In an environment of constant change, only those who are adaptive, flexible, and productive will survive. However, for this to happen, organizations have to actively discover ways to tap into the employee’s capacity and commitment to learning across levels.
Peter Senge, in his book, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of The Learning Organization, says that learning organizations are places where “…people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together.”
If you look at some of the biggest names in the corporate world, GE, Microsoft, Apple, Toyota, Honeywell, you’ll notice that along with their solid basic principles and values, their commitment to continuous learning helped them think and stay ahead of their competition. When companies become learning organizations, their future success is almost guaranteed.
We, at RIA Advisory, have held immense pride to call ourselves a learning organization. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Here are some of the reasons that give credibility to our statement.
Extensive training programs
The foundation of learning organizations lies in their training programs. Our robust training programs form the core of our learning initiatives for our employees. Upon joining, the fresh graduates undergo a 30-day boot camp training that covers both technological and the functional aspects of their job roles. The training is disseminated leveraging classroom training, eLearning, and practical training. We do a comprehensive assessment at the end of each training and at the end of the entire training plan. This helps us ensure that the learning goals of the program have been achieved. If there are any areas of improvement, they are proactively worked upon to ensure that employees are confident to hit the ground running.
New skill development programs
Change is constant in today’s technology landscape. Organizations across the globe are reeling under the technology skills gap as the shelf life of technologies has reduced significantly. There are new technologies emerging every day. Futuristic technologies such as
AI is now becoming mainstream
In such an environment, we ensure our workforce is relevant by offering them continuous skill enhancement opportunities. We believe that the success of our organization is directly linked with that of our employees. Hence, we have strong learning and development initiatives in place for our employees to leverage to fulfill and augment their personal and professional development goals.
We can also boast of a team of seasoned trainers who play an integral role in designing training programs and upskilling initiatives for our workforce. Given our commitment to be a learning organization, we make sure that in the absence of an internal expert, we connect with external experts and trainers to make sure that learning is never impacted.
Along with internal training programs, we also give our employees access to external courses from academies such as Udemy to improve their skills set and promote an environment of continuous learning.
Activities that drive learning
Learning does not take place in the classroom alone. It is a continuous process that happens when we work and in our interactions with each other. We have a plethora of activities in place that promote this line of thought and are now a part of our work culture.
We organize debates, discussions, and presentations as a part of our ‘Fun Friday’ initiative. This initiative allows the employees to share their learnings with their fellow co-workers. Doing this gives them a platform to share their knowledge and also helps them improve their public speaking and presentation skills. This aspect not only hones their technical skills but also helps them improve the soft skills that help them interact better with their colleagues and their clients.
Establish a learning culture
One of the lesser-known facts about Elon Musk is that he is self-taught in programming and many other advanced level subjects. He has been heard saying, “I think it’s possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary”. He shows how a commitment and attitude towards learning can change the course of your life.
As an organization, we feel that if we want to have innovators and creative thinkers in our midst, we have to create a culture that is hyper-focused on learning. In our organization, there are ‘no dumb questions,’ and we believe that the collective knowledge of the organization is more productive and drives greater value when it is actively shared and also encouraged to be shared. Differing opinions are valued and shared. We aim to enable multiple ways for learning and knowledge to travel within the organization – vertically, laterally, between teams, individuals, and groups.
For us, learning is not a singular, disconnected event that happens because ‘this has to be done’. Hence, apart from formal training, we encourage our employees to share knowledge amongst themselves, ask questions, challenge status-quo, and talk freely about things that they are learning outside of the organization’s boundaries. Our open work culture and impetus on knowledge sharing, amongst other things, ensure that our commitment towards a learning culture and, consequently, a learning organization is a continuous and ongoing process.
Would you like to work in such an environment? We have several open positions. Let’s connect!
