Week 8- Organisational learning interventions

Organisational Learning Mechanics

Org must posses structures that enables their members to collect, analyse, disseminate and apply info and knowledge. These structures are org learning mechanics (OLM).

Offline Internal OLMs

Why Are OLMs Useful?

(See reading for extra info)

Highlights similarities and differences between individual and org learning.

Help demystify org learning org learning by providing a non-metaphorical way of showing how orgs learn.

After-Action Reviews

These two practices are based on 2 principles:

1. Orgs accumulate valuable knowledge that is directly relevant to their success, so they benefit from critical reflection by individual members, groups or the org

2. Reflection is best carried out by the same individuals who participated in the action or project because they are the ones responsible for the outcomes and for the implementation of lessons learned.

Potential dangers to this approach because individuals may be subject to pressures to cover up errors and shirk responsibility for failure.

After Action Report has critical issues:

1. Done immediately after the action

2. Inclusive of all those who took part in the action

3. Follow a structured process

4. Leading back to action as possible

Communities of Practice

Groups whose members meet regularly to share knowledge and learn together

Similar to AARs in that both are predicated on the assumption that org can benefit by sharing knowledge that accumulates inside the minds of members.

Communities of practice is voluntary and focus on improving professional skills, team focus on performing tasks. Communities of practice may last several years. Self organised but orgs support.

Knowledge derived by communities is tacit (ability to do things without being able to explain them completely, e.g. knowing how to talk or walk)

Online Internal OLMs

Means that working and learning are fused: task performance becomes an OLM

(See Reading for extra info)

Online Experimentation

This form of learning is used for testing hidden assumptions and for testing a new course of action. Usually carried out by acting on the assumptions or implementing the new actions and observing the compatibility.

Online Debriefing

A form of practice that denotes the mindful way in which experts practice and constantly hone their skills.

Offline External OLMs

Offline OLMs is that learning is best performed by experts

Post Project Assessment Units

3 different OLMS:

1. CALL (used for army training activities)

2. British Petroleum post-project assessment unit.

3. Shell's strategic scenario planning unit

For example in CALL, teams observe training activities then identify lessons learned for improving future training

Scenario-Planning Units

Originally forecasting was widely used now is replaced by scenario building. The purpose is not predicting the future but to change the manager's shared mental model (world view) to a variety of potential eventualities.

Successful learning involves challenging current assumptions and beliefs about the world that drive decision making and action.

Online External OLMs

Designed to link org members with persons with relevant knowledge or expertise who can help them learn or apply this knowledge

Coaching Networks

Coaching is working with others, in one-on-one relationships to help them achieve breakthroughs in knowledge

Peer Assists

Face-to-face transfer of knowledge. Combining knowledge about works with the knowledge of the assistee about specific conditions.

The aim is for the assistee to be enabled to perform an action better.

Choosing the "Right" OLM

First must differentiate between OLM and org learning methodologies and technologies. Org learning methodologies include learning by joint ventures or hiring key personnel, training, best practice transfer.

Org learning technologies include intranet, software. Org learning methodologies and tech are not OLMs but are elements of an OLM once teams or org use it for learning.

Simply installing IT systems or starting org learning initiative is misguided. Org learning begins with setting up OLMs as well as policies to foster it.

4 Principles for choosing the right OLM

1. OLMs can be formal and informal org entities, e.g. communities of practice is informal. Common factor is that both are enduring

2. Matching the OLM to the org. There are two appraoches, design and replication. The design approach consists of considering specific best practice that suits the circumstance. The replication approach consists of surveying the OLMs that are already in place in the org and selecting those that can be replicated in other units of the org.

3. The 'right' OLM is the one which members deem suitable for the circumstance, this engages members.

4. Remember that descriptions of best practices pertain to mature systems that have evolved through trials.