What Skills & Traits do Employees Need in a Learning Organisation?
Gerard Leigh, Business Consultant, United Kingdom, SIG Leader
Hi Kurt - great question and one where I can hopefully add some insights.
Clearly people need to have a
willingness to learn, to be (or become) self-directed learners. They need a basic level of enquiry - to always ask why! (traits)
One skill that is not too often recognised as a requirement is the
understanding and appreciation of skillful discussion and dialogue - and the difference between them. David Bohm wrote a seminal book on the subject but I feel these are the skills that are often lacking in "standard" organisations. When people grasp the relevance and benefit of these skills, fantastic things start to happen in organisations.
Once these skills are being practiced the understanding of mental models becomes easier and these are then brought into the discussions. At this point you have a powerful swell of appreciation and discussion which will almost certainly lead to the creation of knowledge and understanding.
Easy to write but not easy to achieve.
