The Learning Organization
Due to rapid changes in the business environment, new technologies and increasing competition the concept of a “Learning Organization” gained enormously in importance. It has been widely reported in many literature sources that continuous involvement in organizational change is necessary. However, many organizations encounter resistance to change and difficulties in effectively managing organizational change. Theories, for e.g. the theory of Peter Senge, describe core disciplines which contributes towards developing a Learning Organization, which helps organizations to overcome resistances to change and to achieve organizational change goals.
The five core disciplines of a Learning Organization by Peter Senge:
System Thinking System thinking is about the ability to see in the big picture and the appreciation that all actions and consequences are interconnected.
Personal Mastery Every individual has to have a clear individual vision of a goal combined with an accurate perception of reality. The gap between the vision and reality drives a person to practice all necessary related activities to realize the vision. Personal Mastery is about the own practice and honest reflection and evaluation that identifies personal and organizational needs.
Building a Shared Vision The shared vision is the outgrowth of personal mastery and should be created through interaction with the employees. The shared vision and the individual visions have to be combined so that all employees contribute as much as possible to the organization. If everyone has the same shared vision it is a huge motivator within an organization.
Mental Models The process begins with self-reflection. Reflection is needed to identify the gap between what we perceived what happened and what actually happened. In a non-reflective environment, we take our awareness as the truth which can lead to problems within an organization. An organization has to be flexible in accepting changes to new mental models.
Team Learning Modern organizations operate on the basis of teamwork, which means that an organization can´t learn if the team members do not come together and reflect and discuss on different viewpoints. Team learning is about having a goal in mind and work together to achieve it.
The five core disciplines are described in more detail in Peter Senge´s book “The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization”.
The Building Blocks of a Learning Organization by HBR
Building Block 1 – A supportive learning environment A supportive learning environment is described by psychological safety, appreciation of differences, openness to new ideas and time for reflection
Building Block 2 - Concrete learning process and practices
Building Block 3 – Leadership that reinforces learning Learning within an organization is strongly influences by the behavior of leaders. One of the most important issues, which encourages employees to learn is that they are heard by leaders. Leaders should demonstrate the willingness to accept alternative points of views.
Learning Organization and its importance for change
The most beneficial capabilities of a successful Learning Organization are described by HBR as follows: Systematic problem solving, experimenting with new approaches, learning from their own experiences in the past history, learning from experiences and best practices of others and transferring knowledge quickly and efficiently throughout the organization. Therefore, a Learning Organization fully understands its own capabilities, can quickly recognize changes in the business environment and is flexible enough to respond and even shape those changes.
Sources retrieved on 12th May 2018:
Senge, Peter. 1990. The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. New York: Doubleday.
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