Cultivating a learning culture goes way beyond encouraging staff to get CEUs or cross something off of their professional development list. It’s much more than individual knowledge acquisition; it’s a shared organizational capability. A learning culture…
Is built on a foundation of trust. Psychological safety is the most important element of a learning culture. This doesn’t mean throwing accountability out the window; it means being able to acknowledge one’s mistakes and improve without fear. How willing is a front-line staff member surfacing ideas in front of a member of the leadership team? Employees need to be able to talk about their mistakes without being judged, and share what they know without worrying about how that information will be used.
Celebrates, talks about, and learns from mistakes. To some extent, to learn is to take risks. If you’ve never made a mistake, chances are you’ve been playing it too safe. Learning is a continual process that requires feedback from positive and negative situations. If you brush off the negative, you (or someone else) may be doomed to repeat that failure.
Practices transparency. Organizations and individuals can benefit from sharing information freely. Making information available and accessible to everyone provides equal opportunities for exploration and discovery. Learning is, at least in part, a social endeavor. Being able to “learn out loud”—narrate, contextualize, and share your experiences—not only helps you reflect on your own thought processes, but enables you to generously, genuinely connect with others.
Encourages and incorporates diverse perspectives. Knowledge and insight can come from anywhere in an organization. When you cultivate a learning culture, you recognize that all perspectives add value and contribute to an expanded understanding of your organization and the people within it.