Re-Educating the Corporation: Foundations for the Learning Organization

Presents five approaches—strong visible leadership, "thinking" literacy, overcoming functional myopia, creating effective learning teams and managers as enablers—essential to create a true learning organization. By focusing on the learning requirements of employees, companies can impact major change initiatives such as reengineering and TQM.

Re-Edicating the Corporation Daniel R. Tobin The Concept of the "Learning Organization" has fascinated many companies and managers as they struggle with keeping ahead of fast-paced changes in their markets and rapidly shifting customer demands. Although the idea has been widely accepted, most companies have been unable to tap the learning potential of their people to achieve any degree of competitive advantage. In response to this challenge, Re-Educating the Corporation shows organizations how to build the essential foundations for creating a true learning organization. Tobin shows companies how to start by building five essential foundations: Strong, Visible Leadership, "Thinking" Literacy, Overcoming Functional Myopia, Creating Effective "Learning Teams," and Managers as Enablers. Each foundation is essential for companies to successfully implement major change initiatives from reengineering to Total Quality Management to focusing on core competencies. Tobin also gives companies inside advice on how to use this approach to breathe new life into company change efforts that have stalled or lost momentum. By focusing on the learning needs of the people within the organization, companies can initiate effective change that will position the business for future growth. To support these change initiatives, Tobin advocates that companies create "Virtual Training Organizations," where learning can take place through an innovative web of formal and informal experiences. Managers will see how to change their current approach to training and education and breathe life into an innovative, agile learning environment. By moving in this new direction, companies will effectively capture the knowledge of the entire organization and use it to create a dynamic, competitive advantage. Based on the experiences and success of companies as diverse as NYPRO, Analog Devices, Corning, Caterpillar, and Northern Telecom, Re-Educating the Corporation delivers practical advice for moving any company toward becoming a true learning organization.