Characteristics of a Learning Organization - Research Paper Example

?Characteristics of a Learning Organization Any learning organization must be able to change its behaviors when they do not meet the objectives of the organization. Experience is the best teacher, whenever the behaviors of the organization do not prove to be efficient according to the past experience; they should be replaced with new and appropriate behaviors. In addition, organizations that can be said be centers of learning must be able to change their mid sets whenever they find out that they cannot achieve any objective in the present as well as in the future. However, several learning organizations often dispute facts and certain truths. These organizations also end up repeating the same mistakes over and over again. The best example is situation whereby an organization spends a lot of time restructuring and repeating initiatives because the previous initiatives did not lead to the desired results (Boranmoon, 2005). My preferred learning organization is Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE). In addition, the Social Care Institute for Excellence is able to promote learning and leadership in its operations at all levels. The type of leadership promoted by the Social Care Institute for Excellence is able to promote accountability in various levels of leadership. Leaders as well as individuals are made accountable for their actions whenever they engage in decisions that do not contribute to the success of the organization. Organizations that encourage responsibility and accountability often become clearer and stronger in their dealings. These organizations also realize that they are able to produce good leaders of tomorrow who can bring change in the society in which they live in. creating responsible individuals is also important because they help in achieving the common goal to the organization. The Social Care Institute for Excellence’s vision, mission and values can fit well into an overall strategic direction. Learning organizations can only ensure that there is responsibility among individuals if they work through strong network of relationships and helping one another in correcting their weaknesses, rather that creating a working environment in which individuals work under pressure to achieve their objective (Boranmoon, 2005). The Social Care Institute for Excellence also ensures that there is a conducive learning environment for all individuals. The organization should take advantage and use the available intelligent resource within the organization to improve in their service delivery. This can only be achieved if every individual is given a chance to develop their skills and talents. Further, social Care Institute for Excellence engages both internal and external stakeholders in the decision making process. They them respond with adequate measures towards the issues generated by stake holders. Stakeholders must always be included in the decision making process for any learning organization to achieve their objectives. Lack of concern towards the views of the stakeholders can only lead to more complications in the process of implementing certain projects. Success in the implementation of all projects and activities of a learning organization depends upon the cooperation among all stakeholders (Boranmoon, 2005). Social Care Institute for Excellence ensures that there is sustainability thinking within the organization’s culture. Each and every individual within the organization should be made to think that they are very important to the sustainability of the organization. When individuals within the learning organization feel that they are very insignificant in the progress, the productivity may be affected thus affecting the ability to meet the set objectives. Every individual within the learning organization must feel a sense of worth in the operations and management of the organization (Boranmoon, 2005). Social Care Institute for Excellence incorporates the efforts of several individuals. It is more that just one person and it arises from the collaboration of individuals in groups and teams of different sizes. However, it is important to note that the success of a learning organization is not predictable and cannot be based on the contribution of several groups of people. There must be the right environment to ensure the success of learning organizations. The environment should be able to offer the individuals an opportunity to reflect on their pat actions and outcomes. They should also be prepared top accept some unpleasant truths about their past actions. Their acceptance to truths should not be blamed on the culture within the organization. They should be able to realize that their mistakes offer an opportunity for them to make corrections. Environments of this kind ensure that individuals distinguish the different types of mistakes that can be committed within an organization. There are mistakes that can be committed due to lack of thought and those that come as a result of exploring new ideas and thoughts. Social Care Institute for Excellence should never be afraid of making mistakes that are as a result of exploring new ideas. Individuals in the learning organizations must be given a chance to be innovative in their thinking so as to come up with some long term solutions to certain problems. Encouraging innovations means that individuals must be allowed to explore alternatives and be able to take risks that have been well thought of. However, not all alternatives in doing the experiments may be successful, success can only be achieved if individual are persistent in their activities and they should never give up. Consequently, individuals should be made to learn that failure is not a mistake. Failure is expected in any process of exploring new ideas (Dhamasiri, 2000). The process of learning at Social Care Institute for Excellence is always in a continuous process. In the process of learning, ideas will always be influenced by other people’s ideas. However, it should be noted that other people’s ideas, whether right or wrong are very important in the process of implementing the idea. The barrier to this characteristic is that most people will never allow other people’s ideas into their work. This barrier can only be solved if learning organizations realize that other people’s ideas have an influence on what happens next. Strategies normally change in the ever changing environment; therefore, learning organizations should never be afraid to change their strategies as well as their understanding concerning certain ideas. Certain strategies can never be static if they are expected to bring change into the organization. Sustainability can only be achieved if there is willingness to change strategies that may not lead to any benefits to the organization (Dhamasiri, 2000). The environments in which learning organizations operate are never static. The environment continues to change. Learning organizations need to change their actions, procedures and policies in order to conform to the ever changing environment. Lon term sustainability of an organization depends on its ability to continuously and appropriately conform to the changes in the surrounding. Social Care Institute for Excellence encourages team work. Team work ensures that individuals come together to explore new ideas without being dictated by the manager on what is the best strategy to follow. Team work provides an opportunity for individuals to self evaluate their selves in respect to other colleagues to ensure that they deliver quality services. One barrier to this characteristic is that certain managers view team work as a waste of time. Team work should never be seen as a waste of time. Team work is an important aspect of the innovative process which ensures that there is the creation of an environment that facilitates the culture of sustainability thinking. Consequently, leaning organizations should have efficient communication systems. This is because learning organizations have several networks of relationships. To maintain the network of relationship in the learning organization, communication and other forms of feedback must be availed. Communication systems are very important in situations whereby problems arise in the implementation phase of certain projects. Communication ensures Social Care Institute for Excellence explore all possibilities that can be used in solving the problem, for instance, communication can lead to the creation of new ideas thus coming up with important solutions to problems. Understanding the complicated characteristics of learning organizations only ensure that individuals work toward the achievement of common goals but no towards the elimination of the characteristics (Dhamasiri, 2000). Barriers to the characteristics One main barrier to the characteristics of the learning organization is the leadership style adopted. Aristocratic leadership is a major barrier in achieving success at any learning organization. Aristocratic managers never engage other individuals in the learning process as well as in the coming up of new ideas that can help improve the situation of the organization. In addition, managers who exercise aristocratic form of governance ensure that they affect the process of smooth flow of information. Information can never pass fro the juniors to the senior staff. When there is lack of free flow of information, several complications can arise. There can be lack of team work in achieving common objectives as well as creating lack of trust between the management and that working staff (Bennet & O’Brien, 1994). The second barrier comes in the manner in which learning organizations treat people from different ethnic and racial origin. Discrimination is very destructive to the progress of learning organizations. This barrier can only be eliminated when every individual is made to learn that all human beings, regardless of their ethnic and racial origin have got the same mental abilities. Discrimination ensures that intelligent and bright members of the organization are prevented from the decision making process as well as in the process of coming up with new inventions that can help in solving some problems. Further, discrimination against gender should be avoided. Patriarchy can never be useful in the progress of learning organizations. Men and women should be seen as equals who are capable bringing change into the organization. In addition, discrimination against age should not be tolerated. Age is never a factor in coming up with new innovative ideas that can assist in the learning process. Every individual should be given a chance to contribute their ideas. The old should accept being challenged by the young whenever they come up with new ides and vise versa (Bennet and O’Brien, 1994). In addition, another barrier to the characteristics is the inability to learn from mistakes. Learning organizations should always see mistakes as being very important in changing directions towards the implementation of certain projects. They should learn that mistakes can arise from lack of responsibility or arise from the process of engaging in innovative ideas. Mistakes arising from creativity should never be seen as being negative. This is because of the probability of the innovative ideas no achieving any progress and solutions. There are mistakes that can be committed due to lack of thought and those that come as a result of exploring new ideas and thoughts. To solve the barrier, learning organizations should understand that they cannot afraid of making mistakes that are as a result of exploring new ideas. Individuals in the learning organizations must be given a chance to be innovative in their thinking so as to come up with some long term solutions to certain problems. Encouraging innovations means that individuals must be allowed to explore alternatives and be able to take risks that have been well thought of. However, not all alternatives in doing the experiments may be successful, success can only be achieved if individual are persistent in their activities and they should never give up. Consequently, individuals should be made to learn that failure is not a mistake. Failure is expected in any process of exploring new ideas (Bennet and O’Brien, 1994). A barrier to the characteristics of learning organizations is the inability to challenge traditional perspectives. Managers should be able to come up with new innovative measures that can challenge the traditional ways of doing things. In addition, the managers should be able to manage the organization’s knowledge base and ensure that there are necessary changes in the organization. The most important aspect that should be introduced in the learning organizations is a change in the leadership style. Leaders should be seen as designers of new items and strategies, stewards and teachers of good morals. It is only through a change in leadership that most learning organizations can achieve their objectives. Leaders should be at the forefront in being the best example to other subordinates. Leaders can never expect progress in their learning organizations if they don’t become role models (Bennet and O’Brien, 1994). The inability of knowledge creation and transfer is another barrier. This barrier includes the inability of leaning organizations not to engage in constant development of new ideas and knowledge. In addition, knowledge and ideas should be circulated to all individuals in the organization. Leaning organizations can ensure that there is progress if they engage in effective transfer of information. They should also gather, store and disseminate knowledge easily and efficiently across the organization (Bennet and O’Brien, 1994). Lack of measure to ensure that there is quality is another barrier. Learning organizations should always be devoted in the continuous improvement of quality services in their environment. Quality also involves the process of engaging in continuous learning necessary in achieving the overall objectives. Another aspect of quality involves the effective global learning is the need for all employees to be well conversant with the areas of their specialty. This ensures that they discharge their duties according to the globally acceptable standards (Bennet and O’Brien, 1994). Finally, one important barrier is the environment that is not supportive to the success of the organization. Learning organizations should never neglect the contribution of the environment to the success of the organization. The environment should be able to support the needs of all the employees in meeting their full potential (Bennet & O’Brien, 1994). Conclusion Understanding the complicated characteristics of learning organizations only ensure that individuals work toward the achievement of common goals but no towards the elimination of the characteristics. Every individual in the learning organization should view himself or herself as being important to the progress of the organization. Learning should be in a continuous process, but not a one time event. Individuals should accept criticisms arising from other colleagues concerning their ideas and seek to find ways of improving their ideas. References Bennet, J.K., & O’Brien, M.J. (1994). “The building blocks of the learning organization.” Training, 31 June Vol.31,No.6 Boranmoon, B. (2005). Factors Affecting the learning organization in the municipal schools under Khon Kaen municipality, Khon Kaen province. Master of Education in Educational Administration. Khon Kaen University. Dhamasiri, M. (2000). Developing a Learning Organization Model Via Human Resource Development Unit as an Extension of Higher Education. Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education. Chulalongkorn University. Read More