I see work as a learning opportunity. While I value the education I get from attending school, I feel that the real world lessons remain with me longer and are more vivid than those I learn from a textbook or a lecture. Peter Senge's learning organization highlights the learning benefit of organizations.
This approach looks at organizational achievement and individual achievement as inseparable. Similar to systems theory this view addresses the necessity of all parts/employees working together to make a more complete whole/organization. I agree with this view. I think that when your own goals are aligned with those of the organization you work for it is much easier to feel inspired and put the most effort possible into your work.
In this ideal members are said to share a commitment to learn and self reflect. Such an ideal , I think, is often achieved through a work culture. I work at a swim school and I see my boss instilling this attitude in trainees. The work culture we subscribe to is composed of a set of beliefs and values that allows us to share a commitment to provide the best lessons.
Senge also assumes that we all have mental models that shape and limit individual interpretations and actions. Within my experience I have seen this at work. As teachers have worked for the swim school longer I see that there mental models have changed. The teachers view many things similarly. For example after working for sometimes we can easily identify what pieces make a good swimmer.
A shared vision is an element of learning organization that Senge identifies. In may businesses/organizations this vision is identify through a mission statement. A phrase might sum of the companies goal. Many companies include things like providing great service as part of their statement. Where I work the statement is "a little progress everyday". This statement is the basis of much of our practice. All the things we do focus on that end. While we recognize that no child will learn to swim within one lesson we oush for some improvement each day. In training we are taught to challenge students, encourage them, and talk to parents about their child's daily progress. This allows us to work towards the goal and keep it in mind constantly since we have to be accountable to the parent by reporting on the student's progress.
Team learning is something I have found infinitely valuable in my own work experience. Communication among employees in any setting allows for the best result. This makes team members accountable to one another. We can bounce ideas off one another and get opninions. It is important to have a standard on how to deal with certain situations in the workplace and discussion between coworkers is an important piece of the consensus.
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I have found that your statement, "communication among employees in any setting allows for the best results" is especially true where I work. I teach children gymnastics instead of swimming but the overall concept is similar. Where I work it is especially important to communicate with other employees before you move a child up. Within the organization I work for there are two paths, recreation (which is just for fun) and developmental (which is for the more gifted, serious gymnasts who want to compete). One of the biggest problems at our gym is moving kids up before they are ready physically or emotionally. There is nothing worse than seeing a talented child move to the next level only to become discouraged and quit.
ReplyDeleteThrough communication I think many coaches would have a better understanding of the classes they don't teach but are moving their kids into which would enable them to make better decisions and thus enable our customers to continue to have a positive experience.
Wow! You did a great job of explaining the concept of a learning organization in your post. I agree with you in that we get a lot more from our work experiences than from the textbooks we study.
ReplyDeleteYou discuss how "a shared vision is an element of learning organization that Senge identifies". Having all employees be aware of the shared vision and striving to reach it ensures success in a business. In one of my past jobs, the morale was low and the employees did not care much for the actual vision and mission of the organization. The only ones that were striving to comply with the mission and vision were those who were part of the upper management teams. I think sometimes when we lose sight of the vision/mission, we get off track and forget what the point of our jobs really are - whether its to teach, provide excellent customer service, or communicate to others to reach our goals.
Wow! Good post! I agree with what you said about real world lessons remaining longer and bring more vivid than what you learn from a textbook or lecture. I had a marketing internship last year and it was my first marketing job and it was very different from how marketing is described in the classroom. I felt that I was learning a lot more from my internship than I was from lectures. However, my boss was impressed with my knowledge of marketing because even though he was the marketing executive he didn't have a marketing degree. So I had his respect because I knew marketing from a textbook perspective, but he knew marketing from a business (real world) perspective.
ReplyDeleteI strongly recommend internship experience to an student. It was a great experience for me and it really let me see how the concepts we hear about in lecture are performed to make a lot of money! :)
You did a great job at explaining a concept and then putting in your own experience to back it up.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that if an employees goals are aligned with the company's then it increases the productivity. In Bus 160, I learned that if a company informs their employees about their goals and allows self-management, then employees are happier and they start to think along the lines of the company.
Also, I agree that you learn way more from experience. When I worked as a manager of a swim program I couldn't believe the amount of work I had to put in and for things I never thought I would deal with. Plus employees need to have goals set for them so they have a reason to show up everyday.
Great Job!
I could total agree with you, I too value my education, then again that helps further my opportunities in the workplace by being educated. The funny thing to me is that when I am reading or listing to a lecture, it always to tend to relate to a life experience. I believe that it is impossible for everybody to be on the same page in a workplace. Think about this, if everybody worked together, listen and completed everything on time, their would be less opportunities for success in the workplace. It would take much longer for individuals to get higher positions or pay raise. Peter Senge’s does make a good point and I am glad you reinforce it by saying that if employees work together, they will make a more complete whole organization. If so, everybody ideas and goals would be achievable.
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