5 Keys to Building a Learning Organization

Maybe there was a time when, after a person got his or her degree or completed some initial job training, that person knew all that was necessary in order to succeed in the workplace. If such a time ever existed (and there’s considerable doubt that it ever did), that time is long gone. Today’s workplace is an ever-changing, ever-evolving environment. To truly be successful, people have to learn to adapt and meet (and ideally exceed) a steady stream of new challenges. How do you learn to adapt? You learn by learning, of course. While this may sound like an over-simplified and fairly offhand answer, it’s the only one that counts. Nowadays, businesses need to build a “learning organization,” one where employees are constantly improving themselves and, thus, the business, rather than focusing on a cumbersome bureaucracy full of obedient worker bees. Sound scary? Impossible, perhaps? It doesn’t have to be. At least not if you incorporate these five things in your business model.

Formal Training

Most businesses rely heavily on more formal types of training to help their employees learn and grow, using things like workshops, seminars, and other curriculum-based professional development. While formal training is still important, it only works if you truly allow it to do so. Make sure your employees are given the time and encouragement they need to truly get the most out of the training program, rather than forcing them to fit it in around their regular work schedule or discouraging them from taking the necessary two or three days off to take advantage of the opportunity. You may lose a small amount of productivity time up front, but your return on investment (ROI) will be impressive in the long run.

Informal Learning

One of the most important parts of building a learning organization is making the most of opportunities for informal learning. Informal learning is learning that takes place outside of “classroom” type environments, the sort you engaged in as a child when you were learning to walk or talk. For instance, it is that moment when an employee makes a mistake and management takes the time to explain what went wrong, why it went wrong, and how to avoid it next time. This is a great example of informal learning. Have you heard the phrase “teachable moment,” an organic opportunity to share knowledge? Be sure you’re capitalizing on these moments in your workplace.

The Whole vs. the Parts

In the opposite of a learning organization, individuals are made to perform like mindless cogs in a machine, and they are vastly underutilized because of it. Underutilization is never a good thing; not only is a resource left untapped, but it can hurt morale (and thus productivity) as well. Give your team members the tools and encouragement they need to become their personal best so that, when the parts are added up, the whole is even greater.

Sharing Knowledge

Once you’ve got a team of people who have achieved their personal best, use these resources to create learning opportunities for the rest of your staff. Have your “experts” share how they complete a task well, either in a written document, internet post, or video. Then, make this library available to all staff. Encourage newer or less successful employees to work with “experts” so they can learn by example.

Fostering Creativity

You can’t build a learning organization if people are afraid to speak up or share their thoughts. In a true learning environment, open dialogue, and even disagreements, should be encouraged rather than punished. It is that very process that creates the opportunity for creative thinking, problem solving, and developing new and better approaches to challenges. These opportunities don’t just come from members of your management team, by the way; they can come from any employee working at any level.