July 11, 4:07 am
The Learning Organization happens when there’s a Training Organization
For the past few years I’ve been advocating Peter Senge’s idea about being a learning organization; that to be successful, companies have to learn faster then their competition. Senge calls it the only long-term competitive advantage.
As a learning professional, I’ve emphasized to my clients that in order for organizations to learn, they must have people who can teach and train. I’ve referred to it as creating a Training Organization.
I feel so strongly about this that this past year I significantly narrowed the focus of my business to emphasize the need for managers and leaders to think like trainers. In fact, Train the Trainer has become my core business. I’ve even developed a workshop entitled The Manager as Trainer, and am rolling out an online Train-the-Trainer certification.
This concept hasn’t exactly been talked about much, but after reading through my July edition of T+D, I’m feeling affirmed—validated, if you will.
An article by Rick Frattati highlights how McCormick & Company’s global learning and development function has been modified “to reflect the idea that a teaching organization is a key driver for a learning organization.”
McCormick & Company’s teaching organization model emphasizes four components:
- Corporate learning professionals
- Site-specific learning professionals
- Leader-teachers
- Peer-teachers
This is a great model, emphasizing the need for training, teaching, and learning throughout every aspect of the company.
If you think your company might be a tad light in training and teaching skills (and most are), this is something to look into. Like Senge says, the ability to learn is the only long-term competitive advantage. But how can people learn if nobody is equipped to teach them?
Filed in Work, Business, Training, Management, Leadership, Workplace, Train the Trainer, Corporate Culture
Here’s a question that came to mind after I finished reading your post:
If companies are going to be successful as learning organizations, shouldn’t one of the criteria they hire employees on be based in their ability and willingness to learn?
I’m not sure you could have a successful learning organization if you don’t have the people motivated and willing to learn new things, adapt to changes and apply what they learn to their job.
Good point. In fact, I wrote about that very thing in March of 2005 with a column titled Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill.
If African countries employ e-learning with emphasiz on ‘learning organization’ in their organizations, i think it would be far much better in improving their economy than what it is currently doing.