How to Develop a Learning Organisation?

In my last blog, I outlined the importance of learning and defined the concept of a learning organisation.

As a quick refresher, a learning organisation is more than just a place where employees can improve their skills.

It’s rather an organisational structure aimed at fostering continuous learning and knowledge exchange to enable innovation, adaptability, and long-term success.

I now want to examine how you can create a learning organisation within your business.

I hope my steps below will prove useful and guide you on this journey.

Recruitment

Job seekers place a lot of importance on their future opportunities for learning and development when making their next career move. 

Always ensure you clearly explain learning opportunities in your recruitment materials and at the interview stage, and that learning forms an important strand in your onboarding process.

Prioritise candidates who recognise the importance of continuous learning and demonstrate a curiosity for learning.

Training methods

For learning to be effective, you need the right approach. 

Find out not only what your teams need to learn, but also how they prefer to learn.

You can then provide the right blend of face-to-face workshops, webinars, video content and online resources. On-demand learning can empower employees to grow by directing their own learning.

Reinforce formal learning

If a colleague attends an external training event, encourage them to share their key takeaways and how they’ll benefit the team.

If the team attends training together, make follow-up check-ins part of your team meetings or one-to-ones. Ensure team members follow up on commitments they made, use what they learnt, and regularly identify and knowledge gaps they still have.

Promote informal learning

Create an environment which facilitates supporting and learning from each other. 

Ensure all team members know about each other’s strengths beyond the limits of their job descriptions. 

Create forums for employees to share learning with their colleagues.

How well do you celebrate learning in your appraisals? Photo amy Hirschi Unsplash

Recognise learning

Make learning part of annual appraisals so employees can reflect on new skills acquired, how they’ve challenged themselves, and overall lessons learnt.

Learn from mistakes

Any successful learning programme includes a willingness to learn and grow from mistakes. 

Create an environment where risk taking and failure is seen as an opportunity to learn and develop. 

Whenever possible, give people the freedom to experiment and learn through trial and error. After any important project, let teams sit down together and review what went well, and lessons learnt.

Ensure leadership ‘buy in’

For any cultural change to be effective, it needs to be reinforced and supported from the top. 

Continually encourage senior leadership to support and participate in new learning initiatives and recognise employees committing time and energy to their professional development.

Look out for the next articles in this series – “The Importance of a Learning Organisation,” and “The Benefits of a Learning Organisation.”

If you need further information about these approaches, or any other resilience topic, please contact russell@theresiliencecoach.co.uk.