thoughts

Making choices - deciding courses of action

Observing outcomes - recording, observation

Reframing knowledge - embedding new knowledge into

mental models, memorizing


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Tools & Techniques.

Collective (i.e. team & organizational) learning require skills

for sharing information & knowledge, particularly implicit

knowledge, assumptions & beliefs that are traditionally

"beneath the surface". Key skills here are:

Communication, especially across organizational boundaries

Listening & observing

Mentoring & supporting colleagues

Taking a holistic perspective - seeing the team & organization

as a whole

Coping with challenge & uncertainty


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Inhibitors to becoming a


Some of the most common obstacles to becoming a learning

organization:

Operational/fire fighting preoccupation - not creating time to

sit back and think strategically

Too focused on systems and process (e.g. ISO9000) to

exclusion of other factors (bureaucratic vs. thinking)

Reluctance to train (or invest in training), other than for

obvious immediate needs

Too top-down driven, over tight supervision, lack of real

empowerment


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Challenges in developing



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