| A learning organisation is an | | | | Systems thinking shows us that the |
| organisation that learns and encourages | | | | essential properties of a system are not |
| learning among its people. It promotes | | | | determined by the sum of its parts but |
| exchange of information between | | | | by the process of interactions between |
| employees, hence creating a more | | | | those parts. This is the discipline used |
| knowledgeable workforce. This produces a | | | | to implement the other disciplines. |
| very flexible organisation where people | | | | Without it each of the disciplines would |
| will accept and adapt to new ideas and | | | | be isolated and would fail to achieve |
| change through shared vision. | | | | its objective. |
| It is said that the only constant in | | | | How to build a learning organisation |
| life is change and organisations are not | | | | The challenges facing managers in |
| spared. Change brings about not only | | | | applying these five disciplines at the |
| uncertainty and risks but also | | | | workplace are the following: |
| opportunities for growth. Those | | | | . Building a sound base |
| organisations that can manipulate the | | | | . Apply the Golden Rules |
| information available have a bigger | | | | BUILDING A SOUND BASE |
| chance to succeed. It is therefore | | | | Before a Learning Organisation can be |
| important for everyone to be more | | | | achieved, a solid foundation has to be |
| knowledgeable about the work environment | | | | in place. This can be implemented by |
| they are in. Building a learning | | | | taking into account the following |
| organisation is a means to a business | | | | points. |
| goal. It is not a new theory but a | | | | ~ Awareness. Awareness of the benefits |
| concept that has become an increasingly | | | | of a learning organisation must permeate |
| widespread philosophy in modern | | | | to all levels not just the management |
| companies, from the largest | | | | level. A learning culture must be |
| multinationals to the smallest | | | | fostered among the employees that |
| enterprises. It is to be applied | | | | survival of the fittest depends on |
| according to the circumstances of each | | | | having a knowledgeable workforce. Change |
| business, which has to cater for it at | | | | should start and be supported from top |
| strategic and operational levels. | | | | management and this 'new' culture should |
| 'Systems Thinking' takes a holistic | | | | be manifested in the commitment to |
| approach to learning whereby not only | | | | learning, personal development of the |
| does the organisation learn but so do | | | | individual as well as valuing people and |
| all its employees, irrespective of their | | | | their divergent views. |
| role within the organisation. | | | | ~ The Environment. The right environment |
| Information has to be disseminated to | | | | must be in place so that learning can |
| all levels and does not stop at top | | | | take place. Centralised, mechanistic |
| management, thus, facilitating learning | | | | structures do not create a good |
| through flexibility and open | | | | environment. Organisations having |
| communication by removing barriers to | | | | organic structures are well positioned |
| communication and adopting flatter | | | | to develop into a learning organisation. |
| organisational structure and design. | | | | An organic structure places less |
| Therefore the message is clear: any | | | | emphasis on giving and taking orders and |
| organisation that is committed to future | | | | more on encouraging managers and |
| success must become a learning | | | | subordinates to work together in teams |
| organisation in order to compete and | | | | and to communicate openly with each |
| survive. Today continuous improvement is | | | | other. Authority, responsibility and |
| a must. "Any organisation is only as | | | | accountability flow to employees with |
| good as its people and continuous | | | | the expertise required to solve |
| improvement in business is about the | | | | problems. In a nutshell, a flat |
| development of people and therefore | | | | organisation, whereby communication can |
| creating a learning culture." (Sheppard) | | | | flow in all directions and foster |
| Systems Thinking | | | | innovation amongst its employees. |
| The idea behind the concept coined | | | | ~ Leadership. Managers must adopt open |
| 'Systems Thinking' in the 1950's was | | | | communication management styles so that |
| that enterprises need to be aware of | | | | employees will be able to question and |
| both the company as a whole as well as | | | | come forward with ideas. Understand that |
| the individuals within the company | | | | mistakes and errors are part of this |
| – taking a holistic approach to | | | | process and therefore employees should |
| managing. Gould-Kreutzer Associates Inc. | | | | not be in fear of reprimands. Managers |
| defined it as "a framework for seeing | | | | must also provide commitment for |
| interrelationships rather than things; | | | | long-term learning in the form of |
| to see the forest and the trees." System | | | | resources (money, personnel and time). |
| Thinking therefore tries to change the | | | | The amount of these resources determines |
| managerial view so that it includes the | | | | the quantity and quality of learning. |
| ambitions of the individual workers, not | | | | ~ Empowerment. Employees should be |
| just the business goals. | | | | empowered to take decisions and actions. |
| However, it was only during the 1990's | | | | Let them own the process whilst |
| that this concept started to be taken | | | | monitoring all that is happening. Only |
| seriously by organisations. Systems | | | | through motivation and innovation will |
| Thinking nowadays is synonymous with | | | | the employees grow and learn, equal |
| Peter Senge, one of the modern day | | | | participation should be encouraged so |
| gurus, who in his book "The Fifth | | | | that employees can learn from each other |
| Discipline: The Art and Practice of The | | | | simultaneously. The benefits are for |
| Learning Organisation" popularised the | | | | themselves and the organisation. |
| concept of the learning organisation, | | | | ~ Learning. Company-wide training is to |
| and referred to 'Systems Thinking' as | | | | be made available. This may take the |
| the Fifth Discipline. Since its | | | | form of simulation case studies where |
| publication in 1990, more than a million | | | | brainstorming sessions will be |
| copies of this book have been sold and | | | | beneficial to all participants. |
| in 1997, Harvard Business Review | | | | APPLY THE GOLDEN RULES |
| identified his book as one of the | | | | The following practices and approaches |
| seminal management books of the past 75 | | | | can be used while managing the learning |
| years. | | | | process. |
| According to Senge, learning | | | | 1. Thrive on change. Management must not |
| organisations are "organisations where | | | | be afraid of change. There should be |
| people continually expand their capacity | | | | commitment to and focus on the things |
| to create the results they truly desire, | | | | that matter most. Change is necessary |
| where new and expansive patterns of | | | | and therefore clear objectives and plans |
| thinking are nurtured, where collective | | | | must be in place. Change will translate |
| aspiration is set free, and where people | | | | itself into a learning opportunity. |
| are continually learning to see the | | | | 2. Encourage experimentation. Change |
| whole together. " | | | | will bring along uncertainty and risks. |
| Senge posits that the dimension that | | | | Experimentation is a necessary risk. |
| distinguishes learning from more | | | | Accept mistakes as a normal process and |
| traditional organisations is the mastery | | | | encourage employees to come forward with |
| of certain basic disciplines, which he | | | | ideas. Learning from mistakes is often |
| regards as a series of principles and | | | | more powerful than learning from |
| practices that we study, master and | | | | success. The most important thing is to |
| integrate into our lives. The five | | | | 'fail intelligently' to learn something |
| disciplines that he identifies are said | | | | from mistakes. Apply reviews of the |
| to be common to all learning | | | | whole change process and reward |
| organisations. | | | | individual effort. |
| They are: | | | | 3. Communicate success and failure. Let |
| 1. PERSONAL MASTERY. This is the | | | | there be a communication system of |
| discipline of 'continually clarifying | | | | disseminating information and knowledge |
| and deepening our personal vision, of | | | | that reaches everyone efficiently, for |
| focusing our energies, of developing | | | | example, through company journals, |
| patience, and of seeing reality | | | | website, job rotation programs etc. |
| objectively. | | | | 4. Facilitate learning from the |
| People with a high level of personal | | | | surrounding environment. Learn from |
| mastery live in a continual learning | | | | internal factors such as processes and |
| mode, continually clarifying and | | | | procedures at work and find ways of how |
| deepening their personal vision. This | | | | to improve learning from competitors. |
| takes place by assessing the gap between | | | | Avoid their mistakes and copy their |
| their current knowledge and the desired | | | | well-achieved results. Can also form |
| knowledge, and by practising and | | | | alliances to have a cross fertilisation |
| refining skills. This develops | | | | of ideas. Build a relationship with |
| self-esteem and creates the confidence | | | | customers. Apply an outside-in policy to |
| to tackle new challenges. | | | | strategies. Customers provide free |
| 2. MENTAL MODELS. These are 'deeply | | | | advice through their complaints, |
| ingrained assumptions, generalisations, | | | | suggestions and surveys. After all, the |
| or even pictures and images that | | | | organisation survives through satisfying |
| influence how we understand the world | | | | customers. Theirs might be the best |
| and how we take action. ' | | | | advice. |
| The discipline of mental models starts | | | | 5. Facilitate learning from employees. |
| with turning the mirror inward; learning | | | | Offer continuous learning and |
| to unearth our internal pictures of the | | | | multi-skilling opportunities. Remove |
| world, to bring them to the surface and | | | | hierarchies and empower people to |
| hold them rigorously to scrutiny. Every | | | | experiment and take decisions. The |
| individual has his own perception of the | | | | people at the lower ranks in an |
| things around him. This happens | | | | organisation are the ones who know most |
| consciously and unconsciously and | | | | of the problems within the business. |
| therefore, if team members can, through | | | | This means that more often than not, the |
| positive, constructive criticism, | | | | employees themselves know what needs to |
| challenge each others' ideas and | | | | be done to improve the business. |
| assumptions, they can begin to perceive | | | | 6. Reward learning. Have a proper |
| their mental models, and to change these | | | | performance appraisal system to reward |
| to create a shared mental model for the | | | | those employees who are embracing the |
| team. This is important as the | | | | learning culture to boost morale. |
| individual's mental model will control | | | | Remember that everybody wants their work |
| what can or cannot be done. | | | | to be appreciated. Make sure therefore |
| 3. BUILDING SHARED VISION. Senge sees | | | | that individual performance is linked |
| this as 'the capacity to hold a shared | | | | with organisational performance. |
| picture of the future we seek to create. | | | | 7. Intentionally retrieve and retain |
| 'When there is a genuine vision (as | | | | company memory. It is important to keep |
| opposed to the all-to-familiar 'vision | | | | a record of processes and achievements |
| statement'), people excel and learn. To | | | | so that learning will not be lost; it |
| create a shared vision, large numbers of | | | | can be passed on to those coming later |
| people within the organisation must | | | | on into the company and also the company |
| draft it, empowering them to create a | | | | can refer back to information held. The |
| single image of the future. With a | | | | learning process must be planned and |
| shared vision, people will do things | | | | objectives for it set. It must be |
| because they want to, not because they | | | | monitored and reviewed all the time. |
| have to. | | | | Through the learning organisation |
| 4. TEAM LEARNING. Such learning is | | | | process people will develop, the brains |
| viewed as 'the process of aligning and | | | | of all employees are switched on, not |
| developing the capacities of a team to | | | | just those of the few, and a feel good |
| create the results its members truly | | | | factor is created through greater |
| desire. ' | | | | motivation. A more flexible workforce |
| It builds on personal mastery and shared | | | | evolves by building organisations fit |
| vision, but these are not enough. People | | | | for human beings. People will become |
| need to be able to act together, as | | | | more creative and social interaction |
| virtually all important decisions occur | | | | will improve. Teams and groups will work |
| in groups. Adults learn best from each | | | | better through knowledge sharing, |
| other and with team learning, the | | | | becoming more interdependent, increasing |
| learning ability of the group becomes | | | | responsibility at all levels and |
| greater than the learning ability of any | | | | developing an entrepreneurial spirit. |
| individual in the group. | | | | The company will benefit from better |
| 5. SYSTEMS THINKING. The cornerstone of | | | | customer relations, the breaking down of |
| any learning organisation is this fifth | | | | traditional communication barriers, and |
| discipline. This is the ability to see | | | | from the increased creativity and |
| the bigger picture, to look at the | | | | innovation of its people that should |
| interrelationships of a system as | | | | give it a competitive edge. |
| opposed to simple cause-effect chains. | | | | |