Mike Smith commented
>John Woods comments on the "bottom" part of Maslow's hierarchy, and the
>need to address survival needs in order to move up the hierarchy.
>I have recently begun to wonder if one can address survival by focusing on
>survival. In our current situation, it may require that we focus on the
>"top" of the hierarchy in order to accomplish survival.
>Is this not the heart of the matter in creating learning organizations?
>We focus on learning in order to survive (and more).
This seems to imply that learning is more associated with the "top" of
the hierarchy -- self fulfilment. As many other folks on the list have
said, most organizations learn in some manner, as does most individuals. A
homeless person who is focused on survival has to learn how to achieve
this -- where to sleep, where to obtain food, money etc. Observing the
"regulars" in my downtown area, some seem to have learnt to do it very
well -- when judged against the standard of survival.
My take on the heart of the matter in creating learning organizations is
the need to focus on learning in order to grow.
Prahalad, in a chapter in The Portable MBA in Strategy, offers the
following argument:
- Downsizing, restructuring, and streamlining organizations cannot
substitute for vigorous, internally generated growth.
- Growth and new business development are the real issues.
- The strategic intent is to shape a new business context -- one that will
provide new offerings or solutions for customers.
He then goes on to discuss the importance of a strategic architecture,
which identifies the capabilities to build and cultivate.
In my view, learning organization concepts and practices are key in the
building and cultivating of such capabilities. The key issue being that
there is strategic thought about what needs to be learned and how that
learning is to be achieved. In training circles, it is often argued that
the training process is "systematic" and therefore not leaving learning to
chance. For me, a true LO has a similar intent, being aware of what it
needs to learn and ensuring that this learning is both achieved and
optimized.
Peter A. Smith
Orbis Learning Corporation
74363,3637@compuserve.com
"Individual learning is a necessary but insufficient force
for organizational learning." Argyris, C. & Schon, D.A.
-- Orbis <74363.3637@compuserve.com>