“Learning Challenge”

“Learning Challenge”

The Top 3 ways  to Support and Challenge Your Learning in Meaningful Ways. 

“Best in” class learning organizations.

Top 5 List Describing “Best in” class learning organizations.

First let’s look at the definitions of organizational learning. There are a variety of definitions, but one that stands out is:

“Organizational learning means the process of improving actions through better knowledge and understanding.” —C. Marlene Fiol and Marjorie A. Lyles, “Organizational Learning,” Academy of Management Review,October 1985.

1: The learning environment in the organization must be flexible and supportive. Employees must feel safe to discuss concerns, give opinion, ask questions, and disagree with others.

2: Each one in the organization must understand the key business strategies and work to address any kind of challenges!

3: Employees should be encouraged and empowered to generate and share content with anyone in the organization.

4: Leaders in the organization have to leverage their learning experience by sharing with others.  Leaders also have to help employees to improve their performance for the common good.

5: Leaders must act like a teacher, and as role models by participating in learning activities.

Learning Checklist for Fostering Meaningful Conversations in Teams

Learning Checklist for Fostering Meaningful Conversations in Teams

Having meaningful conversation with one another at the workplace is one of the most important factors that help employees develop necessary competencies to improve their performance and to increase the level of their engagement, which leads to job satisfaction. So if the employees felt safe enough to give their opinions, discuss issues, and speak their minds in the workplace, many problems would disappear.

On the subject of fostering meaningful conversation, Ron A. Carucci mentioned in his book some helpful tools for leaders to engage others in the conversation:

1: “Accept that there is no greater than a one-on-one cup of coffee.” He explained that, there’s no need to search out elaborate ways to engage people whom we lead. Sitting down for a cup of coffee in a sitting where we can just have a meaningful conversation- free of interruption and hidden agenda will serve to enrich the conversation!

2: “Set up meeting processes that foster conversation.” Limiting the presentation slides, and having more time for engaging participants whether in pairs or small group will help to foster meaningful conversation.

3: Confront your personal avoidance of rejection and conflict. Leaders must go the to the bottom of their avoidance to make sure that they can mange it right! They must have the ability to address and discuss issues with their bosses.

4: Call the question.” Leaders have to go first here; they have to do it when they know there is an issue on the table being ignored without allowing the group-think or fear to sway them into silence!

5: Pay close attention to the quit ones. Leaders have to encourage the silent employees to make sure that their voices are being heard and respected.

6: celebrate courageous conversation.

To explore more about his tools, take a look at his book pages 72-75 .(1)

References:

1: Leadership Divided: What Emerging Leaders Need and What You Might Be Missing by: Ron A. Carucci

Why Organizations Are Approaching Learning All Wrong!

 

Why Organizations Are Approaching Learning All Wrong!

Workplace learning plays an important role in organizational productivity and effectiveness. Unfortunately, a large number of organizations approach learning wrong. Managers mostly rely on training “sessions/ programs” classroom-based to solve any problem that they face in the workplace without meeting the employee’s needs, values, and cultures. They most of the time just give instructions instead of helping employees to feel part of the organization.

As we know learning in any organization does’t need to be formal. In actuality, learning could be more effective and efficient in unstructured environment “informal leaning” something that could be happening on a daily basis. I mean employees can continuously learn from their colleagues or their managers to enhance their job performances without even realizing it.

If we look at “The 70:20:10 Model for Learning” it shows that individuals obtain 70 percent of their knowledge from job-related experiences, 20 percent from interactions with others, and 10 percent from formal educational events -the least effective way of learning-. 

If anyone interested, to learn and read more about the model, please see the following link!

 http://www.bridgespan.org/Publications-and-Tools/Leadership-Effectiveness/Nonprofit-Leadership-Development-Toolkit/Tools-and-Templates/The-70-20-10-Model.aspx#.VhxFgY9Viko

Another reason why organizations are approaching learning all wrong is the “Lack of Dialogue.” Having a dialogue and allowing an open communication between mangers and employees is also necessary to establish an environment of trust within and among all the people in the organization. It helps to boost employee engagement too . 

Many traditional organizations don’t have open communication policy between employer and employees. As a way of illustration, the organization that I used to work in, we,  I mean as employees we didn’t really have the opportunity to opens ourselves to the others and to share vision and information! Our ideas and concerns were not heard, we felt like we didn’t have a voice and we were not part of the team. As a result, turnover was highly increased! I think there was a simple solution to breakdown the communication barrier and foster learning in the workplace, which was the open communication!