Focusing on learning rather than teaching

["Gordon Hall" <g.hall@harehall.co.uk>]

I wonder if I could point the discussion on learning in a different =
direction.

Here in The Deming Learning Network in Aberdeen, Scotland we are =
targeting organisations in the first instance and then individuals. The =
assumption being that if we can get organisations to learn then =
individuals will get drawn in.

Organisational learning and individual learning is surely =
interconnected. For true learning should we not address the concepts and =
their application at one in the same time?

Reductionist thinking considers that training the individuals is enough =
- our whole education and training systems are geared round this =
misconception.

And it is not "Students" that we wish to get into the learning mode =
-students that are captured inside a college, school or training course  =
- but CEOs, Senior Executives, hard pressed managers and citizens of our =
society.

A further major challenge is that throughout our lives our official =
learning has been extrinsically motivated - by qualifications. And of =
course there is little to no appreciation of organisational learning

But on the other hand there are "helping" attributes - we like learning =
(Deming), we have an inherent drive to improve (Rogers) and we plan =
ahead (de Geus)

The challenge of the Deming Learning Network here in Aberdeen is to =
design a system that facilitates learning - Starting with the learning =
of the organisation, incorporating the learning of the individual and =
eventually in the long term influencing the learning of our community.

Our present system has a CEO learning group supported by learning groups =
of Accountants, HR, and Safety plus a group on Knowledge Management and =
Systems - underpinning it all is a course of 14 monthly meetings using =
Deming's 14 points to address change within member organisations - we =
try to teach as little as possible and concentrate on facilitating =
discussions.=20

But I would not kid myself that the above is a robust system. It is =
under consistent attack by "crisis management" -  people do not have =
time  - and a lack of awareness that existing styles of management are =
now out of date.

I believe that we need to keep thinking about the design of a learning =
system - any contributions would be very welcome.


Gordon Hall
The Deming Learning Network Ltd
"Continual Organisational Improvement Through Learning"
web site www.dln.org.uk
and
Harehall
Creating learning organisations to improve profit, morale and service.
Tel: 00 44 1358 721258   Fax: 00 44 1358 723284
e-mail: g.hall@harehall.co.uk
Web: http://www.harehall.co.uk