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What Prevents Organizations From Actually Focusing On “Learning”
“Learning occurs best when we are not fearful and not defensive.” I got that quote from this post at Darden. Seems logical, right? Problem: most “learning” since WW2 has been tied to annual performance reviews, which create an inauthentic context of fear and defensiveness.
Execution is valued more than learning: This is part “Temple Of Busy,” part “Everything Is Always Urgent,” and part “If I Execute Well, I’ll Get Promoted, So Who Cares About Learning?”
HR typically owns it: People don’t care about what HR does, because HR doesn’t have its own P&L.
It’s seen as fluffy: If you’re a deal-making world builder or a road warrior sales guy, why do you need to stop and think about “learning?” You’re out there doing it. Slaying the f*ck out of those dragons, baby!
It’s a cost that could be avoided: Most companies still run on cost.
It’s meaningless: We’ve been doing training and learning programs for two generations now, and the same problems exist with managers, processes, workflows, communication, etc. So what do all these books, speeches, and modules actually do? The real answer is: “They make other people money.” The actual answer? They…
