What did Herb Brooks and that famous Olympic hockey team do that was so special? Well, okay, they beat the Russians and won the Olympic gold medal against all expectations. I remember watching that team play and cheering and celebrating with them and the USA for that victory. However, underneath all of that was a theme that came out over and over again in the media as it has with many great sports teams. In interview after interview you would hear members of the team talking about each other, about their “leader” (coach), about their team, about the special bond they had and still have, and about getting “the best” from each person on that team. You can hear the self-deprecating, the true selflessness as they lift others up higher, the humility as they share in the glory as a team.

So, that is sports. But when you think about it, there are many stories in life where a group of people have achieved greatness, done something heroic, built something new and innovating, or served their country while exhibiting some or all of these same types of behaviors.

Many of you have had the chance to be part of, or are currently part of, a great team, a group of people where you find mutual trust, shared vision and goals that transcend, but also embrace individual goals, and where members of the team compliment each other in terms of strengths and compensated each other in terms of weaknesses. This type of team just works – performing above expectations and in fact, members of this team believe in achieving great things as a joyful endeavor.  What is the magic in that kind of team? Why can’t all teams be like that? Why are so many teams at so many companies dysfunctional when compared to this? I believe the secret can be found in the concepts and behaviors of a true “learning organization”. I also believe that this is a rare occurrence without specific intention and coaching. In reflecting on my own experiences as well as reading some of the key literature in this area, some of the key ingredients of the “learning organization” that are surfacing include:

  • a leader that is trusted and respected and promotes the attributes of a learning organization (below)
  • mutual trust and respect among members and between the members and leader
  • openness to new ideas from any and all  in the group (in fact nurtured)
  • individuals and also the group are both encouraged and given tools to learn – professional development, skills, best practices, and dialogue with each other on growing and getting beyond limitations, mistakes, history, etc. – truly innovating together (learning together)
  • individuals and the group grow more and more capable of achieving the results they desire, to create (generate) the future

While there are CEO’s and also group leaders that still believe that leadership means to just figure out what to do from “the top” and then pass down the orders and instructions – “the strategic plan” from the top, this is no longer really possible or even fruitful. With our environment changing so quickly, technology moving quickly, customers themselves becoming a moving target because of all of the same variables, leaving out the collective aspirations, dreams, and minds of your organization would be an absolutely disaster and waste. The organizations that really excel (not talking about hitting a specific short-term profit or other number to get a “management” bonus) are working now to discover how to tap into their organization members desire and ability to learn and contribute. In upcoming posts, I will spend more time on some of the key strategies and steps that I am working on in my practice to foster a “learning organization”.

See some of the posts related to the Learning Organization: