Practice #1 of 8 Integrate Learning and Working
I believe that positioning learning as an “add-on” to people’s regular work can be the single most significant constraint to fostering a learning culture in organisations.
Too often learning gets pigeon-holed into a separate channel of initiatives, imposed from the top of the hierarchy
Most organisations lack effective practices for integrating learning and work. Doing this well starts with appreciating the reality of people’s work and then creating space for dialogue and reflection.
My experience is that organisational leaders resist allowing time for talking. Perhaps what they are really resisting is what they see as reflection for its own sake, or “navel-gazing”. They want reflection that is associated with action.
Decision-making
Organisations that integrate action and reflection make better decisions to which people are more committed to implementing. Creating a reflective space through emergent dialogue brings a richer set of perspectives to the surface. This enables agility; valuable in turbulent times.
After Action Reviews
A valuable reflective practice is After Action Reviews (AARs). They are used by the military and many police forces around the world to reflect on serious incidents. The four questions for an AAR are:
- What just happened?
- Why do you think it happened?
- How can we learn from this?
- How w ill we apply these learnings?
Everyone is included in the dialogue. There is no blame. The learnings are recorded. The value of the learning is visible in consequent actions.
Read about the Five Disciplines of Learning Organisations
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