There is already considerable literature on learning at the individual level and a growing body of literature on group and organizational learning. But to date, there has been little attempt to bring these literatures together and link learning at all three levels. Continuous Learning in Organizations targets learning at each of the three levels and demonstrates how processes at one level impacts learning at other levels. At the heart of the work is the idea that individuals, groups, and organizations are living systems with internal learning mechanisms that can be activated and supported or stymied and thwarted. Once activated, systems can learn adaptively by reacting to a change in the environment; they can learn by generating new knowledge and conditions; and/or they can transform by creating and applying frame-breaking ideas and bringing about radically new conditions. Individuals, groups, and organizations are nested within each other forming an increasingly complex hierarchy of intertwined systems. From this point of view, the book describes the interactions between the levels and how developmental processes at one level affect learning at other levels. The text appeals to both the scientist and professionals alike in the fields of human resource development, training, management and executive education, coaching, and organization change and development. It is also for executives who establish directions for learning and need to convince others that continuous learning is the key to on-going success of their enterprise.

As the pace of change in the workplace accelerates and training budgets are challenged, it becomes essential for employees to learn as they go along. In this connected world, new ways of learning are emerging all of the time, whether the learning is planned, unexpected or self-directed. For those responsible for learning and development in organizations, understanding how this kind of informal learning can be utilised and measured is key to providing efficient and cost-effective ways of delivering on organizational objectives around people development. Informal Learning in Organizations offers practical tools, including checklists and action plan questions, to guide the Learning and Development practitioner in how to design and implement an informal learning strategy that is personalised to the needs of their own organization. It combines the latest thinking on new technology and practices with established theory and research to provide an evidence-based review of informal learning and its true impact. It offers an overview of how and why informal learning resonates with people, how it works and when and why it doesn't. This book will assist the reader in making sense of their connected environments to create a continuous learning culture in their organizations.

The ability of a business to engage in real organizational learning and to do so faster and in a more sustainable way than its competitors is being increasingly seen as an essential component of success. In Making Sense of Organizational Learning, Cyril Kirwan examines the wide range of factors necessary to create and sustain organizational learning and knowledge at all levels. At the individual level, the generation of continuous learning opportunities and reflection on experiences are critically important. At the team level, it’s about encouraging collaboration, team learning and the sharing of knowledge. At the organizational level, the emphasis is on building systems to capture and share knowledge and providing strategic leadership for learning. The book shows you how you can best exploit the knowledge that already exists within your organization while at the same time develop the capability of the people that work there. It deals in turn with individual learning; learning with others; learning in organizations; and in particular the role of the HR function and of line managers. Each chapter provides theoretical background and real-world examples. Diagnostic questionnaires, checklists and other tools are also included. Making Sense of Organizational Learning provides an evidence-based argument for the adoption of effective organizational learning policies and practices, and offers a real opportunity to improve performance. Thinking practitioners working in and around learning and development or organization development will find it invaluable, as will those undertaking post-graduate study in HR and related disciplines.

Keep learning, or risk becoming irrelevant. It's a truism in today's economy: the only constant is change. Technological automation is making jobs less routine and more cognitively challenging. Globalization means you're competing with workers around the world. Simultaneously, the internet and other communication technologies have radically increased the potential impact of individual knowledge.The relentless dynamism of these forces shaping our lives has created a new imperative: we must strive to become dynamic learners. In every industry and sector, dynamic learners outperform their peers and realize higher impact and fulfillment by learning continuously and by leveraging that learning to build yet more knowledge. In Never Stop Learning, behavioral scientist and operations expert Bradley R. Staats describes the principles and practices that comprise dynamic learning and outlines a framework to help you become more effective as a lifelong learner. The steps include: Valuing failure Focusing on process, not outcome, and on questions, not answers Making time for reflection Learning to be true to yourself by playing to your strengths Pairing specialization with variety Treating others as learning partners Replete with the most recent research about how we learn as well as engaging stories that show how real learning happens, Never Stop Learning will become the operating manual for leaders, managers, and anyone who wants to keep thriving in the new world of work.

For a company to compete effectively in today's business environment, its employees need to be adaptive and agile so they can develop the required skills and knowledge. To achieve this, L&D professionals must create a culture of workplace learning that encourages employees to constantly develop. This means moving away from the traditional approach of simply offering a catalogue of courses to embedding learning in every part of the company. Workplace Learning is a practical guide to all aspects of developing a culture of continuous workplace learning, from how to introduce and implement this culture to how to develop it. Showing that learning is not finite and is instead something that all employees should be doing continuously throughout their careers, Workplace Learning covers how to identify key areas to focus the most effort on, measure success and determine next steps. It also outlines how to use technology to support workplace learning from MOOCs through to apps such as Knewton and Degreed. Packed with case studies from organizations who have effectively established outstanding workplace learning including Microsoft, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), HT2 and The Happy Company, this is essential reading for L&D professionals looking to make a real difference to the development of their staff and the future success of their organizations.

The defining attributes of the 21st-century economy and fourth industrial revolution are innovation, technology, globalization, and a rapid pace of change. Therefore, an organization's capacity to enhance the capabilities of its workforce and create a culture of continuous learning are vital to remaining competitive. These trends make an effective learning-and-development (L&D) function more critical than ever. This compendium of articles, from L&D professionals at McKinsey & Company, discusses every facet of professional development and training-from ensuring that L&D's efforts are closely aligned with business strategy to elements of advancing the L&D function, designing learning solutions, deploying digital learning, executing flawlessly, measuring impact, and ensuring good governance. For L&D professionals seeking to hone their organization's efforts, Elevating Learning & Development: Insights and Practical Guidance from the Field is the ideal resource.

Create and sustain a culture of learning. If you read nothing else on learning, read these 10 articles by experts in the field. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you keep your skills fresh and relevant, support continuous improvement on your team, and prepare everyone in the organization to thrive over the long term. This book will inspire you to: Cultivate relentless curiosity Magnify your strengths and make yourself indispensable Nurture a growth mindset in yourself and others Deliver actionable feedback to help every employee excel Transform today's failure into tomorrow's success Reimagine your employee-development program Build a learning organization This collection of articles includes "Learning to Learn," by Erika Andersen; "Making Yourself Indispensable," by John H. Zenger, Joseph R. Folkman, and Scott K. Edinger; "Find the Coaching in Criticism," by Sheila Heen and Douglas Stone; "Teaching Smart People How to Learn," by Chris Argyris; "The Feedback Fallacy," by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall; "The Leader as Coach," by Herminia Ibarra and Anne Scoular; "Strategies for Learning from Failure," by Amy C. Edmondson; "Learning in the Thick of It," by Marilyn Darling, Charles Parry, and Joseph Moore; "Is Yours a Learning Organization?" by David A. Garvin, Amy C. Edmondson, and Francesca Gino; "Why Organizations Don't Learn," by Francesca Gino and Bradley Staats; "The Transformer CLO," by Abbie Lundberg and George Westerman; and "The Right Mindset for Success," an interview with Carol Dweck by Sarah Green Carmichael. HBR's 10 Must Reads paperback series is the definitive collection of books for new and experienced leaders alike. Leaders looking for the inspiration that big ideas provide, both to accelerate their own growth and that of their companies, should look no further. HBR's 10 Must Reads series focuses on the core topics that every ambitious manager needs to know: leadership, strategy, change, managing people, and managing yourself. Harvard Business Review has sorted through hundreds of articles and selected only the most essential reading on each topic. Each title includes timeless advice that will be relevant regardless of an ever‐changing business environment.