““It ain’t what people It ain’t what people don’t know that don’t know that hurts them, it’s what hurts them, it’s what they do know that they do know that ain’t so.”ain’t so.”

Mark TwainMark Twain

Organizations are living systems.Organizations are living systems.

No physical system No physical system creates value creates value absent a social absent a social system. Both system. Both operate on operate on principles of flow principles of flow and exchange to and exchange to create value.create value.

Courtesy © McKinsey & Company

““Each employee should receive every Each employee should receive every day clearday clear--cut, definite instructions cut, definite instructions as to just what he is to do and how as to just what he is to do and how he is to do it, and these instructions he is to do it, and these instructions should be exactly carried out, should be exactly carried out, whether they are right or wrong.”whether they are right or wrong.”

Frederick Winslow TaylorFrederick Winslow Taylor

Work continues to evolve. Our Work continues to evolve. Our structures need to evolve with it.structures need to evolve with it.

What we think we know that ainWhat we think we know that ain’’t so.t so.

Learning is more than Learning is more than just pouring in content. just pouring in content. We tend to behave as if We tend to behave as if learning is exclusively learning is exclusively cognitive, even when cognitive, even when we know otherwise we know otherwise through our own through our own experience of learning.experience of learning.

Institute for Research on Learning and © Gary Lund

ItIt’’s more like growing a garden.s more like growing a garden.

The reality is more The reality is more organic. Learning is organic. Learning is situated in the social situated in the social context of our context of our participation in participation in interactions and interactions and relationships, our relationships, our identity in communities identity in communities of practice, and how we of practice, and how we make sense of them.make sense of them.

Institute for Research on Learning and © Gary Lund

Learning is chaotic, but with patterns.Learning is chaotic, but with patterns.

Learning occurs naturally Learning occurs naturally through the normal through the normal interactions and interactions and exchanges in work exchanges in work practices. It’s like practices. It’s like breathing. In this sense, breathing. In this sense, every organization is a every organization is a learning organization.learning organization.

Institute for Research on Learning and © Gary Lund

““With communities of practice, With communities of practice, communities is the easy part, communities is the easy part, practice is the hard part.”practice is the hard part.”

Susan StuckySusan Stuckyformer Research Director

Institute for Research on Learning

Understanding causal relationships Understanding causal relationships requires engagement with work requires engagement with work practices.practices.

Community

Context

Content

Dynamics of learning in practice Dynamics of learning in practice drive operating performance.drive operating performance.

Conversations are Conversations are the conduits the conduits through which through which knowing, knowing, knowknow--howhowand knowledge and knowledge flow and are flow and are exchanged.exchanged.

““Neither results nor resources exist Neither results nor resources exist inside the business. Both exist inside the business. Both exist outside.”outside.”

“Results are obtained by exploiting “Results are obtained by exploiting opportunities, not by solving opportunities, not by solving problems.”problems.”

And DruckerAnd Drucker’’s guidance still applies.s guidance still applies.

and . . .and . . .

““Resources, to produce results, must Resources, to produce results, must be allocated to opportunities.”be allocated to opportunities.”

“Economic results are earned only by “Economic results are earned only by leadership, not by mere competence.”leadership, not by mere competence.”

and . . .and . . .

““Any leadership position is transitory Any leadership position is transitory and likely to be shortand likely to be short--lived.”lived.”

“What exists is getting old.”“What exists is getting old.”

“What exists is likely to be “What exists is likely to be misallocated.”misallocated.”

and, most importantly . . .and, most importantly . . .

““The customer is the business.”The customer is the business.”

Peter F. DruckerPeter F. DruckerManaging for Results (1964)

““Discovery consists of Discovery consists of seeing what everybody seeing what everybody has seen and thinking has seen and thinking what nobody has what nobody has thought.”thought.”

Albert SzentAlbert Szent--GyörgyiGyörgyiNobel Laureate

The Scientist Speculates (1962)