Organizational Learning discussion

From The Communities That Care WIKI

What does it look like to have a mix of single, double and Triple Loop Learning simultaneously happening in an organization?

What if learning, studying and networking were part of our job description?

What activity or inactivity would we describe, see, benefit from?

(Coy) In prevention, our providers and professionals have long depended on conferences and events as our central fire i.e., the places where we learn and renew our energy. Where do we get opportunities to go deeper? Thinking of our central fire, it reminds one of summer charcoaling. As long as the coals are together they stay hot. When a coal falls away it begins to lose its heat and eventually grows cold. In the same way people attend events and get fired up only to return to the same environment . . . one that didn't have the opportunity to share our learning experience. A virtual community provides a way to help hold onto the fire i.e., warmth of our passion that fuels the work. It also illuminates and allows us to take advantage of opportunities as well as problem solving in real time by tapping the experience and wisdom of others in our virtual community.

(HSM) What strategies (e.g., new policies, norms change that support innovative practice) would be most beneficial in an effort to value and incorporate learning activities (e.g., studying, networking, and participating in a virtual community of practice) into position descriptions or job responsibilities in the workplace? If learning, studying, and networking were part of an individual's job description, it would help remove the dichotomy/barrier (perceived or actual) between learning and doing "real work." Perhaps it would be possible to integrate learning processes into job descriptions, other employment processes, or simply as part of organizational culture by:

• Intentionally including an expectation of learning beyond task-specific continuing education and outlining reasonable parameters for VCoP participation or other learning processes
• Include VCoP participation in individual staff development plans as well as performance evaluation measures
• Including VCoP participation in formal workforce development policy and methods
• Encouraging employees to schedule protected time on a regular basis that would be devoted to learning and VCoP participation, just as time may be blocked off for planning time, staff meetings, etc.
• Including VCoP learnings in regular staff meeting discussion topics or as an ongoing agenda item
• Specify agencywide, division, project, and individual VCoP/learning outcomes and evaluation measures
• Reward, celebrate, or publicize performance improvement successes or outcomes resulting from VCoP participation
• Assemble a team of VCoP advocates or mentors who could increase awareness, interest, and champion the use of the VCoP among staff through word-of-mouth or helping staff become more familiar and comfortable with its use

It may also be the case that simply formally defining the VCoP as social in nature rather than as just an "online resource," "supporting link," an "IT thing," or something technical or invovlving one-way communication would elevate the VCoP beyond being just a website and become a true, organic, evolving community - not a digital ghost town or a static information page that simply amasses hits.

Another possibility that could allow for integration of VCoP participation into more traditional work responsibilities would be if the agency or organization formally adopted the use of Communities of Practice or Virtual Communities of Practice as an effective, preferred, technical assistance strategy or peer-to-peer learning method.