Ignore workers’ learning at own risk
Mar 28, 2011
A learning organisation encourages scholarship among its people. It promotes exchange of information between employees, hence creating a more knowledgeable workforce.
HR INSIGHT With Paula Kyabaggu Mukama
A learning organisation encourages scholarship among its people. It promotes exchange of information between employees, hence creating a more knowledgeable workforce.
This produces a flexible organisation, where people will accept and adapt to new ideas and change through a shared vision.
It is said that the only constant in life is change, and organisations are not spared. Change brings about, not only uncertainty and risks, but also opportunities for growth. Organisations that can use the information available have a bigger chance to succeed.
It is, therefore, important for everyone to be knowledgeable about the work environment they are in.
Building a learning organisation is a means to business success.
It is not a new theory, but a concept that has become an increasingly widespread philosophy in modern companies, from the largest multinationals to the smallest enterprises.
It is to be applied according to the circumstances of each business, which has to cater for it at strategic and operational levels.
According to Peter Senge, in his book, “The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of The Learning Organisationâ€, learning organisations are “organisations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together.â€
Senge says the dimension that distinguishes learning from the traditional organisations is the mastery of certain basic disciplines, which he regards as a series of principles and practices that we study, master and integrate into our lives.
With a learning organisation, not only does the organisation learn, but so do its employees, irrespective of their role in the company.
“Information has to be disseminated to all levels and does not stop at top management. “Thus, facilitating learning through flexibility and open communication by removing barriers to communication and adopting flatter organisational structure and design,†he says.
Any organisation that is committed to future success must become a learning organisation in order to compete and survive.
Today, continuous improvement is a must. “Any organisation is only as good as its people and continuous improvement in business is about the development of people and, therefore, creating a learning culture,†according to Sheppard.
Getting the right staff is not enough. To be productive and cost effective, investing in workplace learning and using best practices provides a significant return on investment.
Email: eresources@consultant.com
A learning organisation encourages scholarship among its people. It promotes exchange of information between employees, hence creating a more knowledgeable workforce.
This produces a flexible organisation, where people will accept and adapt to new ideas and change through a shared vision.
It is said that the only constant in life is change, and organisations are not spared. Change brings about, not only uncertainty and risks, but also opportunities for growth. Organisations that can use the information available have a bigger chance to succeed.
It is, therefore, important for everyone to be knowledgeable about the work environment they are in.
Building a learning organisation is a means to business success.
It is not a new theory, but a concept that has become an increasingly widespread philosophy in modern companies, from the largest multinationals to the smallest enterprises.
It is to be applied according to the circumstances of each business, which has to cater for it at strategic and operational levels.
According to Peter Senge, in his book, “The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of The Learning Organisationâ€, learning organisations are “organisations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together.â€
Senge says the dimension that distinguishes learning from the traditional organisations is the mastery of certain basic disciplines, which he regards as a series of principles and practices that we study, master and integrate into our lives.
With a learning organisation, not only does the organisation learn, but so do its employees, irrespective of their role in the company.
“Information has to be disseminated to all levels and does not stop at top management. “Thus, facilitating learning through flexibility and open communication by removing barriers to communication and adopting flatter organisational structure and design,†he says.
Any organisation that is committed to future success must become a learning organisation in order to compete and survive.
Today, continuous improvement is a must. “Any organisation is only as good as its people and continuous improvement in business is about the development of people and, therefore, creating a learning culture,†according to Sheppard.
Getting the right staff is not enough. To be productive and cost effective, investing in workplace learning and using best practices provides a significant return on investment.
Email: eresources@consultant.com