- The document outlines an agenda for a think tank session on organizational learning - The session will have two rounds of group collaboration to discuss measuring learning, techniques for learning, and whether organizations truly learn - Key topics to be addressed include the barriers and enablers to learning in organizations, and how learning can become a regular part of work instead of isolated training sessions

1. Andy Longshaw (Advanced Legal)
Chris Cooper-Bland (Endava)
Nick Rozanski (Barclays Investment Bank)
SPA2014
01st
–
04th
July
2014
When
Will
We
Ever
Learn?

2. } Think tank with objectives and outputs
} Blog and pre-reading straw poll
} 2 (sets of) groups
◦ Reflectors who have prior experience at addressing
this issue or who have done the pre-reading
◦ Explorers have an interest but no background or
research

3. 00:00
–
00:10
Introductions, session objectives and Learning
Organizations
00:10
–
00:30
Collaboration 1
00:30
–
00:40
Measuring, learning, techniques and tactics
00:40
–
01:10
Collaboration 2
01:10
–
01:15
Wrap up

4. Learning is not part of the day-to-day work done
in many organisations.
Where learning is done…
…it tends to be done in batches
disconnected from the work
(e.g. going on training courses,
tranches of research, etc.)…
…or sporadically, largely driven by individuals
who have a specific desire to learn

5. } Does it have to be that way?
} What are the blockers and enablers?
} How do we measure knowledge and learning?
} What techniques and tactics can we adopt?

6. } The right atmosphere
◦ Blame culture or supportive?
© Scott Adams and United Media

7. } Organizational and team learning
◦ Lesson learned reviews are often cathartic, but are
the lessons learned?
◦ Do retrospectives actually lead to new
understanding?
} Individual learning
◦ Use up the training budget
◦ Pick something that looks good on my CV

8. Stanford Review
http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/the_challenge_of_organizational_learning

9. } Google – ring fenced time for own projects
} Microsoft – knowledge sharing
} Toyota – Lean improvements
} Many others
◦ http://www.clomedia.com/articles/
what_are_learning_organizations_and_what_do_they
_really_do

10. } Do you believe that you work in a learning
organization?
◦ If not, then why is it not one?
◦ If so, then what does it do to make it that way?
} Does it depend on context?
◦ Would a small company spend £5k p/a on learning for
an employee? Or would a large one?
} What would you advise if you could make
yourself heard in an organization?
} In groups and present back

11. } Taxonomies
◦ Have you
used them?
◦ Do they work
for you?

13. } What skills and
techniques do you
currently know?
} What ones do you
believe you need
to be able to apply?
} Example: Create
a radar
} Now you know what you need, what do you do…

14. } Many theories on this, unproven, but useful
} We all use a mix, different styles for
different things

15. } Training courses
◦ ILT
◦ CBT
} Books
} Online conference sessions
} Blogs
} Dojos

16. } Katas
} Workshops

17. } Measurement
◦ How do you measure what you currently know or
what you have learned?
} Filling the gaps
◦ How do you determine what you need to know?
} Techniques and tactics for learning
◦ What have you tried that worked or doesn’t work?
◦ How much depends on context of org or people?
} In groups and present back
◦ We will build a matrix
What tools have
you used?

18. } Thoughts round the room
} We will write up on conference wiki