"The desire and ability of an organization to continuously learn from any source, anywhere, and to rapidly convert this learning into action is its ultimate competitive advantage"

"Jack Welch Speaks"  by Janet Lowe.

Jack Welch is the retired chairman and CEO of General Electric.

Jack Welch views on organisations and learning are in much demand.  He was the main speaker at the Techlearn 2001 Conference (Orlando Oct. 28-31).  Jack Welch puts three conditions on the ultimate competitive advantage: the desire to learn, the ability to learn and the capacity to rapidly convert learning into action.

Learning

Learning implies that behaviour changes.  In order to learn employees and teams need to try things out.  To learn is to think of a solution and to test it in the real world.  This is a pretty messy process and results in a lot of failures. 

Learning behaviour includes seeking feedback, sharing information, asking for help, talking about errors, and experimenting. It is through these activities that work groups can detect changes in the environment, learn about customers' requirements, improve members' collective understanding of a situation, or discover unexpected consequences of their previous actions.

Desire to Learn

Peter Senge said that managing learning isn't about "control", but improving commitment.  Commitment is improved by improving work structures and social environment.

The structures of work including the composition of working groups, the design of the work processes, the shared context of the work, the availability of information, resources, equipment, materials and the physical environment are important conditions for group learning.

The social environment is even more important.  Mental models inhibit learning behaviour when they favour existing routines over change, require proof that something will always work, and avoid risk.  Because members of groups tend not to share their unique knowledge, new ideas are unlikely to be disseminated.  If those who would like to initiate learning behaviours believe that they are placing themselves at risk they will avoid it.  These risks include appearing incompetent by asking questions or admitting failures.  Being seen as incompetent can jeopardise careers.  Asking for help and seeking feedback can be seen as a way of loosing esteem (face) among peers.  Potential threat or embarrassment tend to lead to ways of acting that inhibit learning.

Ability to Learn

Every employee is learning all the time. What they learn may not be what management wants them to learn but never the less they are learning. They learn because new equipment is introduced or a new software package is installed.  In some workplaces, employees learn to avoid blame or responsibility. Markets change whether it is competitors, social conditions, new laws, customer interests or the political situation. Businesses respond to these changes and employees are required to adapt to the new conditions. Customers expect high value, rapid delivery of products and services and more customer friendly service.  These attitudes place demands on organisations to foster the continual development of expertise in employees.

Most learning comes in four forms: 1) Formal training systems, 2) adding to existing knowledge by reflecting on experience, 3) creating new knowledge by solving problems for which existing solutions cannot be found, and 4) interaction with colleagues.  These last three are the responsibility of management.

The ability to learn effectively in an organisation requires the opportunity to learn.  For example, the effectiveness of training programs can be greatly enhanced by assigning participants to opportunities to gain experience and receive feedback from competent personnel about their performance.

While people learn all the time, they are often not very effective in their learning.  People need to learn to learn.  Employees who know how they learn best learn faster and more deeply.  Skills such as observation, questioning, problem defining, planning, evaluating, and organizing are all part of learning to learn.  These skills also include being aware of their own learning objectives, planning and evaluating learning strategies, and having the capacity to monitor progress and adjust learning behaviors to accommodate needs.

Learning into action

What seems to be the key to converting learning into action is the creation of a culture of performance, delivering exactly what was promised to the client, on time and within budget.  In a performance culture, learning is seen as a way to improve performance not as an exclusively human resources addition. 

Implications for Management

1. Learn about the dynamics of individual and group learning.  Profound expertise is not required but some basic ideas of how and why people learn is important for the managers in a rapidly changing workplace.

2. Management can create an environment that encourages learning.  People learn best in an open, supportive, and trusting environment. 

3. Move training design and development closer to the end user.    When new training programs are custom designed for employees, the designers and developers should have direct contact with end users, just like an architect should have direct contact with the people who will inhabit the building they are creating.

4. Save money and time by building experience into the training follow-up and include feedback.  When employees return from a training program, assign them to use the training and a coach to provide feedback about their performance until they reach an acceptable level of proficiency.

5. Develop "self-learning" teams (communities of practice) in functional areas.  Setting aside a day every 6 to 8 weeks where employees can practice functional skills, share insights and learning and swap war stories provides a platform through which new ideas can be shared, tested and further refined.

6. Pay attention to tacit knowledge transfer.  Tactic knowledge is that which is embedded in action and is often unconscious.  Mentoring, on-the-job training, apprenticeships and the like provide opportunities for less experienced employees to learn from more experienced ones by working together.  In these situations, both benefit.

7. Reward those who learn. 

8.  Make learning fun.

Links

McElroy, Mark W. "Social Innovation Capital,":
http://www.macroinnovation.com/images/SIC3.07.01.pdf , p.11

Henschel, Peter, "The Manager’s Core Work in the New Economy,":
http://www.fieldbook.com/New%20Material
/Henschel.html#Manager's,

Dickinson, Dee, "Positive Trends in Learning:  Meeting the Needs of a Rapidly Changing World,":
http://www.newhorizons.org/positivetrends.html

Fred, Charles L., "Breakaway: Using Speed and Expertise to Deliver Value to Customers," Grand River Publishing, Boulder Colorado, 2001:
http://www.hawthorneassociates.com
/pressreleases/archive/breakaway_6mar01.htm

Geary, Beverly M. "Concept Definitions," University of Oklahoma,
http://students.ou.edu/G/Beverly.M.Geary-1/concept.html

Welch, Jack. "Waar Het Om Gaat"
http://www.managementboek.com