A learning organization is one with the ability to adapt to the ever increasing changes in its external environment. Learning is innate to the human nature: From the time we are born we seek to learn something new, we learn to crawl, then to walk and then run. This innate desire does not disappear when we become adults.
To become a learning organization there are 2 attributes a business must adopt 1) adaptive learning and 2) generative learning. It is not just enough to cope (adapt) but we need creative processes (generative learning).
A business organization which practices generative learning seeks new ways to look at the world. Generative learning also requires us to see the underlying causes of problems and not just treat the symptoms.
The new concept of organization leadership
A learning organization needs a learning leader. The first attribute most people think of when thinking about leaders is charisma. However, leading a learning organization has nothing to do with being charismatic. Leaders in a learning organization are first learners themselves and serve as teachers and stewards to their followers. They are very effective in building a shared vision and promoting systematic thinking. The most important role of a leader in a learning organization is to make sure others don’t stop learning.
Complacency a learning organizations worst enemy
To be a learning organization you must have a vision of where you are going. This often creates tension between where you are now and where you want to go. The tension gap can become a source of energy, team members tap into to make the vision a reality. It is important to understand that moving towards a vision does not mean we ignore current realties, doing this will create resistance rather than momentum.
How does this apply?
Finding an effective coach
When looking for a business coach look for someone with an attitude towards continuous learning. The business environment is continuously changing so having someone teach you a strategy that worked yesterday might do you little good today. It is not what a person accomplished yesterday that matters but what they are doing to continuously grow themselves as individuals. A business coach who is stuck on past successes is an accident waiting to happen.
Business growth
Previously, I talked about building a turnkey business and the learning organization was the first attribute I recognized as being important. Organizations that integrate learning and growth as part of their organization culture are worth more than ones that do not. A learning organization is always seeking new growth and new opportunities. It is possible to grow by keeping the status quo but sustainable growth comes through learning. Don’t be afraid to rock the boat!
Moreover, learning organization outpace their non-learning counterpart in longevity. For instance, it used to be that the ideal employee was someone who already knew how to get the job done, but now with the complexity of the business environment the ideal employee with a high capacity to learn. Learning organization seek to hire learners.
Finally, how we learn is more important than what we learn. We need to adapt an attitude of continuous learning. We need to learn to go beyond policies, strategies and structures to build effective organization tools.