Elissa Perry, Leadership Learning Community

"When knowledge gained somewhere doesn't move elsewhere, that's not a learning organization; that's just a bunch of projects." - The Saratoga Institute

It can be difficult to encourage new ideas and innovation from people who aren't in positions with leadership titles or much technical authority. People fear speaking up for reasons tied not just to personal style, but also -- and perhaps more commonly -- to organizational culture. There are a number of challenges as well as supports that can limit or open the space for learning and exchange in an organization.

You should start by fostering and supporting a culture of learning and innovation.

There are a great many theories out there about the subject at hand. Some talk about listening organizations, some talk about openness, some talk about flatness. Some have 7 principles, some have 10, some have 12.

There are stool analogies, triangle analogies and iceberg analogies. We all talk about action research, communities of practice, and authentic assessment, systems perspectives, feedback loops, etc.

Basically, at their root, all of these schools of thought agree that learning entities -- people, organizations & systems -- that seek and apply and promote information sharing and the development of knowledge and understanding are successful.

The styles or models of leadership that work well in cultures of learning also have several names (Facilitative, Shared, Strategic, Collective, Collaborative) but are, in general, more shared, flat, and collaborative. This does not mean that there is no hierarchy. It means there is transparency and trust with clear lines of communication and accountability and fewer levels of hierarchy.

Simply put, learning organizations cultivate generative and synergistic relationships among people who bring diverse experiences, resources, skills, talents, and a commitment to a common purpose or vision. Therefore. hierarchy must be technical and with as few levels as necessary -- and no social hierarchy that would prevent this diversity from being in the same room as teachers and learners.

What it Takes to Support a Learning Culture

• Leader as Designer

  • Make innovation an expectation: reward, support and integrate it into processes.

  • Fund learning. Make it an organizational priority written into budgets and work plans. And, make it accessible.

  • Pay attention to all “levels”/functions within the organizations -- with respect, trust, communication and personalization.

• Leader as Teacher

  • Lead by example. Ask questions, be vulnerable.

  • Use internal blogs or other regular and easily shareable and updatable format.

  • Participate in task forces.

  • Be willing to be a learner when it’s not your area of expertise.

  • Diversify teaching/learning methods and opportunities.

  • Encourage risk-taking and stretch-goals.

  • Focus and build on gains instead of focusing on running from losses.

• Leader as Steward

  • Staff development should be prized.

  • Institute an open staff development policy (document it and write it into planning and funding).

  • Measure the return on investment, not just using the individual as the unit of measure ,but also the processes and networks she touches.

Questions to Ask

• What’s the history of multi-directional communication in your organization? Have there been repercussions for contributions in the past?

• Where are we and what have we gained? (Instead of, "What have we lost?")

• What needs to change in the organizational policies, systems and structures to encourage and support learning and innovation?

• What needs to change in my leadership style to foster more of a learning culture? When and where should I practice being a learner?

Things to Consider

• Hierarchy is not inherently a problem.

• Technical hierarchy not social hierarchy.

• Acknowledge power & power dynamics. The more open this is, the less it will be a subtext of interaction.

• Be in the role of teacher, when the authority in a particular skill or situation, and of learner when not.

• Trust, trust, trust. Trying to control everything accomplishes the opposite.

• Communication. Encourage interaction among different organizational functions.

• Documentation. Document learning in one area or project such that it can be shared with other areas and projects.

More Information

http://leadershiplearning.pbwiki.com/learning-culture-resources