Become A Learning Organization

Here are twelve more tips about how to become a learning organization.

Build individual development plans quarterly. These should list negotiated expectations for growth and learning over the quarter. These plans may include cross-training, skill stretching assignments, and representing the department at organization-wide meetings, as well as education.

Put each person directly into contact with customers. When each individual personally knows customer needs, she is enabled to make better decisions to satisfy the customer. Remember also, the internal customers. Anyone to whom you provide a product or a service is a customer.

Promote field trips to other organizations. Even organizations in different industries can provide opportunities for learning. See and learn what others are doing about the challenges you experience in your organization. I have found non-competing companies surprisingly gracious about sharing information.

Meet regularly across departments, or in a smaller organization, as a whole company. Even in a larger organization, bring the whole company together, at least quarterly. People have to understand the whole work system; otherwise they improve just their small part of the system. While these small improvements are important, they do not necessarily optimize the success of the entire system. This is an area in which every technological advancement makes meeting easier.

Use cross-functional teams to solve problems, scout for new opportunities, and cross-fertilize units with new ideas.

Pay for education for all employees. In fact, some forward thinking organizations have determined learning is so important, that they pay for any educational pursuit, not just those related exclusively to the individual’s current job. The goal is to foster learning and they presume that any investments in learning translate into more effective work performance over time.

Coach improved performance from all members of the organization. Work constantly to enable people to set and achieve their next goals. Spend time with people thinking about and planning their next objective.

Form study groups. Internally, and even externally, these groups can focus on creating a learning organization or any other topic that interests you. Check Peter Senge's Fieldbook.com Web site for more information about organizing these groups. There may be people, who are close to you geographically, seeking members or holding group meetings.

Take time to read, to think, to talk about new ideas and work. Create discussion areas, conference rooms, and break areas that foster people communicating.

Hold brainstorming (idea generation) sessions on specific topics. Bring "experts" in to help you. As an example, a technical writer can add value to a discussion about print presentation.

Foster an environment of collegiality. Recently, I attended a meeting led by a young manager. I watched the interaction for a few minutes as she provided direction and led a discussion. The most striking feature of the interaction was that she talked to the group as if they were all colleagues working on the same goal. She demonstrated no need to be more important than any member of the group.

Use your performance management system effectively. In addition to the development plan, mentioned above, provide 360 degree feedback from peers, reporting staff members, and the boss.