1 Organisational Learning - People in the Process Dtalk Seminar Managing People and Change in Development 29 September 2005 Bruce Britton, INTRAC

2 Overview of presentation What is organisational learning? Where do individuals fit in? Barriers to organisational learning Practical steps towards organisational learning

3 How was your week?

4 Organisational learning Individual and collective learning in an organisational context that contributes to changed organisational behaviour

5 Levels of learning in organisations Individual Team Organisation

6 If learning was a crime?

7 If learning was a crime … Motive

8 If learning was a crime … Motive Means

9 If learning was a crime … Motive Means Opportunity

10 What do people need in order to contribute to organisational learning? Motive  reasons for contributing Means  tools and methods for contributing Opportunity  favourable circumstances and ‘space’ for contributing

11 Motive - the reasons for contributing to organisational learning Understanding where you and your contributions fit in Supportive culture  Wheatley’s principles - people want to share their knowledge, everyone is a source and people choose to contribute based on commitment, valuing colleagues, respecting leaders, encouragement and not fearing negative consequences  Knowing that learning is legitimate, encouraged, supported, resourced, rewarded and used Supportive leadership  Prioritisation  Communication  Legitimacy  Example  Recognition

12 Means - the tools and methods for organisational learning Conceptual clarity - understanding individual and collective learning The necessary competences - how to learn and how to contribute Access to a range of methods and tools Specialist support Access to resources

13 Opportunity - the ‘space’ for organisational learning Organisational learning as a strategic goal --> team and individual work plans Learning as an integral part of the planning and management cycle and other routine activities Access to knowledge management infrastructure including CoP Networks of relationships built on trust

14 What do organisations need to do in order to encourage learning?

15 External barriers to learning 1.Working in increasingly complex situations 2.Short term funding leading to high staff turnover and lack of continuity 3.Pressure to diversify focus of activity 4.Project-based funding 5.Lack of unrestricted funds - to ‘buy the time’ 6.Pressure to demonstrate low overheads 7.Competition for public profile and funding 8.Image - the need for success stories

16 Internal barriers to learning - Individual and Team Individual  Limited understanding of importance/purpose of learning  Psychological barriers (eg pride, fear, cynicism, need for quick fixes, mistrust, bad experiences)  Limited networking/relationship-building  Limited skills  Lack of incentive or recognition for learning  Job insecurity Team  Underdeveloped leadership & teamwork competences  Underdeveloped team communications  Territorialism / bunker mentality

17 Barriers to organisational learning

18 Internal barriers to organisational learning - Organisation 1.Activist / unsupportive culture 2.Lack of leadership commitment / understanding 3.Centralised / hierarchical structures 4.Geographical spread 5.Underdeveloped systems 6.Under-resourcing 7.Institutionalised ‘defensive routines’ 8.Staff turnover

19 Overcoming barriers to organisational learning 1.Agree the intended benefits of organisational learning 2.Identify the barriers - using different approaches for a more holistic picture 3.Assess the organisation’s capacities - what’s working well? 4.Identify early adopters - promote and build on existing good practices 5.Address motive, means and opportunity issues 6.Make learning a part of strategy (planned and emergent) 7.Address functional issues

20 Assessing the eight learning functions to identify strengths / barriers to learning

21 Practical starting points for organisational learning - Individuals 1.Build learning into job descriptions and individual work plans (motive) 2.Ensure everyone has a plan for their own learning and development (means) 3.Develop reflective practitioner competencies (means) 4.Leadership development using the ‘5 disciplines’ (means) 5.Ensure leaders act as champions / models 6.Provide a range of opportunities - supervision, mentoring, coaching, action-learning 7.Encourage and enable people to make informal connections with colleagues (opportunity)

22 Practical starting points for organisational learning - Teams 1.Build learning objectives into project and programme plans (motive) 2.Develop collective responsibility for results through team appraisal (motive) 3.Develop team-working and facilitation skills (means) 4.Create a team of internal facilitators to support After Action Reviews (means) 5.Create informal teams using action learning sets and communities of practice (opportunities)

23 Knowledge Management Generations

24 Practical starting points for organisational learning - Organisation 1.Strategy Take a strategic approach to learning (planned and emergent) Apply a learning approach to strategy 2.Structure Reduce hierarchical levels Consider specialist support units / posts 3.Systems  Build learning requirements into project / programme design, planning and evaluation  Commission thematic reviews and evaluations  Use 3G knowledge management infrastructure 4.Culture Ensure that learning is legitimate, encouraged, supported, resourced, rewarded and used Lead by example

25 Creating a Learning Culture Non-Learning Behaviours  Giving in to pressure  Accepting assumptions  Being over-cautious  Burying problems and mistakes  Defensive routines  Acting in isolation  Blaming others Learning Behaviours  Asking questions  Showing interest  Challenging assumptions  Admitting problems & mistakes  Converting mistakes into learning  Networking  ‘Boat-rocking’ and acting as a devil’s advocate  Demonstrating humility

26 Developing a strategy for organisational learning Develop a planned strategy Create conditions for emergent possibilities Motive Means Opportunity

27 Organisational learning - some examples Organisational Self-assessment (SMC, TearFund, WaterAid) Networking (BOND SMOLNet, KM4DEV) Learning Team (Christian Aid’s PL&D Team) Knowledge Management Systems (WWF K- Zone) Corporate Knowledge Project (TearFund) Exchange programmes (WWF) Action learning (Traidcraft, BOND)