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Organisational Learning - People in the Process

Dtalk SeminarManaging People and Change in Development

29 September 2005

Bruce Britton, INTRAC

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Overview of presentation

• What is organisational learning?• Where do individuals fit in?• Barriers to organisational learning• Practical steps towards

organisational learning

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How was your week?

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Organisational learning

Individual and collective learning in an organisational context that contributes to changed organisational behaviour

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Levels of learning in organisations

• Individual• Team• Organisation

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If learning was a crime?

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If learning was a crime …

• Motive

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If learning was a crime …

• Motive• Means

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If learning was a crime …

• Motive• Means• Opportunity

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What do people need in order to contribute to organisational learning?

• Motive reasons for contributing

• Means tools and methods for contributing

• Opportunity favourable circumstances and ‘space’ for

contributing

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Motive - the reasons for contributing to organisational learning • Understanding where you and your contributions fit in• Supportive culture

Wheatley’s principles - people want to share their knowledge, everyone is a source and people choose to contribute based on commitment, valuing colleagues, respecting leaders, encouragement and not fearing negative consequences

Knowing that learning is legitimate, encouraged, supported, resourced, rewarded and used

• Supportive leadership Prioritisation Communication Legitimacy Example Recognition

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Means - the tools and methods for organisational learning

• Conceptual clarity - understanding individual and collective learning

• The necessary competences - how to learn and how to contribute

• Access to a range of methods and tools• Specialist support• Access to resources

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Opportunity - the ‘space’ for organisational learning

• Organisational learning as a strategic goal --> team and individual work plans

• Learning as an integral part of the planning and management cycle and other routine activities

• Access to knowledge management infrastructure including CoP

• Networks of relationships built on trust

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What do organisations need to do in order to encourage learning?

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External barriers to learning

1. Working in increasingly complex situations2. Short term funding leading to high staff

turnover and lack of continuity3. Pressure to diversify focus of activity4. Project-based funding5. Lack of unrestricted funds - to ‘buy the

time’6. Pressure to demonstrate low overheads7. Competition for public profile and funding8. Image - the need for success stories

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Internal barriers to learning - Individual and Team

• Individual Limited understanding of importance/purpose of

learning Psychological barriers (eg pride, fear, cynicism, need

for quick fixes, mistrust, bad experiences) Limited networking/relationship-building Limited skills Lack of incentive or recognition for learning Job insecurity

• Team Underdeveloped leadership & teamwork competences Underdeveloped team communications Territorialism / bunker mentality

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Barriers to organisational learning

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Internal barriers to organisational learning - Organisation

1. Activist / unsupportive culture 2. Lack of leadership commitment /

understanding3. Centralised / hierarchical structures4. Geographical spread 5. Underdeveloped systems6. Under-resourcing7. Institutionalised ‘defensive routines’8. Staff turnover

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Overcoming barriers to organisational learning

1. Agree the intended benefits of organisational learning 2. Identify the barriers - using different approaches for a

more holistic picture 3. Assess the organisation’s capacities - what’s working

well?4. Identify early adopters - promote and build on existing

good practices 5. Address motive, means and opportunity issues6. Make learning a part of strategy (planned and

emergent)7. Address functional issues

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Assessing the eight learning functions to identify strengths / barriers to learning

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Practical starting points for organisational learning - Individuals

1. Build learning into job descriptions and individual work plans (motive)

2. Ensure everyone has a plan for their own learning and development (means)

3. Develop reflective practitioner competencies (means)4. Leadership development using the ‘5 disciplines’

(means)5. Ensure leaders act as champions / models6. Provide a range of opportunities - supervision,

mentoring, coaching, action-learning7. Encourage and enable people to make informal

connections with colleagues (opportunity)

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Practical starting points for organisational learning - Teams

1. Build learning objectives into project and programme plans (motive)

2. Develop collective responsibility for results through team appraisal (motive)

3. Develop team-working and facilitation skills (means)4. Create a team of internal facilitators to support After

Action Reviews (means)5. Create informal teams using action learning sets and

communities of practice (opportunities)

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Knowledge Management Generations

ConnectivityCollectivity

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Practical starting points for organisational learning - Organisation1. Strategy

• Take a strategic approach to learning (planned and emergent)• Apply a learning approach to strategy

2. Structure• Reduce hierarchical levels• Consider specialist support units / posts

3. Systems Build learning requirements into project / programme design,

planning and evaluation Commission thematic reviews and evaluations Use 3G knowledge management infrastructure

4. Culture• Ensure that learning is legitimate, encouraged, supported,

resourced, rewarded and used• Lead by example

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Creating a Learning Culture

Non-Learning Behaviours Giving in to pressure Accepting assumptions Being over-cautious Burying problems and

mistakes Defensive routines Acting in isolation Blaming others

Learning Behaviours Asking questions Showing interest Challenging assumptions Admitting problems &

mistakes Converting mistakes into

learning Networking ‘Boat-rocking’ and

acting as a devil’s advocate

Demonstrating humility

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Developing a strategy for organisational learning

Develop a planned strategy

Create conditions for

emergent possibilities

Motive

Means

Opportunity

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Organisational learning - some examples • Organisational Self-assessment (SMC,

TearFund, WaterAid)• Networking (BOND SMOLNet, KM4DEV)• Learning Team (Christian Aid’s PL&D Team)• Knowledge Management Systems (WWF K-

Zone)• Corporate Knowledge Project (TearFund)• Exchange programmes (WWF)• Action learning (Traidcraft, BOND)