Importance of Learning and Training in an Organization

Importance of Learning and Training in an Organization

Humans are now holding the biggest and most powerful empire ever seen on earth. No other living thing or living system has survived and got stronger like humans did. I think humans achieved this because of two major reasons. One is that humans have the ability to learn and develop using their mental abilities. And secondly is that humans are indeed using that ability. On average humans spend the first twenty years of their lives learning. Like all organizations, Shell is a "living company" as referred to by Arie de Geus. A living organization which in fact needs training and learning to develop and survive in today's ever changing economy. Unless an organization can cope with it changing environment, it will die. It is thus crucial that an organization constantly strive to learn more about its environment and the people involved with the organization.

In a way those who work in a learning organization are "fully awakened" people. They are engaged in their work, striving to reach their potential, by sharing the vision of a goal with their colleagues. They have mental models to guide them in the pursuit of personal mastery, and their personal goals are in alignment with the mission of the organization. Working in a learning organization is far from being a slave to a job that is unsatisfying; rather, it is seeing one's work as part of a whole, a system where there are interrelationships and processes that depend on each other. Consequently, awakened workers take risks in order to learn, and they understand how to seek enduring solutions to problems instead of quick fixes. Lifelong commitment to high quality work can result when teams work together to capitalize on the synergy of the continuous group learning for optimal performance. Those in learning organizations are not slaves to living beings, but they can serve others in effective ways because they are well-prepared for change and working with others.

Organizational learning involves individual learning, and those who make the shift from traditional organization thinking to learning organizations develop the ability to think critically and creatively. These skills transfer nicely to the values and assumptions inherent in Organization Development. Organization Development is a "long-term effort at continuous improvement supported at all levels of the organization, using interdisciplinary approaches and modern technologies." Organization Development is the mother field that encompasses interventions, such as organization learning. Organizational Development is about people and how they work with others to achieve personal and organizational goals. Many times achieving goals means making changes that require creative thinking and problem solving. The values held by Organizational Development practitioners include "wanting to create change, to positively impact people and organizations, enhance the effectiveness and profitability of organizations, to learn and grow, and exercise power and influence." Over time values do change according to change in the economy.

The interest in "Learning Organizations" is basically the search for the unattainable. It remains a never ending quest as companies are seeking to improve existing products and services (continuous improvement) and innovation (breakthrough strategies), but they find that such activities succeed and depend on human factors, such as skills, attitudes and organizational culture.

Learning Organizations are those who make use of the five "component technologies" as expressed by Peter Senge:

1. System Thinking- Seeing the whole as well as the relationship between the parts

of the system.

2. Personnel Mastery- continuously clarifying and deepening our personal vision using our energy to develop our selves.

3. Mental Models- challenging the stereotypes and mental maps that managers carry

around with them.

4. Building Shared Vision- leadership through communicating vision and values.

5. Team Learning-