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As a trainer in an organisation you have an important part to play in the overall human resource strategy. You have a privileged position in terms of individuals and their learning and development and your role as an agent of empowerment. How can you ensure that your organisation makes the best use of you?

What is a ‘Learning Organisation’?

Many organisations like to think of themselves as learning organisations but what does this actually mean?

A learning organisation is an organisation committed to learning in its widest sense. It does not just mean providing training courses for people in skills development but takes the idea of goal-and-objective setting, the analysis, and the definition of problems and their causes, into an all-out organisational effort, involving people at all levels. This requires careful planning, and consideration of past experiences and the personality of the organisation as a whole.

Our Train the Trainer training course gives you a more in-depth understanding in how to create and maintain a learning organisation.

Ten points to help construct a learning organisation

1. Generic models and systems written by others should be used only as guidelines.
2. Each organisation has its own culture and unique needs.
3. Managers should view themselves as mentors and coaches, and act accordingly.
4. The concept of “work” must be considered as an opportunity offering a “professional challenge” and a “learning experience”.
5. Managers and employees should be encouraged to instigate and take responsibility for their own learning (professional training and self-development).
6. Company training and development activities should not be limited to the actual performance of a task or duty, but leading towards the business, professional and self-development of all employees.
7. Management Trainees and other high flyers must be fully integrated into the organisation – not only do they offer a fresh point of view, but serve as an excellent example to employees and help create the concept of work as a learning experience.
8. Managers and employees should receive ongoing informal feedback, in addition to formal feedback as laid down by company policy.
9. Acknowledgements and rewards should preferably be directed towards groups and teams rather than individuals – individual contributions and accomplishments can be rewarded in a more personal manner, such as a thank-you note, increased responsibility, a promotion or financial reward.
10. The basis for such an organisation is commitment at the highest senior level.

Take a look at these points and decide for yourself if yours is a learning organisation. If it isn’t yet, then ask yourself:

• What works well in the organisation?
• What needs to change?
• How can I assist this change?

The more developed an organisation is in regards to its learning strategy, the more satisfied you will be as a trainer!

Similar resources you may like

1. Train the Trainer
2. A Learning Environment.
3. Focus on your Delegates
4. Using experiential training methods
5. Feedback skills

Tags

goal-and-objective setting, Learning Organisation, Learning strategy, train the trainer, Train the Trainer Course, Train the Trainer Training

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This entry was posted by Heather Buckley on Friday, April 6th, 2007 at 1:46 pm and is filed under Train the Trainer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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