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DELIVERING CUSTOMER

VALUE

Learning Organisation

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Learning Organisation

organizations where people continuallyexpand their capacity to create the resultsthey truly desire, where new andexpansive patterns of thinking arenurtured, where collective aspiration is setfree, and where people are continuallylearning to see the whole together. (PeterSenge, 1990)

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"The essence of organisational learning is theorganisation's ability to use the amazing mentalcapacity of all its members to create the kind ofprocesses that will improve its own" NancyDixon (1994)

A model of strategic change in which everyoneis engaged in identifying and solving problemsso that the organisation is continuouslychanging, experimenting and improving, thusincreasing its capacity to grow and achieve its

purpose. (Rowden, 2001)

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Requires Trust, consistency, attitude of inquiryHigh levels of communicationConcern for interdependencies & interrelationships

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M. Pedler al: The LearningCompany - 11 characteristics

Adopt a learning approach to strategy Participative policy making Informating (Information Systems) Formative accounting valuing, self-responsibility,

appraisal, targeting, resourcing and review Internal exchange (client-server relationships) Reward flexibility Roles and flexible, matrix structures Boundary workers as intelligence agents

Company-to-company learning Learning climate Self-development opportunities for all

http://sol.brunel.ac.uk/bola/culture/learnco.html

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Pedler stresses that

the model is a simplification, symbolic rather than concrete, not

complete or rigid, not sequential So what is it then

a paradigm of discourse? A state of being?

starts with strategy, ends with creation of learningopportunities & bubbling.

Flowery, metaphorical talk of ecological flows, energies, life

forces & balances

"vertical & horizontal loop energy flows providinglinkages between individual & collectiveactivity/change + dynamics between vision & action" .

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Five Disciplines - expanded

Systems thinking mind shift & understanding change processes. feedback to reinforce/counteract action. recognise recurring structures remove root causes/problemsPersonal Mastery personal competence and vision developing patience to look at reality objectivelyMental Models changing ingrained assumptions about influencing factors.Shared Vision use instincts, intuition by sharing personal vision pictures of the futureTeam Learning dialogue, discussion, group relationships accelerate org. learning thru. Synergy 2+2=5

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Reality and Problems? Personal Mastery

Making It Work Managers must

redefine their job provide the right conditions for

employees to be proactive Generating a sense of purpose

The Tricky Part Resistance to PM due to

difficulty in quantifying results Ideas behind PM have been

heard before People forced to develop PM

- may do more harm thangood

How can this beoperationalised?

Evidence of ithappening well?

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Reality and Problems? Mental Models

Making It Work

Skills learnt must be put into regular practice

continually challenged Strong role of manager to

integrate mental modellingand systems-thinking skills

The Tricky Part

Managers not always very skilledin implementing new ideas

People find it difficult to challengeassumptions they believe to bethe case

Some people act in routinisedways when they are at work

How can this beoperationalised?

Evidence of ithappening well?

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Reality and Problems? Shared Vision

Making It Work

the focus and energy forlearning

put together by many not afew

better when consideredintrinsically at theorganisational level.

The Tricky Part

Compliance not commitment Extrinsic visions are usually

personally held and are defensive Vision is usually top-down - do not

have as good an affect as theyshould.

How can this beoperationalised?

Evidence of ithappening well?

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Reality and Problems? Team Learning

Making It Work

Everyone must pull in thesame direction

Teams must master the art

of dialogue and discussion Conflict can still appear in

good team learning BUT essentially a unitary

frame of reference

The Tricky Part

practice, and consistency, noquick fixes

boredom sets in open minded with ones own

views and the views of others

How can this beoperationalised?

Evidence of ithappening well?

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Reality and Problems? Systems Thinking

Making It Work

Management must understand concepts

to put into place look at the whole

picture, not snapshots in time

provide the right

workplace conditions

The Tricky Part

People find it hard to see thewhole pattern of change

takes time to see newlyinitiated ideas work easier to learn at an early

stage rather than uncoupletangled messes

How can this beoperationalised?

Evidence of ithappening well?

h b

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Inhibitors to Becoming aLearning Organisation

Operational / Fire -fighting Short term fixes rather than long-term solutions How to focus on embedded systems and processes

Reluctance to train (or invest in training) Too many hidden personal agendas Tension between top-down order and bottom up anarchy Management exasperation? The knee-jerk reaction to Theory Y failure?

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Hot air, recursive polemic?

The LO characteristics become

an energetic, normative, persuasive device for those wishing tomanage change.

a professional "change agents'" model? Independent of thecontext or analysis of change processes? prescriptions - commitments to flexible, self-managing,

incremental, experimental, participative activities ? ethically correct, personal values model?

How well does down-sizing and asset stripping fit in?

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Training by its nature pre- specifies outcomes.A planned process to modify attitude, knowledge, or skillbehaviour through learning experience to achieve effectiveperformance in an activity or range of activities. Its purpose,in the work situation, is to develop the abilities of theindividual and to satisfy the current future

Manpower Services Commission, 1981

Training

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It is glib to talk of a learning organisation. The conceptis gloss and elusive. Demonstrating it in action is moredifficult . Almost anything could be presented to saythat a L-organisation exists and operates yet manycould also present instances to refute the proposition. Discuss.

Questions