Faster Organizational Learning – A New Way to Compete

Faster Organizational Learning – Your Competitive Edge
Many of today’s leaders understand that their people are their distinct competitive advantage.  They rely on their people to succeed and they recognize that their business results depend on large part on faster organizational learning based upon the right talent management strategy. It’s a matter of getting the right people with the right capabilities in the right positions to consistently learn, perform, and adjust – faster than the competition.

And faster is important.  Winning organizations need not only to institutionalize a successful talent management approach, they also need to add speed to the equation.

Organizational Learning Should Not Be Static
To stay competitive, individuals, teams, and organizations need to continuously learn new things and apply them expeditiously.  New knowledge alone is not enough.  How that knowledge can move the strategy forward, improve the way work gets done, and serve customers is what matters.  And the speed with which that application and change occurs has a direct correlation to the speed at which companies survive and thrive.

Organizational Learning Should Be Dynamic
To maintain your talent edge, you need to approach organizational learning and the rate of learning on various fronts:

1. Big Data
   Here is where AI, judiciously applied, can point your organization in new directions. Embrace digital resources to inform you on industry trends, customer preferences, competitive pressures, behavioral shifts in your culture, and employee wants and needs so that you keep your strategy, culture, and talent aligned.
2. Readiness to Adjust
   Make sure that you and your managers have a mindset that pays attention to the data collected and are open to making course corrections that can help you win consistently. Institute a decision making architecture that avoids hierarchical and time-wasting decision ladders.  Instead enable adjustments to be made at lower levels in the organization in a time effective manner.
3. Readiness to Act
   As the data increases your knowledge and leads you in new directions, be ready to shift to take advantage of changing circumstances. The sooner you can “read the tea leaves,” the more quickly you can either grasp the opportunity or avoid the risk.

The Bottom Line
Today’s constantly changing business environment compels companies to rely not just on their plans and forecasts.  To win in today’s marketplace, you need to be able to capitalize on discovery and adapt to what you learn.

To learn more about how to create faster organizational learning, download How to Fast Track Your Leaders with Just-in-Time Action Learning