Kevin Eikenberry and Mitchell Levy are writing a book called: "Successful Corporate Learning" - Creating a Learning Culture with 140 specific ideas for building continual learning into organization life and they are looking for input. The book will be about creating successful learning culturesl it will be comprised of twitter-length quotes and published in the THINKaha book series. To find out more, or to contribute yourself, click on the link below.
My thoughts on the subject are below...and of course had to be modified for submission since they are lengthy. But enjoy!!!
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What
does a learning culture look like?
o
A learning culture is a culture that not only
embraces change, but drives change. Just like not all employees are drive to be
leaders, not all employees will have a thirst for knowledge or a desire to
drive change. The designated leaders of the organization must drive change push
themselves toward learning and knowledge. The formal and informal leaders of
the organization will read, share ideas, and be thinking of solutions instead
of noticing problems. In a learning culture, leaders at all levels will be
forward thinkers. They are the ones designing the new sprinkler system before
the fire starts instead of waiting until the building is ablaze and then
looking for the garden hose.
·
Why is
a learning culture important?
o
A learning culture has been important since long
before our time - “The Only Constant in Life Is Change” was said by Heraclitus
of Ephesus, the Greek philosopher (c.535BC – 475 BC). He could not have
imagined computers, smart phones, tweets, and some of the technological
advances of our day, or maybe he did and that’s what prompted his very
insightful thoughts. The fact of the matter is, he was right during his time
and he is right today. I’ve often been told that in the business world, you
need to embrace change to be successful. I would say that to be mediocre, you
need to embrace change. If you want to be truly successful, you need to drive
change. You need to be the
catalyst of change. In order to be the catalyst of change you need to learn the
landscape of your business, your competitors business, and find out what’s hot
and what’s not. To stay ahead you have to be constantly changing and learning.
·
How
can a learning culture positively impact any organization?
o
Whether an organization is large or small, a
learning culture is a necessity. When people learn, they feel good about
themselves, their organization, and their industry. People who feel good about
what they do, simply do it better. The overall organization will be more
positive if people are engaged in learning and moving forward driving change.
Without learning and knowledge you have no change and without change your
organization will fall behind. Life moves fast, and in the past if you didn’t
learn and change you could expect things to stay the same. With the speed of
life as we know it in this century, expecting things to stay the same isn’t
realistic. Doing things the same way you have always done means falling behind
financially and you will neither attract nor retain quality talent for your
organization. Hiring, training, and mentoring with a learning culture in mind
is a great way (and possibly the only way) to positively impact a growing
organization.
·
How
can an individual impact a learning culture?
o
And individual can either negatively or
positively impact a learning culture. The reach of their impact depends upon
the position the individual holds either formally or informally within an
organization. For example, if the owner of the organization does not value
learning or education and makes this known, it may take several leaders beneath
him or her to lead the team in the direction of learning. Conversely, if the
owner believes strongly in learning and someone within the organization
disagrees, their ability to influence others will be unlikely.
·
Where
do you start in building a learning culture?
o
You can start a learning culture at any time
within an organization. The key is communication and not timing. Don’t think ‘it’s
too late to start, or I’ll start tomorrow’, instead focus on letting others
know what you want to start, how you plan to start it, how you plan to sustain
it, and emphasize the benefit to the individual and the team. This method will
create buy in and a sustainable culture of learning for your organization. For
example, at your next team or staff meeting you as the owner/leader of the
organization could start with an introduction about how fast paced your
industry is and how important it is going to be to stay competitive through
learning. Then ask the team for their ideas and suggestions about what is
important to them. Together you can develop a training program for existing
teammates as well as new hires and then talk about how you will not only
sustain the learning culture but also measure the results. Be transparent about
your plan and what is driving the change.
·
What
actions will lead to a learning culture?
o
Transparency and communication are most important
in developing a learning culture. Simply throwing out an idea about tuition
reimbursement or a new training/education regimen is not going to get everyone
on board with the idea. When you introduce your ideas, you need to be
transparent about what is driving the culture change. IE: I want to grow this
company by 12% by year ______ and the only way we are going to do that is by
staying ahead of competitor XYZ so we need____________...etc…
·
How do
you nurture a learning culture?
o
Once you have shared your desires with your
team/employees, and you’ve developed a plan for a culture change, you need to
nurture those on both ends of the spectrum. You will have those who do not want
to change/grow/learn and it is just as important to nurture them as it is to
nurture those who are embracing the change, growing, and learning. Let those
who are embracing the change know how appreciated and valued they are. Bring
them in on more projects, reward them monetarily if possible. For those who are
not quite on board yet, talk to them and find out where the resistance is
coming from and decide how best to nurture and nudge them in the right
direction. Let them know that they too are valued and figure out how they learn
best and then develop a program that will best meet their needs to help you
achieve your objectives for the organization.
·
How do
you sustain a learning culture?
o
To sustain a learning culture long term, it is
important to develop a training/learning schedule that meets the needs of your
organization. If your trade association or industry does not offer
certifications, licenses, etc…you can develop them yourself within the
organization. Let the team know what is expected of them, provide them the
tools they need to be successful, and reward them for achieving and exceeding
your expectations. Make the process as fun as possible. You want to accomplish
your goals, and a team that is engaged and happy is more likely to embrace
those goals than a team that is going through the motions to collect a
paycheck.
