“What do you know about developing a learning culture?”
This was the question a recently-hired executive of a non-profit/for-impact organization asked me. Her organization was less than four-years old. There were only five employees at the time.
While she was conducting research about organizational culture, she wanted to establish expectations with her staff that their’s would be a learning culture.
My knowledge about learning culture comes from experience rooted in research and best practice. So, what I shared were six concrete practices from that experience.
- Model life-long learning. Be intentional about developing new knowledge or skills. Let your colleagues know what you’re learning. Talk about the impact of new knowledge on your work. Let co-workers know how a recent webinar influenced you to alter your approach to proposal-writing. If you set a personal learning goal, let your colleagues know about it. Be curious and encourage their curiosity.
- Schedule book or article discussions. Lead or host regular sessions with colleagues to discuss industry-related reading. A colleague at Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (UCBC) invited staff to monthly research review sessions. He facilitated the first two sessions, then asked for volunteers to choose topics and lead subsequent discussions.
- Spread the learning. Establish an expectation that attendance at professional development outside the organization carries the responsibility to share applicable learning within the organization. At one organization where I worked, anyone who attended a conference or workshop was expected to present one or two key learnings at a subsequent staff meeting that could enlighten the rest of us.
- Establish regular read time. An association executive director once told me that she scheduled an hour each week specifically for professional reading time. She made a point to read books or articles outside of immediate organizational concerns. She dedicated the time to topics that, in the language of the Eisenhower Matrix,[1] were “important and non-urgent.”
- Design and implement organization-specific staff development retreats[2]. Attend to the growth and development of your organization beyond skill development and policy changes. Create a one- two- or three-day in-house learning event that helps everyone grow. Staff development retreats can uncover inconsistencies that impede organizational growth. They help to build common vocabulary, nourish shared vision, and realign strategy to mission.
- And finally, Provide food. When has food not brought folks together? The Faculty Development team at UCBC hosted bi-monthly “Chakula[3] Chats” where project teams described current initiatives and faculty members presented their research. Chakula Chats offered nourishment for body and mind!
Certainly, there is much more to be said about cultivating a learning culture. There are tools to assess, models to implement, and research to review.
But if you want to begin while you conduct your fact finding, maybe one of these six practices can be a first step.
[1] You may know about this matrix from Stephen Covey and his book, Thea 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
[2] If you’re looking for outside facilitator to lead a custom workshop, I might be able to help you out.
[3]Chakula is Swahili for food.