Learning Organizations and Effectiveness

Learning Organizations and Effectiveness 

A learning organization is skilled at two things; first it creates, acquires, interprets, transfers and retains knowledge. The second is to act, by modifying behavior to respond to new knowledge. It

comes up with new ideas, moves them around in the organization, and keeps the organization whole by creating policies and procedures. It actually acts, using new knowledge as a basis for responding. “A learning organization is an organization skilled at creating, acquiring and transferring knowledge, and modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights” (Garvin, 1993). This paper will outline the characteristics of an ideal learning organization, what barriers may be present, and strategies to overcome those barriers.

Characteristics of the Ideal Learning Organization

Learning processes and the learning environment are what makes learning possible, but more importantly, leadership that fosters and inspires the learning processes and helps create the learning environment. "The rate in which organizations and individuals learn may become the only sustainable source of competitive advantage" in the future (Senge, 2012. p349). Products and services can be copied as well as processes, but if learning is more rapid than the competition, then the organization can get ahead and stay ahead. If the rate of learning isn’t ahead of the rate of global change, then the organization will fall behind.

            When learning organizations work under the assumption that learning is valuable, permanent and effective, certain characteristics will emerge.  Peter Senge, who was named the ‘Strategist of the Century’ by the Journal of Business Strategy, is one of the leading authorities on the concept of the learning organization model.  According to Senge, “The dimension that distinguishes learning from more traditional organizations is the mastery of certain basic disciplines or ‘component technologies” (Smith 2011).  Five dimensions of an ideal learning organization are:

·         Systems thinking

·         Personal mastery

·         Mental models

·         Building shared vision

·         Team learning

            When people are learning agents, they are able to act within the learning structures and systems they become a part of. “All the disciplines are, in this way, ‘concerned with a shift of mind from seeing parts to seeing wholes, from seeing people as helpless reactors to seeing them as active participants in shaping their reality, from reacting to the present to creating the future” (Senge 1990: 69).

Systems thinking – the cornerstone of the learning organization 

                In The Fifth Discipline, Senge provides the introduction to the basics and uses of systems thinking. Systematic thinking is the foundation of the learning organization. The observable behaviors of systems thinking is the capacity to create complex systems from simple frameworks.When there is an appreciation of systems, then appropriate action will follow. 

            A good example of systems thinking is the Shreveport Master Plan 2030. Revitalization of downtown Shreveport was one of newly elected Cedric Glover’s main election platforms. He called upon the citizens of Shreveport to help facilitate a master plan to oversee the transformation of the urban blighted neighborhoods. He invited experts and citizens alike to participate in focus groups. Crime was an issue in the older Shreveport neighborhoods. Citizens that lived in these areas expressed a strong need to remove drug trafficking that was so prominent. Mayor Glover, as well as other city officials, made this a priority. The mayor himself knocked on doors of those that lived in that area to stimulate resident participation.

            Once the mayor incorporated a systems building model into the Master Plan, focus group participants assisted in creating solutions to the blighted the area. The outcome of several focus groups; if new families would move in, then new commerce would follow. The Mayor and city council also voted to give tax cuts to anyone who would move in or set up new businesses downtown. The results were successful. Crime went down, people began feeling safe enough to move back into the area and new construction began. One of the largest companies to take advantage of the new tax incentives the city of Shreveport offered businesses to set up downtown was Millennium Film Studios. Not only is the neighborhood safe for new housing developments, but the amount of revenue the movie business has brought to Shreveport has boosted the economy beyond anyone’s dreams. Mayor Glover’s Master Plan 2030 is a prime example of a learning organization put into motion for successful outcomes.

Personal Mastery

Personal mastery is the discipline of repetitively expounding and furthering our personal vision, of staying focused, of developing patience, and being objective. Mastery is the furthering of proficiency, competence and skills. It is when vision and creativity isn’t just a good idea but it becomes part of the organizational structure. “Organizations learn only through individuals who learn. Individual learning does not guarantee organizational learning. But without it no organizational learning occurs” (Senge 1990: 139). Attaining personal mastery makes an individual a work in progress. It is to live life with purpose and integrity.

An example of personal mastery would be attempting to change a bad habit. Focusing on the behavior is the first step to correcting it. But if one wants to change their behavior, they have to move away from the mindset they are in and move to a new mental model. Changing the way one thinks is the key to becoming a person with new outcomes. To summarize, personal mastery will help develop self awareness, a better attitude, and behavior changes.

Mental models

A mental model is one that is constructed and replicated within a conscious mind and to be aware of the world and how you relate to the world.  Many mental modes are assumptions based on past experiences. Some models simply help us make sense of the world.  Changing a mental model is to see the world differently by restricting what is familiar into a new way of thinking.

"Mental models are deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations, or even pictures or images that 

influence how we understand the world and how we take action. Very often, we are not consciously 

aware of our mental models or the effects they have on our behavior." (Senge 2012:p.8).

Building a shared vision

When an organization has a shared vision instead of being expected to learn through tradition means, people want to learn.  Strategies needed to build a shared vision are:

· initiating a shared vision

· translating the vision into action by using systems thinking

· The ability to communicate and convince others of the vision to others

·  The ability to stay focused to the essence of the vision when unforeseen obstacles pop up.

Team Learning

            Team learning is more than group thinking. Team learning comes from the ability to explore a problem deeply. Senge says in the Fifth Discipline that the IQs of the group are collectively higher than one individual. This truth has been incorporated into a local homeless coalition’s plan of action to end homelessness in Shreveport, Louisiana.

The board of directors of Hope for the Homeless is a good example of team learning and sharing the collective intelligence of the group. Each member of the board comes from a different organization in the community that caters to the homeless population of the city. When there is a chronically homeless person who has never been housed permanently, the group will come together, each person with a set of skills and resources. Many times a homeless person has a mental diagnosis and getting that person into treatment may be impossible. If that person has no personal identification card or social security card, then the local clinics will not see them. It is fascinating to watch how someone who represents the clinic will find a way for that person to get in to see the doctor outside traditional means. Once on medication, the homeless person becomes compliant and each agency represented can volunteer their services until that person is living in their own apartment or home. The success rate of maintaining these individuals in housing has become focus nationally. Other cities are adopting the strategies Hope for the Homeless as formulated into successful programs in other cities. When team learning happens in this manner, the group solution developed, it is evident it surpasses the work one member could have done by themselves.

Barriers and Strategies

            Barriers to the success of a learning model can happen when an organization does not incorporate all the facets of the learning paradigm. Personal mastery is a difficult characteristic to incorporate because it is a subjective concept with no measurable outcomes. Senge states, “To empower people in an unaligned organization can be counterproductive.” (Senge 2012 p.136). When individuals do not share a common vision, personal mastery will only serve to benefit personal visions.

            Another barrier in the success of moving a tradition organization into a learning model is the lack of a learning culture. A learning culture will not develop if individuals do not feel they can share their ideas and knowledge. When an environment can be created where individuals can share their knowledge without being devalued or ignored, then a learning culture can grow.

            Resistance to change by the individuals in an organization can be detrimental to the learning process. Resistance can happen if individuals feel threatened or believe they will have something to lose. Unless learning is implemented across the organization, learning may be considered elitist and for senior staff only. Many times resistance happens because there are people who are closed minded and are not open to the idea of a shared vision. Those that suffer a closed mind will see training and development as controlling instead of beneficial to them personally as well as an organization as a whole. Other barriers are the size of the organization, lack of resources such as time and commitment, lack of leadership skills, and studying the problem too long.

Assessing Learning Progress

            As with any project, the way to test whether the organization is moving into a learning organization would be through assessment. The assessment process is an opportunity to train staff members in learning principles and will assist in gauging the knowledge base and learning skills of the group. There are specific characteristics that need to be addressed during the assessment phase. Focus groups and oral and written evaluations are good assessment tools to use. Another option that can be used to assess learning in a group is to allow individuals of the group to do self-assessments. Here, an individual will express what they found helpful and what they feel they can use assistance with. Self assessment can give the learning instructor a wealth of information about the person.

            Group interviews are another excellent tool.” Learning practices at the team, company, and inter-company levels relate to group dynamics, such as communications and coordinated efforts. Participants describing both sides of knowledge transfers can offer more complete perspectives” (Bohlin, N., & Brenner, P).

            The use of stories and scenarios is another assessment tool. Getting answers to abstract questions can be very telling when attempting to assess learning. The creative use of anecdotes and stories will ignite remembering memories or incidents and mastering new processes.

Four compelling characteristics of a learning organization

There are four characteristics that would greatly assist an authoritarian organization in becoming a
learning organization. They are psychological safety, appreciation of differences, openness to new
ideas, and time for reflection (Garvin & Gino 2008), Psychological safety- If members of an organization feel threatened to speak up for fear of retaliation psychological safety has been jeopardized. They must be able to ask questions, express ideas without ridicule or fear of their ideas being used as the ideas of their supervisors without credit being given to the one whose idea it was. If a member cannot feel comfortable psychologically, then learning isn’t going to be successful.

Appreciation of differences- Diversity of ideas will bring forth learning if those with opposing ideas
can see diversity as a tool to expand ideas and learn. Differences can create new energy and
alternatives through motivation and changing the way members think and respond to those who are
different than themselves.

Openness to new ideas- Members of an organization should feel comfortable taking risks and
exploring the unknown. Learning is much more than solving problems. Creating innovative
approaches should be just as much a priority as correcting mistakes.

Time for reflection- Lack of time is a barrier most organizations experience. When people are bombarded with tasks and not enough time to do them, they are unable to think creatively. It is harder to learn from experiences when individuals are stressed out. When learning environments are in place, people are better able to think analytically.

Organizational barriers and strategies to resolve them

Strategies are available to organizations that are experiencing barriers within learning organizations. 

Here are a few that may assist in forming a learning organization. Essential elements for change effort are:

• Define the problem

• Define the target population

• Define effective treatment strategies and establish procedural guidelines

• Establish performance measures; set goals

• Define effective system changes and interventions

• Develop leadership and system change strategy

Conclusion

            The learning needs of a company will change as it revises its vision and strategy. The fundamentals of a learning organization can be summarized when a group’s commonly shared goals continue to improve through a learning culture. Learning processes environments are what make learning possible, as is positive leadership that inspires the learning processes and creates the learning environment. Five dimensions of an ideal learning organization are, systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, building shared vision, and team learning. Four characteristics of a successful learning organization are psychological appreciation of differences, openness to new ideas, and time for reflection. Senge states, “learning organizations are developed and valued by five disciplines and that the basic meaning of a learning organization is one that is continually expanding its capacity to create its future” (Senge 2012 p.14). It is questionable whether there has ever been a true learning organization; however organizations that are considered the most successful do embrace these ideals and are seeing the value of how the individual is the most important resource.

References

Bohlin, N., & Brenner, P. (n.d.). Assessing and Valuing Progress. Measuring Learning. Retrieved March 24, 2012, from http://www.adlittle.de/uploads/tx_extprism/1995_q3_22-28.pdf

Garvin, D., Edmondson, A., & Gino, F. (2008, March). Is Yours a Learning Organization?.Harvard Business Review. Retrieved March 24, 2012, from http://hbr.org/2008/03/is-yours-a-learning-organization/ar/1

Senge, P. (2012, March 24). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning..Amazon.com. Retrieved March 24, 2012, from http://www.amazon.com/Fifth-Discipline-Practice-Learning-Organization/dp/0385260954

Smith, S. K. (2011). The Learning Organzation. Infed. Retrieved March 23, 2012, from http://www.infed.org/biblio/learning-organization.htm