10 Learn and Improve

Introduction

Results may not always reflect the performance we hoped for, but they still offer an opportunity to learn. If designed well, systems throughout the organization have learning loops built into the processes. While these learning loops take many forms, at their core they follow the scientific method: Plan, Do, Study, Act.

Unfortunately, many organizations and leaders are very good at “Plan, Do,” but they often do not take the time to study the results, learn from them, and adjust future actions based on those learnings. It doesn’t have to be that way. We choose to learn or not. Creating and sustaining high performance requires a disciplined approach to learning from the past to create the desired future. Learning is built into several components of a well-designed leadership system.

Read Chapter 10, Learn and Improve, in the [Re]Create Book.

Objective – Understand the Learn and Improve concepts, components, and relationships and how they contribute to leadership and organization [re]design for sustainable excellence.

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How does your organization systematically learn and improve? In this lesson, you will apply the key learning and improvement concepts to your organization. Specifically, you will identify the approaches to learning and improvement used in your organization. Describe each process, the frequency, the people, and example projects.

Learning & Improvement Approaches 

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Objective – Identify the approaches to learning and improvement used in your organization and describe the process, frequency, people, and example projects.

1. Method

Identify the learning and improvement method, including key steps. Examples include process improvement methods (e.g., PDSA, Six Sigma, Lean), organizational assessments (e.g., ISO 9000, Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, EFQM), and the organization’s strategy development and deployment system.

2. Application and Scope

Identify where in the organization this method is used, and the typical size of improvement projects addressed with this method. Depending on the method, the scope can vary from somewhat limited work processes to the overall enterprise system.

3. Frequency

Describe how often and when this method is used if it is a regularly scheduled method. If an unscheduled ad hoc method, describe the conditions that would trigger the use of this method.

4. People and Projects

Identify the people involved in and using this method. Describe the number and type of people who are trained to use this method. Identify an example learning and improvement project where this method was used.

Examples

#1 Strategy Development and Deployment

At the enterprise level, the strategy development and deployment system is a learning-and-improvement cycle. The application scope is the entire enterprise, both external products and internal operations. The frequency is an annual “overlapping” process where next year’s planning begins while still executing the current year’s strategy. It may be more frequent, depending on the industry’s time horizon and how quickly the external environment is changing. Finally, the strategy process is typically the domain of the Board of Directors, CEO, and Senior Leadership Team working together as they all have different roles in the process.

#2 Organizational Excellence Assessment

Organization-level assessment processes (e.g., Baldrige, EFQM) are, at their core, enterprise-level learning and improvement cycles. The application and scope include all systems in the assessment framework, often spanning customers and strategy to operations and production to support systems and governance. The frequency is typically annual and drives improvement projects throughout the year. People involved are often trained examiners, including senior leadership.

#3 Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement processes (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma) are the foundation of organizational learning. The Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) or scientific method is at the core of most organizational learning and improvement cycles. These continuous improvement methods are generally limited in scope to operations and support processes. Frequency is often ad hoc, as needed to address issues or strategic initiatives. Trained people, such as Six Sigma Black and Green belts and other certified employees, must lead these efforts effectively.

Conclusion

Organizational design influences the behavior of people inside and outside. People see and hear the design. What they think and feel about what they see and hear influences what they say and do (their behavior). Their behavior influences the results and overall organizational performance. Developing the organization’s systems, culture, and people requires leaders to learn from successes and failures.

When we review organizational performance, we engage in two main types of learning: single-loop and double-loop. Single-loop learning occurs when we adjust the existing system’s execution and management to achieve the best performance possible. Unfortunately, our best efforts sometimes fail to meet expected performance levels. Double-loop learning occurs when we examine and change the underlying assumptions about strategy and system design.

As others have noted, the only sustainable competitive advantage today is to learn faster than the competition. While we talk about organizational learning, it is the people in the organization who learn. And people learn when leaders set the example and learn too.