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