Organizations are increasingly focusing on "learning" as an effective way to deal with change. What is learning?
The Merriam Websters dictionary describes learning as the act or experience of one that learns. Learning refers to knowledge or skill acquired by instruction and may result in modification of a behavioral tendency. Heres a description of whats happening within our minds as we learn.
We've discussed in an earlier blog the "hows" and "whys" of making learning a "conscious" habit. Lets now look at why it is all the more important to focus on learning in the present day than ever.
1. It helps us deal more effectively with competition
2. It helps us deal with change more effectively
3. It helps enhance our Employability
4. The worlld expects us to take responsibility for our leaning
5. The Learning Organization is Emerging (will discus this in detail)
Points 1 through 4 are easy to understand so lets focus on point 5 - emergence of the learning organization.
Innovative organizations are shifting focus to “learning” rather than “adapting” as an effective way for dealing with change, . Why? here's why?
The basic problem with the idea of change is that of resistance. For example, I come up to you and tell you - "Hey, you should change" ...what would your immediate response be? - mostly on the lines - “Me! why should I change? Maybe you should change!”
Peter Senge - a leading theorist on the concept of the learning organization says, “Learning taps a different source of motivation, a source of motivation that’s actually much more likely to produce change”
Learning results in change plus “something”. And that something is "capacity"- capacity to sustain the change.
In other words, when you learn to ride a bicycle, you don’t just change - as in, one day you weren’t able to ride and now suddenly you do. Instead you have built capacity - meaning, "from now on" you can not only ride a bicycle (which was the original idea) but you have also built capacity to use all the other benefits of "knowing" how to ride a cycle (such as perhaps go cycling with your girlfriend or enhance your fitness). When we focus on learning we get change as a natural byproduct and we get something which is more likely to endure.
Humans are satisfied by purposes which have perennial rather than limited advantage. Learning is a skill which helps us gain something which is of value both for ourselves as well as for others for a longer time period. The skill improves with practice. There is so much to gain in committing to a life of learning.
And learning is a skill that leaders cannot ignore. Kennedy’s words, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other” strings a chord. Happy learning!
The Merriam Websters dictionary describes learning as the act or experience of one that learns. Learning refers to knowledge or skill acquired by instruction and may result in modification of a behavioral tendency. Heres a description of whats happening within our minds as we learn.
We've discussed in an earlier blog the "hows" and "whys" of making learning a "conscious" habit. Lets now look at why it is all the more important to focus on learning in the present day than ever.
1. It helps us deal more effectively with competition
2. It helps us deal with change more effectively
3. It helps enhance our Employability
4. The worlld expects us to take responsibility for our leaning
5. The Learning Organization is Emerging (will discus this in detail)
Points 1 through 4 are easy to understand so lets focus on point 5 - emergence of the learning organization.
Innovative organizations are shifting focus to “learning” rather than “adapting” as an effective way for dealing with change, . Why? here's why?
The basic problem with the idea of change is that of resistance. For example, I come up to you and tell you - "Hey, you should change" ...what would your immediate response be? - mostly on the lines - “Me! why should I change? Maybe you should change!”
Peter Senge - a leading theorist on the concept of the learning organization says, “Learning taps a different source of motivation, a source of motivation that’s actually much more likely to produce change”
Learning results in change plus “something”. And that something is "capacity"- capacity to sustain the change.
In other words, when you learn to ride a bicycle, you don’t just change - as in, one day you weren’t able to ride and now suddenly you do. Instead you have built capacity - meaning, "from now on" you can not only ride a bicycle (which was the original idea) but you have also built capacity to use all the other benefits of "knowing" how to ride a cycle (such as perhaps go cycling with your girlfriend or enhance your fitness). When we focus on learning we get change as a natural byproduct and we get something which is more likely to endure.
Humans are satisfied by purposes which have perennial rather than limited advantage. Learning is a skill which helps us gain something which is of value both for ourselves as well as for others for a longer time period. The skill improves with practice. There is so much to gain in committing to a life of learning.
And learning is a skill that leaders cannot ignore. Kennedy’s words, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other” strings a chord. Happy learning!
I agree to most of it but then except for a rare few ,how many among us have really learned something other what teaches us from the day at our desk or outside.Learning(study) has been a negative term : learn your lessons or else , learn so that you have your degree,learn from your neighbor's son .Its been observed if someone wants to survive he adapts and if he wants to live to his potential ,he learns and neither of the attitude can be forced upon.
ReplyDeleteHi Sajeev..thanks for your thoughts...the attempt is share a powerful case to develop a discipline of conscious learning...by perhaps using a learning journal or daily reflection.
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