How to be a Learning Organisation

An organisation committed to future growth and effectiveness must become a learning organisation. The rapid increase in new knowledge and the pace of change itself demand that individuals and organisations become continuous learners. Beginning in 1990 with the pathbreaking book The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge, a new way of leading and managing organizations based on the principles of organisational learning has spread throughout the world. Michael O’Brien, an organisational consultant, defines the learning organisation in this way: "A learning organisation is one that has woven a continuous and enhanced capacity to learn, adapt, and change into the fabric of its character. It has values, policies, practices, programs, systems, and structures that support and accelerate organisational learning." What is the relevance of the learning organisation for your agency? This session will provide a practical introduction to the principles, practices and models of learning organisations. The course will include a variety of exercises, worksheets, planning guides and assessment tools for practical application of the concepts well as a resource bibliography.