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The 5 Essential Traits of a Learning Organization

In a rapidly evolving digital world, human resources are the biggest asset for any organization. Thus, creating a culture of learning is essential to tap into the true potential of your employees and stoke their growth.

A “learning organization,” conceptualized by Peter Senge, empowers individuals to pursue their interests, nurtures innovation and creativity, and focuses on the vision of transformation. In other words, it is synonymous with freedom and collaborative thinking.

In short, by prioritizing the contributions of your employees, you can drive personal growth and manage workplace performance. More importantly, you can instill confidence in employees that their ideas are valued.

Find out more about the five essential traits of a learning organization and see how you can bring them into action.

A flat organizational structure

The process of cultivating a culture of learning starts with the symbolic erosion of a hierarchy.

Markedly, a hierarchical structure creates a fear of making mistakes, a habit of seeking permission, and a reluctance to pitch new ideas.

Unlike an organizational setup in traditional organizations, a learning organization works on collaboration and open communication. To nurture a level of interdependence, they naturally adopt a more horizontal organizational structure.

For example, transparency, autonomy, and confidence are some of the most foundational qualities required to build an organizational structure powered by change.

Plan of action

Here are some actionable ways for you to flatten the hierarchy in your organization:

  • An open-door policy of communication
  • A be-your-own-boss approach
  • Cross-functional meetings and remote training

Innovative problem-solving approach

Innovation and change are the only ways organizations can sustain themselves in the future.

Not only does a learning organization imbibe innovation and enable its employees to ideate with autonomy, but it also encourages you to think beyond the mainstream. From senior executives to interns, everybody ideates at the same level and are free to contribute with their out-of-box ideas for solving problems.

According to Peter Senge, a learning organization should challenge the assumptions and usual behaviors to learn, innovate, and change.

Plan of action

Implement these practices to promote innovative thinking in your team:

  • Conduct engaging brainstorming sessions
  • Encourage distraction-free deep work
  • Promote learning through blogs and training material
  • Focus on empathizing with the employees

Collaborative rather than a competitive learning environment

On the whole, a learning organization focuses on imparting knowledge in a collaborative environment.

Individuals work in a group to brainstorm to combine their diverse skills and expertise. Such differing opinions and ideas can create an enriching learning experience. Moreover, this collaborative knowledge-sharing framework builds trust and confidence among the employees to contribute more freely.

As a matter of fact, a peer learning approach also empowers the team to succeed and fail together and eliminates any rigid perceptions of the members.

Plan of action

Here are some ways you can cultivate greater collaboration in your team:

  • Hold open-for-all meetings and discussions
  • Implement and include knowledge sharing strategies in the day-to-day work culture
  • Use creative collaboration tools like Miro
  • Encourage cross-functional communication

People-oriented leadership

A lot rests on the kind of leadership present in an organization. Namely, a learning organization thrives on forward-thinking leadership.

More than any employee, the CXOs, managers, and top-level executives must show commitment to their people. These leaders also carry the force of change by giving the team a direction to move forward. Therefore, their approach towards their employees is important.

Furthermore, from identifying challenges to discussing the company’s shared vision, the top leadership is responsible for fostering a learning culture and motivating employees to follow suit.

Plan of action

Promote people-oriented leadership in your organization through these methods:

  • Interact with everyone on a more personal basis
  • Build relationships through consistent communication
  • Publish thoughts on key matters for your team

Mutually accepted vision

The fifth most essential trait of a learning organization is the vision it is striving to achieve.

A learning organization works with a collective identity and a shared vision. This vision can be either the management’s strategically planned goals or the employees’ shared objectives. In addition, it has to reflect the company culture and act as a guiding principle for the team.

Notably, the key differentiator between a traditional company’s vision and that of a learning organization is that the latter does not believe in putting the vision on the website or the office wall. In effect, a learning organization works toward and iterates on its vision as the company grows.

Plan of action

You can build a mutually accepted vision by encouraging employees to:

  • Share what matters to them
  • Visualize their future for the company

Conclusion

Creating a meaningful culture of learning is a crucial driver of business growth. Basically, as a learning organization, you can offer freethinking and team learning avenues—empowering your employees to maximize their potential.

In summary, a learning organization allows individuals to pursue their creativity and make mistakes without the fear of consequences. Because of this, in an increasingly competitive market, inculcating these values in your employees is bound to secure good results for your business goals.

Encourage communication and knowledge sharing. Also, shift the focus from your profits to your people–and witness the transformation of your organization.

What to Do Now About the Widening Gap in Data Skills

With the rise of our technology driven, increasingly mobile society, as well as the steady march forward of the Internet of Things, big data is everywhere. And when I say big — I mean big. And many people are wondering just what to do about the widening data skills gap.

Here are some eye-opening stats:

  • Big Data is big news:There has been more data created in two short years than in the entire history of the human race, and 73 percent of companies have already invested or plan to invest in big data this year.
  • Big Data means big money:For a typical Fortune 1000 company, a 10 percent increase in data accessibility could equal more than $65 million additional net income.
  • Big Data means big operating margins:Retailers who capitalize on big data could increase their operating margins by as much as 60 percent.
  • Big Data means big potential:Here’s the kicker, though — less than 0.5 percent of all the data created and tracked is being used.

The rise of the data scientist.

As more businesses complete their digital transformations, we can pity the poor Chief Data Officer, who are finding it increasingly difficult to fill the roles needed. First, there’s a definite dearth of qualified data scientists and data analysts out there: A study by McKinsey reported that “…by 2018, the U.S. alone may face a 50 to 60 percent gap between supply and requisite demand of deep analytic talent.” And that means one thing. When the demand far outweighs the supply, those in demand aren’t going to come cheap. According to a recent Bloomberg piece, the starting salaries for data scientists have already topped the $200,000 per year mark and summer internships pay anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000 a month.

Recruiting and hiring for big data.

So how do you recruit and hire for data analyst roles? To start with, you need to look for people who are equal parts number-crunchers and visionaries. Your talent has to be able to decipher what the data means and to describe the “big picture” the data is forming.

  • Next, partner with higher education.The great news is that colleges and universities are starting to wake up to this data skills gap. Deloitte’s Analytics Trends 2016 reports that university analytics and data science programs are gathering steam, both in America and abroad. And this is where companies can benefit. As John Lucker, principal at Deloitte Consulting said recently,” Companies…need to really develop close relationships with these degree programs. Creating a true courtship between companies and universities is becoming more and more important.”
  • Invest in current employees.While you don’t want to try and fit a square peg into a round hole, there’s a possibility you have people on your team already who have that perfect mix I spoke about above. Perhaps the person in business operations who happens to have an affinity for crunching numbers and analyzing data results. Maybe one of your programmers works closely with the digital marketing teams and therefore has a deep understanding of the goals and strategies when it comes to customer acquisition and retention. Keeping your eyes peeled for these types, and developing training programs for existing employees who are interested in big data (or who know big data and are interested in learning more about the company as a whole) can save money in the long run.
  • Keep systems and technology up to date.This might cost at the beginning, but ensuring you have the best technology available will help you whether you’re looking to hire or train from within.A recent Bain study found that of the 400 companies they spoke to (with revenue in the billion dollar range), at least a third didn’t have the state-of-the-art tools, quality data, processes, and incentives in-house that are needed to attract and retain high-level data analysts.

If investing in tech is out of range right now, you could also consider outsourcing your data-analytics to a respected managed services provider (MSP). But be sure and treat that relationship as a partnership, and be involved every step of the way. Your MSP should be privy to how your business runs. Don’t just outsource your data analytics and hope for the best.

The goal of every organization today should be ensuring they have a fully functioning and well-staffed data analytics program in place. This requires a bit of investment, but also requires collaboration and communication between those dealing with the data, and those dealing with the results. Start thinking outside the box now, and take proactive steps to make sure your businesses growth isn’t stifled by the widening “big data” skills gap.

A version of this was first posted on Entrepreneur.