Organisational Learning as a Catalyst for Change

In the UK, almost 22 million people believe they lack the skills required to take advantage of new possibilities over the next five years (1). Therefore, 99% of Learning & Development  specialists concur that their organisations would suffer in the future if skills gaps are not bridged (2). Subsequently, the market size of the worldwide workplace training sector is anticipated to reach roughly 381 billion US dollars (3).

We'll talk about the value of Organisational Learning in this blog and how CBI can support your organisation into becoming more employee centric to reap the benefits outlined blow.

What is Organisational Learning?

Organisational Learning (OL) is the process of creating, capturing, retaining, and transferring knowledge within an organization to increase efficiency and adapt to an ever-changing environment.

Although learning and training are interconnected, they are not the same. Training equips employees with the necessary knowledge and skills to do their job.

Organisational learning (as opposed to one-off training) can result in numerous benefits to a business, including an increase in team morale and happiness, improved retention, and an increase in customer satisfaction and productivity.

Importance of Organisational Learning

Richard Branson, CEO and founder of Virgin Group, famously said “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” Let’s dive a little deeper into the importance of leveraging this.

Creating a learning culture inside an enterprise is sped up through organisational learning. This sort of learning helps people, teams, and the organisation as a whole. The beneficial intra-organizational effects of this strategy are discussed in more detail below.

Attracting and Retaining Employees

By developing a sophisticated continuous-learning organisation, leaders can attract and retain the best personnel, improve performance immediately, maintain employee skills and development growth for a long time.

94% of employees believe they would stay at a firm longer if there is an investment in their learning and development, better job satisfaction would undoubtedly lead to reduced turnover rates (4).

Enhanced agility

Organisations are able to respond to market developments more quickly by leveraging Organisational Learning. Organisations attain this agility by promoting a culture of ongoing development and acquiring new skills. Agility helps to prevent panic, promotes proper resourcing, and increases commitment and morale when quick adjustments are necessary. 

Positive reputation

With a dedication to development, a company may become the best in its field and establish a reputation as a market leader for its cutting-edge goods or first-rate customer support. Companies that show a dedication to organisational learning will also develop a positive reputation with prospective workers, attracting the best and brightest.

Problem Solving

As the saying goes, "Teamwork makes the dream work." The chance of success increases when individuals work together to accomplish a shared objective. Each person contributes their distinct knowledge and viewpoint, which is especially helpful when your organisation is dealing with a complex problem. Sharing difficulties increases the likelihood that they will be resolved. You may gain from the combined wisdom of a whole organisation by starting the dialogue and welcoming innovative solutions from throughout your business.

How Can CBI Help?

Stakeholder management / Communication / change management

To be effective, any learning culture requires senior leadership support, the buy-in of key stakeholders and the formation of a governance structure. Our CBI Consultants will work with you to develop suitable change management and communications strategies to ensure your organisation supports, adopts and promotes your Organisational Learning programme

Data Driven Insights

CBI uses data analytics to assist your organisation in learning more about its operations. This entails establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) and routinely evaluating them to determine the effectiveness of your processes.

It is crucial to remember that even when well-designed, the most effective transitions often rely on the agreement and buy-in of the workforce, and this process takes time. Leaders should seek out continual KPI measurement so they may iteratively fine-tune the transformation programme while monitoring progress.

Process review and improvement

CBI Consultants can help organisations significantly enhance their organisational learning by identifying areas for improvement, effectively implementing changes, encouraging a culture of continuous improvement, and ensuring that the organisation remains adaptable and competitive in a quickly changing business environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Organisational Learning is an essential process for businesses that wish to prosper in the competitive and fast-paced business climate of today.

Connect with the CBI Team to explore options for implementing successful learning strategies across your organisation and drive business growth as a result.

Sources:
1. City & Guilds annual skills index 2021

2. Linkedin Workplace Learning Report 2019

3. Statista Workplace Leading and Development – Statistics and Facts

4. IBM The Value of Training