Building a Learning Culture: An Action Learning Perspective

1. Building a Learning Culture: An Action Learning Perspective Karen E. Watkins, Ph.D. Professor of Human Resource & Organization Development The University of Georgia

2. Building a Learning Culture: An Action Learning Perspective • Context– A Knowledge Economy Amid Economic Uncertainty • Repositioning Learning as part of the organization’s DNA-Learning our way through • Creating A Learning Organization • Strategically intervening • First Diagnose where the organization is now • Focus interventions on culture and leadership • Design learning in and through work– learning to take action

3. The Financial Context • OECD Report- The Global Picture • GDP fell 4.1% • Unemployment from 5.9% in 2008, to 8.5% in 2009 and 9.8% projected for 2010 • Goods and services traded fell by 16% globally • OECD/APEC Reports– Regional Differences • China from 9% in 2008 to 7.7% in 2009 and back up to 9.3% in 2010 • India from 6.5% growth in 2008 to 5.9% in 2009 and 7.2% in 2010 • U.S.– down significantly in GDP, slight increase of .9% projected for 2010

4. Global Financial Instability • For individuals, financial Instability leads to • Widespread fear of job loss • Fear of disclosure, of sharing knowledge • More people doing the work of 2 or 3 people • Postponing retirement, and older than average employees • High need to learn new skills, to perform well • With lower morale, less time, less cognitive capacity • Need for Financially-Strapped Governments to focus support on most needy • Retraining unemployed • Support for displaced workers [food, shelter, health insurance] • Yet cannot do this when also shoring up banks, major industries

5. The Knowledge Economy • A Knowledge Economy Is Where the Generation and Exploitation of Knowledge Plays the Predominant Part in the Creation of Wealth • Permeates the Whole Economy, Not Just the Computer and Telecommunications Industries • Foundation -- a Highly Skilled Labor Force

6. Emerging Trends in Workplace Learning • Trends of particular importance in a financial downturn include • Rethinking workplace learning as creating a learning infrastructure and • Changing organizational capacity to learn. We do this by • Emphasizing leadership development—changing mental models • Creating a learning infrastructure that includes formal, informal, and technology-enabled learning approaches – an option rich modular design architecture • Fostering organizational responsibility for creating a learning culture

7. Redefining and Repositioning HRD • Human resource development is "the field of study and practice responsible for the fostering of a long-term, work-related learning capacity at the individual, group and organizational levels within organizations.” • Learning must be part of the DNA of the organization

8. The Learning Organization • Watkins and Marsick (1993) define the learning organization as “one that learns continuously and transforms itself… • Learning is a continuous, strategically used process—integrated with and running parallel to work” (p.8). • The model emphasizes three key components: • 1) systems-level, continuouslearning; • 2) in order to create and manage knowledge outcomes; • 3) that lead to improvement in the organization’s performance, and ultimately its value, as measured through both financial assets and non-financial intellectual capital

9. Learning Culture Model • Learning organizations facilitate learning within and between • Individuals • Teams • Organization • Environment Global Organization Team Team Individual

10. Learning Organization Dimensions • Leaders model learning • Connect the organizationto its environment • Empower people toward a collective vision • Establish systems to capture and share learning • Encourage collaboration and team learning • Promote inquiry & dialogue • Create continuous learning opportunities Global Organization Team Team Individual

11. Learning at the Individual Level • Learning is… • the way in which people make meaning, acquire knowledge & skill • To support individual learning, the organization needs to… • Create continuous learning opportunities • Promote dialogue and inquiry

12. Learning at the Team Level Team Learning is…. • Mutual construction of new knowledge • Capacity for concerted, collaborative action Encourage collaboration and team learning

13. Learning at the Organizational Level • Organizational learning is… • Organizational mental models, schema, “karma in the walls and halls” • How vision, strategy, culture, leadership, structure, processes, communication, management practices, etc. come together to support & align learning with mission and goals • To Support Organizational Learning, the Organization must… • Establish systems to capture and share learning • Empower people toward a collective vision

14. Learning at the Global Level • Global learning is…. • Thinking globally and systemically • Crossing boundaries of environmental or societal impact, including those that affect the quality of life and morale of people connected with the organization • Embodied in leaders who “live” a learning culture -- walk the talk • To Support Global Learning, the Organization Must.. • Connect the organization to its environment • Have leaders who model and support learning at all levels

15. Creating Learning Organizations = Changing the Culture Learning organizations have systems that: Capture Share knowledge Use Leaders must champion this.

16. Leadership Development • Lack of investment in early 2000’s left many organizations behind • Realize focus on leadership development is imperative • Extensive use of informal learning strategies such as action learning, executive coaching • Creating a Learning Culture

17. Helping leaders create a learning culture • A learning culture is one in which learning is a deliberate part of the organization’s strategy • Change is understood to be a learning process- and change is continuous • Leaders model learning themselves, reward learning, and use mistakes as opportunities to learn

18. What does learning culture leadership look like? • The Little Boy and the Ice Box • Air Traffic Controllers Study • The School Superintendent Study

19. Creating A Learning Culture You as a Learner Your Organization’s Learning Culture • Develop individual capabilities • To know self and impact on others • To develop communication and influencing skill • To effectively coach others • Develop high performance teams • To effectively solve complex, cross-functional problems • To empower people to enact the organization’s vision • Build organizationalcapacity • To transform • To develop a culture of learning

20. Today, To Thrive . . . Or Even Survive . . . L  C Adapted from Reg Revans

21. What is Action Learning? In Action Learning, people: • Use work on a real business problem to develop and learn • Work in teams, take actionto solve problem • Learn how to learn from action • Helped by learning coach to balance work with “learning-from-experience” • And by changing themselves-- change the organization

22. Informal learning: Integrating learning and work • Action Learning is a primary example • Starts with a real problem • Draws on relevant knowledge • Analysis of the problem • Trial of solutions in the organization • Test is what works-- actual business results

23. Conclusion • In this economic context it could be argued that the survivors will be those with the strongest pool of talent, most able to handle change and uncertainty. • Human capital resources are the bedrock of organizational capacity– our hope for the future. • Organizations structured to recruit and develop talented people, led by individuals able to work across borders of many kinds, hard-wired to promote, capture and share learning, will have the core competencies needed in uncertain times.