Ambidexterity in Organization, Learning. Part Four: by Dr. Eric Zabiegalski

Picture this: you’re standing on a street corner in a city after a rain when a car speeds by, ploughing through a large puddle feet from where you’re standing your pants are soaked through. You just learned something! Learning in organizations can feel like this at times. It can be intentional and structured as in the case of planned training or it can be unintentional and unstructured as in where to stand on a city street after a rain. The truth is learning happens every minute of the day and can come from anywhere. In great organizations all learning is recognized, captured, shared, encouraged, and valued every bit as much as performance.

We started this discussion talking about the bottom line for organizations, organizational exploitation drives out exploration. As organizations exploit the market doing what they do best they consequently stop exploring and learning new things. When they adopt this exploitive lather, rinse, and repeat mind-set they lose their ability to leverage new learning and perform in ways which would guarantee future success. Learning is the hub of every successful company and today we will discuss the ways in which learning supports the ambidextrous organization.

  Organizational Learning or Learning Organization

           Words matter, so pick the ones which will define your organization carefully. The names we assign our processes and behaviors affect us in subtle, yet profound sub-conscious ways and it’s likely you are unaware of them. Take Organizational Learning, a familiar phrase synonymous with annual training and benefits briefings. Organizational learning processes do everything from correct errors and behavior to conduct required training. It’s also a term which, if each word is defined individually, is an oxymoron, antithetical, and, unless you’re an ambidextrous organization, practically impossible. When you consider the definition of the word “organization” you discover it denotes a “parsing down” of items to a selected chosen few, whereas “learning” suggests a widening of the aperture, considering a larger more inclusive selection. Given these conflicting definitions, it’s no wonder organizational learning is difficult to achieve at any except the smallest of incremental levels.

           A learning organization by contrast does not carry the same contradictions.  Learning organizations are organizations where people continually learn how to learn together, and experience emergent, spontaneous learning often directed from the ground up. David Schwandt and Michael Marquardt suggest that ambidextrous companies bridge a gap from organizational learning to the learning organization. They practice “learning in action,” in which programmed knowledge, combined with questioning, reflection, and group learning, support performance.

  Creating a Dynamic Learning Environment

           If the single most important thing a CEO does for their organization is set the culture then the single most important thing culture does is create and protect a dynamic learning environment. It’s not enough to allow and encourage learning, you must protect and defend it too. What can you do to promote a dynamic (ambidextrous) learning organization? Try these ideas for starters, then we’ll talk more as we continue to explore learning. See you next month! Eric

1.             Allow Workers to Behave in Risky Ways. Give workers freedom to explore creatively, as Teresa Amabile says “explore the maze”. Unless you’re sure your employees are about to burn the place down leave them alone and see what happens.

2.                 Perturb Learning. In the article, Wellsprings of Creation: How Perturbation Sustains Exploration in Mature Organizations, the authors prescribe a culture that includes intentionally “shaking things up” or “perturbing” specialized exploitative routines to break cultural inertia (becoming too rigid in thinking and practice). This is a great technique for promoting new learning and exposing underperforming processes that on the surface may appear to be running efficiently. Learning inside an organization must be greater than changes outside and an organization must learn faster than its competitors. By perturbing your own processes, you expose yourself to more learning opportunities than your competitors and experience a higher percentage of changes than would be encountered normally through routine operations. Leverage perturbation to continually renew and refresh your learning processes.

3.             Make Questions Safe. Somewhere along the line asking questions falls from favor, even to the point of becoming unsafe.  Michael Marquardt, modern- day father of an amazing tool known as Action Learning, would say this point happens in early adolescence when society tells us as children to “stop asking so many questions”, the inference being “questions” are not a good thing. Mike has dedicated more than 30 years refining this tool now used by organizations all over the world. A deceptively simple process harnessing the power of questions, Action Learning uses a certified coach, two ground rules and six components to produce results which change cultures. With all the elements in place it’s like a magic card trick and works every time to: solve urgent organizational problems, develop leaders, and build high performing teams. Perhaps most remarkably Action Learning creates heterogeneous learning cultures in record time. Cultures set upon the highest, most inclusive, and respectful norms with no destructive storming in the process. Action Learning changes lives and perhaps makes a critical course correction going all the way back to our childhood. Check out the World Institute of Action Learning (WIAL) and consider putting this tool in your toolbox, and let me know should you need a coach, I know a guy!  

  Dr. Zabiegalski is available to talk to your organization or venue about this ground-breaking research or speak informatively and eloquently about organizational culture, leadership, strategy, learning, complexity, neuroscience in business, creativity, mindfulness, talent management, personal success, emotional intelligence, and Action Learning. Contact Eric Today.