How can an Organisation become a Learning Organisation?

Personal profile
I think that it is great when people give you feedback on your work, however when they Buy-in to your principles, to the point that they trust you and are willing to provide you with feedforward, it’s really grand. One of my readers, having read my last newsletter recommended that I might want to write something that echoed the notion of individual and collective review and reflection on achievement, actions, decisions taken as well as the next steps; and how organisations can avoid using a tool designed for self development for self destruction. As I thought more on these points, I concluded that the main issues are;

1) How can an Organisation become a Learning Organisation?

2) What can the Leader of an Organisation do to create the ethos of a Learning Organisation?

On an individual level two further questions needs to be addressed;

1) What is the main reason that an employee may chooses to learn?

2) Why would they choose to apply new learning?

Leadership Thoughts
How to measure and evaluate people – Extracts from the Art of War
1. If they are of high position, observe what they promote
2. If they are of low status, observe what they refuse to do
3. See them overcome difficulty, and you will know their courage
4. Move them with joy and happiness, and you can observe their self-control
5. Shake them with fear, and you will know their discipline

Leadership Trouble Spot

How do you become a learning organisation?

For an organisation to become a learning entity it must create an atmosphere that provides the space, time & testing ground needed for, reflection on achievement, actions, decisions taken, the next steps, explore new dimensions, as well as test out new theories, without the fear of punishment, ridicule, blame or criticism.

Drawing on my experience from academia, there are 4 rudiments that leaders of organisations need to consider about learning and its impact on creating a learning organisation. These fundamentals have been echoed for many years by the learning theorist of our time, the likes of David Ausubel, Jerome Bruner & Lev Semenovich Vyqotsky.

The Rudiments to learning are:
Type of learning
Testing of learning
Motivation for learning
Transferability of learning

We haven’t the time or space to go into more detail on this, however suffice to say; in the area of Type of Learning, this can be subdivided into, formal, social, practical, explorative etc. The point to note is that at work, or in a working environment we learn by a combination of social, practical, explorative & reflective learning modes, as well as wisdom (learning from someone else’s experience). Formal learning is the last approach, and it is only when no in-house knowledge is available. This then begs the question why are so many organisations bent on sending their people off on formal training courses.

Whether learning is formal, social or explorative, the key issues are to do with, Motivation for Learning, which come as a twofold concern, first is why would an employee want to further educate themselves and secondly why would they want to apply their new learning. This leads to a third question, associated with Transferability of Learning. Why would an employee want to teach others what he or she has learnt, knowing that they may be contributing to their job insecurity.

To create a truly learning organisation, these 4 areas need to be addressed and understood; otherwise the outcome will be an organisation that practices what Sue Goss calls Single Loop Learning, a situation in which the process changes organisational strategies, policies, and procedures whilst leaving attitude, behaviours and the Theory in Use unchanged.


How would you handle this situation? Or how did you handle this situation when you faced it?

Executive Summary
Formal learning is best at telling us what to do and how things are supposed to be. It just so happens that this is not how organisational behaviours is formed. Organisational behaviours are fostered through social learning, which teaches us how to do things, how things are done around here and the ongoing day-to-day unwritten operational procedures. It is these unwritten rules that Leaders need to redefine, reshape & recreate if their organisation is to shift paradigm to become a Learning Organisation

This is Francis Nwofor, saying be inspired, stay motivated, & feel empowered.