Explaining a learning orgLO10498

S. Sankaran (shankar@singnet.com.sg)
Tue, 15 Oct 1996 23:50:12 +0800 (SST)

Replying to LO10450 --

[Host's Note: Shankar cc:'d this to a long list of individuals; I deleted
the cc: list. To Shankar, good luck with your broadcast! ...Rick]

Hello,

This is my preparation for a radio interview tomorros to promote a local
conference. Thanks for all thos who contributed to the ideas expressed in
this email.

Q1 What is a learning organisation?

Before I answer this question I think we should talk about why learning
has become so important these days for the individual and his
organisation.

The world is changing rapidly. Old ways of doing things do not work any
more. Products and brands come into the market and disappear. Famous
companies become bankrupt. The way we make things is revolutionised. The
way we buy and consume products is transformed. Things that we took for
granted are changing rapidly - the way we work, the way we play and the
way we live our lives. Peter Vaill calls this the world of white water
where we have to continuously change course and adjust to survive. To do
this effectively we have to continuously learn.

According to Peter Senge, who popularised the term the learning
organisation, the organisations that will truly excel in the future will
be one who knows how to tap people's capacity to learn at all levels of
the organisation. In such organisations people continually expand their
capacity to create the results that they want, where new patterns of
thinking are not only encouraged but nurtured, where collective aspiration
is set free and people continually learn how to learn together. In a way
it is an ideal organisation but there are some good examples of
organisations who have and are exhibiting some of these traits. One of my
favourite learning organisations in Singapore is The Economic Development
Board or EDB.

Let me try and explain the concept of a learning organisation using the
example of a jazz band for the benefit of your listeners. Each player in
the band is an expert with the instrument he is playing. Each one
practices to play his instrument better, Together they create a collective
art form that is harmonious. When they play together they strive to make
their collective effort better. At different times one of them will lead
and the others will follow. When one is leading the others are thinking
how to support the leader to improve the collective effort. They are a
team of experts in their own right striving together to be a better team
by learning individually and collectively for the common good.

Q2 What is action learning?

Action learning is a process popularised by a famous physicist from
Cambridge, Reg Revans to help managers to learn together and from each
other. Managers who practice action learning in an organisation form what
are called action learning sets which meet regularly to find solutions to
real problems they face in the organisation in real time. By doing this
they develop individually and their organisation develops as well. The
meetings that they hold are unlike some boring meetings that you have in
your office. These meetings are exciting where the managers can express
their opinions freely and others can challenge their views as well as
support them to find an effective solution to their problem.

Action Learning occurs in learning cycles where managers plan, take action
as per their plan, observe what is happening, reflect and improve their
plan in the next round.

Q3 What is action research?

Action research is a method which has the dual aims of action and
research. Action to bring about change in some community or organisation.
Research to increase understanding on the part of the researcher or client
or both and often some wider community.

Sometimes the emphasis of action research is in the action and sometimes
it is the research. When the emphasis is on action then the outcome of
action research is change and learning for those who take part in the
process. If the emphasis is on research then the outcome is usually a
publication like a thesis or a paper to reach a wider audience of
researchers.

Like action learning, action research is cyclic, very responsive to the
situation and is usually participative. In the context of an organisation
participation leads to commitment and ownership of the change. The term
action research is usually attributed to Kurt Lewin, a social
psychologist, who advocated its use to solve social problems. In a
management context though action research is usually applied to improve
practice.

Q4 How can one build a learning organisation through action learning
and action research?

In learning organisations people continually learn which can be achieved
through a process like action learning. A learning organisation is also
continually adapting itself and action research can help to carry out the
change required for this adaptation smoothly.

In fact, there is a conference being held in Singapore about building a
learning organisation through action learning and action research.

Q5 Can you give us more details about the conference?

Yes I can. It is being organised by The Singapore Institute of Management
at Management House. Prominent practitioners from abroad will be holding
plenary sessions on the first day. There will be three such sessions. In
addition eleven concurrent workshops are being conducted including a
couple led by practitioners from the region and Singapore on action
learning and action research.

Hang on a second while I find the brochure. Yes here it is. If you are
interested you should contact Jacqueline Low or Augustine Lee at SIM at
4619180 for details on registration. I will be there at this interesting
conference. Will you?

How about that?

Regards

Shankar

----------------------------------------------
Shankar Sankaran
9 Upper Bukit Timah View #03-03
Bukit Regency
Singapore 588136
shankar@singnet.com.sg
Ph: (065) 4661244 (home)
Ph: (065) 7809455 (off.)
Fax:(065) 7862751 (off.)
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-- 

shankar@singnet.com.sg (S. Sankaran)

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>