More Related Content Similar to The Convergence of Strategy and Learning (20) More from Human Capital Media (20) The Convergence of Strategy and Learning1. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 1
The Convergence
of Strategy and
Corporate Learning
Roland Deiser
Founder & Chairman, European Corporate Learning Forum (ECLF)
Senior Fellow, Center for the Digital Future, USC Annenberg
rd@rolanddeiser.com
Fall 2010 CLO Symposium
September 27-29, 2010
Laguna Niguel, California/USA
2. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 2
Rethinking the
Paradigm of Learning
3. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 3
Massive Change and Disruption
Knowledge Based Competition
Global Horizontal Networks
New Role of the Periphery
New Strategic
Importance of
Learning
Learning is Gaining Strategic Importance – for the
Sustainability of Societies and Corporations
4. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 4
Redifining the Paradigm of Learning
5. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 5
A 5-Level Model of
Corporate Learning Interventions...
6. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 6
A Comprehensive Learning Architecture Needs to
Tap into a Variety of Tools and Interventions
Some Examples…
7. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 7
Redefining the Paradigm of Learning has an Impact
on the Identity and Scope of the Learning Function
Functional
Responsibility
Organizational
Challenge
Strategic
Challenge
Learning and
Development
Department
All relevant
stakeholders of the
organization
Customers
Suppliers
Alliances
Competitors
Regulators
Human
Resource
Function
Enterprise
Enlarged
Value
Chain
1 + 2
3 + 4
5
Low
Medium
High
Impact on
Business System
Perception of
„Learning“
Key Players Within
Learning Architecture
Reference
System
Stage
external organizational barriers
internal organizational barriers
8. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 8
Under the New Paradigm, Learning Becomes
Embedded as a Leadership Practice
Happens primarily in hierarchical
expert-student relationship
Happens primarily in horizontal
peer-to-peer relationship
Transfers existing knowledge, trains
prescribed behavior
Puts existing perspectives
and behavior into question
Focus on qualification for future
application
requires learning transfer
Focus on ongoing innovation,
change and transformation
transfer is not an issue
Happens remote from practice Is embedded in practice
Restricted Paradigm Comprehensive Paradigm
Learning as People Development
Learning as Strategic and
Organizational Process
Focus primarily on cognitive
competences
includes social, political,
and ethical competences
Learning as Educational Practice Learning as Leadership Practice
9. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 9
The Strategy Challenge
10. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 10
A New View of Strategy is Emerging
Emerging ViewTraditional View
Strategy as
extrapolating the past
Strategy as
an analytical exercise
Strategy as
top management activity
Strategy as positioning in an
existing Industry Space
Strategy as
fit with resources
Strategy as
creating the future
Strategy as an analytical and
organizational exercise
Strategy as comprehensive
organizational process
Strategy as
creating new industry space
Strategy as
stretch and leverage
11. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 11
From Strategic Planning to Strategic Management
Numbers
Pieces of Paper
Committees and Reports
Once a Year Exercise
Planning Department/Staff
Secret Process Known Only to
CEO and Top Management
Strategic Management Is Not
Qualitative Rationale for Focus and
Action Taking Throughout the
Organization
Organizational Foundation plus
Behavior = Results
Informal, "Natural", Dynamic
Process
Continuous Action/Learning/Change
Process
Led and Enacted by Senior and
Middle Management
Strategic Management Is
12. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 12
Ambidexterity Revisited:
Linking Strategy, Innovation, and Learning
Agenda for a Strategic Learning Architecture
Win the Present Create the Future
Agenda for
Performance
Improvement
Agenda for Sustaining/
Renewing Strategic
Leadership
Agenda for Industry and
Company Transformation
• What game are we
playing today?
• What are the
Key Success Factors?
• How do we compare against
our toughest competitors on
key industry drivers?
• What is our position
in key segments?
• How well are we utilizing our
assets and capabilities?
How can we leverage
our product, technology,
and people capabilities
to re-define value
creation for key
customer/market
segments?
• What game will we play in the
future?
• How can we accelerate
industry and company
transformation in ways that
benefit us?
• What is the appropriate
business model for that?
• What related capabilities will
the company require?
+ +
Understand Potential
Discontinuities
13. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 13
What is the company‘s point of view about its future?
What is its business model for creating and capturing value?
What unique capabilities support the business model?
What new capabilities will have to be acquired and how will they be
embedded?
What capabilities can be developed internally, what requires
partnering, what acquisitions?
How can the company stay alert to inflection points that will re-define
value in its business?
What is the company‘s migration path? Actions that will help it win in
the present while creating the future?
What type of leadership culture needs to be developed to make the
necessary change happen?
Strategic Agenda of a Typical Corporation
14. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 14
A Learning Architecture Needs to Impact the Domains
That Are Critical for Ongoing Strategic Innovation
Relationship to the
External World
M&A, Corporate venturing,
open innovation, customer
centricity
Organizational Design
foster cross boundary processes,
knowledge brokerage; create
heavy teams
Organizational Culture
Allow and design for difference
and diversity, commit to
managing ambidexterity
People
Develop Leadership
competencies - managing
creative talent, risk taking,
entrepreneurship
Strategy and
Business Rationale
Understand and critically
reflect business models
Arenas for
Corporate
Learning
Interventions
15. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 15
Learning and the Strategy Process:
A Simple Framework
16. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 16
3 Distinctive Elements of the Strategy Process
Strategy
Generation
Strategy
Formulation
Strategy
Execution
The strategy process is not a sequence of clearly separated steps
(traditional planning paradigm),
It is rather an iterative and circular process that leads to organizational
learning and the development of strategic competence
17. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 17
Strategy Generation
Is about understanding environmental forces and
organizational capabilities
Can be intuitive or analytical
Happens throughout the entire organization
Can be planned/ organized through mechanisms and
processes, or it happens coincidental, “anarchical”
“Designed Irritation” is an important source for seeing
differently
Seeing differently is an important source for creating
novel strategies that redefine existing business models
Dominant Logic: “Ask” - “Listen”
18. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 18
Strategy Formulation
Is about dealing with risks and opportunities
Sets directions that also include exclusion of alternative
opportunities
Makes choices explicit
Usually a very political process, including multiple stakeholders
Has impact on allocation of resources
Is only partly rational
Is rooted in existing mindsets and cognitive frameworks
Is a function of power dynamics
Dominant Logic: “Decide” - “Choose”
19. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 19
Strategy Execution
Requires political strategy and tactics
Micro politics are important
Cascading Training efforts may be required to build new
capabilities and/or establish new routines
Interventions for conscious unlearning may be required
Project Management is key (establishing processes,
milestone planning, prioritizing of actions, controlling etc)
Execution is source of learning in terms of experiences
that loop back to Generation
Challenge to cope with variety of situations
Dominant Logic: “Tell” - “Know”
20. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 20
The Three Elements Of The Strategy Process Follow
Fundamentally Different Rationales
All levels within relevant
network cluster
Center, top level
Periphery + all levels,
also external
constituencies
Organizational
level involved
Convincing, explainingReasoning, arguing
Investigating,
understandingDialogue
Culture
Organizational inertia,
Power issues (vertical)
Different assumptions,
perceptions; Power
issues (horizontal)
Ignorance towards the
unknownConflicts
Cascading Workshops,
Townhall Meetings,
Organizational
alignment
Top Executive Forum
Workshops
Learning Expeditions,
Customer visitsActivities
Create learning designs
for “telling”
Enable constructive
discourse
Create learning designs
for “listening”
Role of
Learning
Employees, Customers,
Strategic Partners
Senior Executives,
Board of Directors
Customers,
Competitors,
Employees
Stakeholders
Complying, accepting
Experimenting,
exploiting
Fighting, struggling,
reasoning,
competing
Inquiry, curiosity, open to
new perspectives,
learning, exploring
(Socio)
Dynamics
Generation Formulation Execution
21. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 21
How Do Your Current Activities and Projects Fit With
These Conceptual Frameworks?
22. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 22
More Details in My New Book That Also Features
Ten Case Studies From Global Corporations
Featuring cases from
• ABB
• BASF
• US
Army
• EADS
• UniCredit
• PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Novar=s
• Siemens
• EnBW
• Deutsche
Post
DHL
23. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 23
Please Do not Hesitate to Being in Touch
More material at www.rolanddeiser.com
Contact me at rd@rolanddeiser.com
25. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 25
What is learning anyway?
Knowledge Transfer is only a
very small part of the equation
The Cartesian paradigm:
Mechanistic, restricted to the cognitive, one way street
26. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 26
negotiating meaning to create a
shared understanding of the world
The Essence of Learning
The participative paradigm:
Dynamic, social, tapping into the mutual expertise of learners
27. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 27
Well Designed, a Corporate Learning Architecture
Impacts the Culture, Structure, and Strategy of the Firm
Help identify key strategic Issues
Facilitate strategic decision making
Help implement strategic initiatives
Help build the right capabilities
Work across organizational boundaries
Help improve managerial systems and
mechanisms
Build flexibility and responsiveness into
the organization
Help create shared vision
Help create leadership culture
Integrate and socialize members
Encourage discourse and collaboration
Help create openness, trust
Capability Portfolio
Business Model
Strategy
Structure Culture
28. © 2006-2010 Roland Deiser CLO Symposium – Sep 27-29, 2010 Page 28
Key Questions for a Strategic Learning Architecture
What institutional structures and systems exist within the
firm and between its relevant external partners as a
managed framework for developing and nurturing
strategic competence (learning architecture)?
What is the specific business model driving this
framework? How is it linked to the operational core of
the firm? How does it work as a competence and
business developing "engine"?
What are organizational cornerstones of the framework?
Which practices does the framework contain, and how are
they interrelated?
Which players are actively and intentionally included
within the framework? How are they managed?