How do You Measure Organizational Learning?

Learning Organisation Just a Myth?
David McAra, Member
There are organisations that demonstrate some of the characteristics, but they are few. In most organisations I know, the management team lacks the necessary listening skills and its members have too much faith in their own perception of what's happening and what's required...
It is a wonderful concept though, thrilling to be a part of, if only briefly.

Measuring Organizational Learning - not a Myth
Jeff Wilkinson, Member
There is a method derived by Janet Gould-Wilkinson who is at MIT - Sloan School Cambridge, Massachusetts USA, called a "Learning Inventory". She is a pioneer in the field and has worked with Fortune 100 companies doing this kind of measurement.

Learning Inventory Method
Jaap de Jonge, Editor
Sounds very interesting Jeff ! Can you provide some more details about how the Learning Inventory by Janet Gould-Wilkinson works? Thanks beforehand...

Learning Inventory Method Related Publications
Jeff Wilkinson, Member
Hello Jaap, this is what I could find:
Bakken, B., J. M. Gould, D. H. Kim (1994), “Experimentation in Learning Organizations,” in Morecroft and Sterman, eds., Modeling for Learning Organizations, Productivity Press: Portland, OR.
Bakken, B., J. M. Gould, D. H. Kim (1992), “Experimentation in Learning Organizations: A Management Flight Simulator Approach,” European Journal of Operational Research 59, 167-182.
Dibella, A. J., E. C. Nevis, J. M. Gould (1996), “Organizational Learning Style as a Core Capability,” in Moingenon and Edmondson eds., Organizational Learning and Competitive Advantage, Sage Press.
Ford, D. N., J. J. Voyer, J. M. Gould Wilkinson (2000), “Building Learning Organizations in Engineering Cultures,” The Journal of Management in Engineering.
Gould, J. M., ed. (1993), System Dynamics Review - Systems Thinking in Education 9, no. 2.
Gould Wilkinson, J. M., J. J. Voyer, D. N. Ford (1998),” Overcoming Organizational Anxiety,” in O’Reilly et al. eds., Organizational Learning at Pork, Pegas.

Measuring Learning in a Learning Organization
Marion Hofer, MA, Member
To act as a learning organization is essential for each company today because it helps the company to act vivid. You know that your company acts like that if you find job enrichment in your daily work, more responsibility, more fun - you can measure it in your motivation to work for a company.

Measuring the Progress of Organisational Learning
Nomi Hattingh, Member
From a program/project management perspective, it is possible to apply organizational maturity mapping principles which then measure organizational development e.g. planning, governance, adherence to compliance. These levels are graded from 'know about' to 'beginning to implement' to 'fully adopted within the organization' (or similar)
This approach would be more complex to apply in an environment where there are no ongoing project management processes.

Making Things Happen. EFQM
Derek Moloney, Member
@David McAra: I have found the EFQM Result Approach Deployment Assess Review (RADAR) is an excellent tool in organisations for sharing best practices and learning from mistakes.
It’s also important to have something tangible to measure against such as Customer Satisfaction Score, Internal Customer Satisfaction Score and Staff Listening.
The key is to making learning visible, recognising teams who share knowledge or insight against something tangible or a meaningful marker. The EFQM scoring assists in this.
Also , give teams a challenge to stakeholder listing… share it… we did…
Remember if something can't be said simple/in plain language and shared then it is probably not worth saying.