| We're living in incredibly turbulent times.The well | | | | this new economy, those who survive and |
| spring of this uncertainty lies in one of the | | | | prosper will be those who know how to learn, and |
| characteristics of the newly-arrived Information | | | | who do so faster and more systematically than |
| Age. Business people are being buffeted by an | | | | their competitors.And those organizations that |
| increasingly rapid rate of change. Consider this. In | | | | become learning organizations will be those who fill |
| 1900, the total amount of knowledge available to | | | | themselves with people who regularly engage in |
| mankind was doubling about every 500 years. In | | | | self-directed learning.How, then, do you instill this |
| 1990, it was doubling about every two | | | | "self-directed learning" in your organization?Here |
| years.Imagine the implications of that kind of | | | | are three tactics to begin the process.1. Wipe the |
| increase in the rate of change! It means new | | | | Slate Clean.Imagine that you have written the |
| products, new regulations, new market | | | | history of your company or your career on a |
| configurations, new customers, and new | | | | blackboard. You have every decision, every |
| technology in almost every industry. It's no | | | | strategy, every success and every failure noted |
| wonder that we're confused and uncertain about | | | | in detail. The sum of this experience provides the |
| what to do.And the growth of that knowledge | | | | rationale for why and how you do everything that |
| continues at an expanding rate. One futurist | | | | you now do.Now, take a wet towel, and wipe the |
| predicts that today's high school students will have | | | | board clean. Erase the past. As you do so, you |
| to absorb more information in their senior year | | | | eliminate the unspoken acceptance of the way |
| alone than their grandparents did in their entire | | | | things are, and replace it with the new |
| lifetime. And Nesbitt is on record as predicting that | | | | understanding that things may not be the way |
| in the year 2020, the rate of knowledge will | | | | they should be. Just because something is, doesn't |
| double every 35 days!That incredibly rapid pace of | | | | mean it should be. The reason you started doing |
| new knowledge is driving the forces of change at | | | | something may no longer exist. Remember, with |
| an unprecedented rate. And that rate of change is | | | | a world turning over more or less completely |
| continuing to accelerate. The effect of that | | | | every two to three years, any decision or |
| snowballing rate of change on our businesses and | | | | procedure which had its roots in a situation that |
| our jobs can be cataclysmic. It's almost as if a | | | | three or more years old may not be justified |
| malevolent spirit were stalking our economy, | | | | today.This little exercise provides a mental image |
| rendering all the wisdom of the past useless, and | | | | for a change in thinking that needs to take place |
| casting a spell of confusion and uncertainty over | | | | if you're going to become a learning organization. |
| the land.The indications are that this rapid state of | | | | You must begin to think about things that you do, |
| change will not be a temporary phenomena we all | | | | not on the basis of the past (three or more |
| must live through. Rather, it will be the permanent | | | | years ago), but rather on the basis of the |
| condition we must accept for the foreseeable | | | | present and the future.It's a way of eliminating |
| future. Rapid change is not a phase we're passing | | | | one of the biggest barriers to learning and |
| through, it's a process we're entering into.That | | | | changing. That barrier is the mental obstacles that |
| means it is likely that the conclusions, paradigms | | | | we put in our own way. Here's an example. One |
| and core beliefs upon which we based our | | | | of my clients was frustrated with his continuing |
| decisions just two or three years ago are likely to | | | | inability to motivate his sales force. He spent |
| be obsolete today. Even more sobering, the | | | | much of his mental energy and financial resources |
| conclusions and strategies which we develop | | | | attempting to get his force of largely independent |
| today will be obsolete in a couple of years. We | | | | agents to spend more time with his product. Yet |
| can count on this continuing obsolescence of our | | | | he never thought about going to market in ways |
| best ideas and strategies to be the constant | | | | other than through his traditional methods. When |
| state of affairs.One of my clients recently told his | | | | we broke down that barrier of relying on the past |
| employees, "The only thing you can count on is | | | | and wiped the slate clean, we discovered a |
| that you won't be doing this job in three years." | | | | marketing method which holds tremendous |
| His point was that the job will change in that | | | | potential for his business. However, it took a |
| period of time to such a degree that it'll be a | | | | change in thinking, a thought process that wasn't |
| different job. The technology used will likely | | | | tied to his past in order to look at the situation on |
| change, as will the customers, the systems and | | | | the basis of the present and the future rather |
| the focus of the job.The insightful person will | | | | than the past.That principle can be applied in every |
| accept that rapid change is now a defining | | | | area of your business, from something so |
| characteristic of our economy, and plan to deal | | | | fundamental and important as your method of |
| with it effectively on an on-going basis. Instead of | | | | reaching your customers, to something as |
| thinking we should just persevere until it's behind | | | | mundane as the way you answer the phone, or |
| us, we should prepare for rapid change to be a | | | | fill out a receiving document.2. Give Learning a |
| way of life.What's the best way to go forward in | | | | Strategic Emphasis.Build in the need to become a |
| the light of this rapid change? What mind sets can | | | | learning organization in the most fundamental |
| we adopt that will equip us to survive and prosper | | | | building blocks of your business.Write it into your |
| in turbulent times? What skills do we need to | | | | mission statement. Get the board to pass a |
| survive and prosper in the information age?I | | | | resolution advocating it. Display your commitment |
| believe there is one core skill which will define the | | | | to it predominantly in your personnel manual.Talk |
| most successful individuals. It's the ability and | | | | about it at your employee meetings. Make it an |
| propensity to engage in self-directed learning. The | | | | agenda item in your executive meetings. |
| only sustainable effective response to a rapidly | | | | Articulate it as an initiative in your strategic |
| changing world is cultivating the ability to positively | | | | planning sessions. And, begin to model learning |
| transform ourselves and our organizations. And | | | | behavior yourself.3. Make self-directed learning a |
| that's the definition of self-directed learning.In the | | | | part of everyone's job description.Begin to create |
| face of a world that is different one week to the | | | | learning expectations for yourself and all your |
| next, our most powerful positive response is to | | | | employees. Talk about their need to learn and |
| cultivate the ability to learn. By "learning," I don't | | | | grow. Include it as an item on every job |
| mean just the acquisition of new information, | | | | description.Then encourage, develop and support |
| although that is a necessary prerequisite. Rather, I | | | | learning opportunities throughout your organization. |
| mean the kind of "learning" that requires one to | | | | Here's some things other organizations have done: |
| change behavior on the basis of an ever changing | | | | |
| understanding of the world. Learning without | | | | ONE: Require every employee to attend a |
| behavior change is impotent.The individuals who | | | | certain number of outside seminars per |
| become disciplined, systematic self-directed | | | | year.TWO: Create "Learning Groups" within your |
| learners will be the success stories of the | | | | company. These are temporary groups of people |
| information age. Likewise, those organizations that | | | | who come together for a short period of time to |
| become learning organizations will have the best | | | | learn from and with one another. One of my |
| chance of surviving and prospering.Read what | | | | clients, for example, has a weekly manager's lunch |
| other have said about it:"...the key thing as we go | | | | where everyone brown bags lunch and discusses |
| forward is the ability to learn. You can not arrest | | | | one chapter of Steven Covey's book, Seven |
| the pace of development in the marketplace, in | | | | Habits of Highly Successful People. The principle of |
| the world, socially and technologically. It is coming | | | | short term, small group meetings conducted |
| at an increasing rate. You've got to be able to | | | | around the free-flowing discussion of some body |
| learn and adapt..." Beale. | | | | of content, can be used throughout your |
| Because of the forces surging through our | | | | organization. We organize and train sales people |
| economy, it's safe to say that tomorrow will be | | | | and sales mangers to enter into this process, for |
| significantly different from today. It will be more | | | | example. People on the shop floor, service |
| complex and somehow significantly changed. And | | | | technicians, customer service reps, etc. can all |
| that will be true of all the tomorrows in the | | | | enter into short term learning groups. Since they |
| foreseeable future.The most skilled employees, | | | | are temporary, the configuration of the groups |
| therefore, will be the ones who can continually | | | | constantly change, thus exposing everyone to |
| access the changing facts and growing complexity | | | | diverse perspectives. The groups can be |
| of their jobs, and then change appropriately.That's | | | | homogeneous (people from the same department |
| "self-directed learning." | | | | or job title) or heterogeneous (people from |
| "We understand that the only competitive | | | | different departments and job titles). The |
| advantage the company of the future will have is | | | | important thing is that your employees are |
| its managers´ ability to learn faster than their | | | | expected to engage in self-directed learning, and |
| competitors." Arie P. DeGeus. | | | | you're encouraging and facilitation that |
| In a world that is rapidly changing, today's hot | | | | process.THREE: Reward the effective application |
| new product is tomorrow's obsolete dinosaur. | | | | of learning. In other words, when someone finds |
| More important than any one product is the ability | | | | an effective way to change things, reward them. |
| to continually create new products. Today's | | | | One of my clients holds a monthly employee |
| strongest employee could very well be | | | | meeting, where the employee who has made the |
| tomorrow's employment problem. More important | | | | biggest positive change in the way things are |
| than any one employee is the ability to find and | | | | done is rewarded with $150.00 cash bonus. |
| maintain employees who are constantly growing. | | | | Begin to implement these strategies and you'll |
| Today's closest customers could be out of | | | | take the first steps to transforming your |
| business tomorrow. More important than any one | | | | organization into a learning organization. You'll begin |
| customer is the ability to attract and retain | | | | the process of mastering the ultimate skill for the |
| customers.All of these are applications of the | | | | information age.Copyright 2006About Dave Kahle, |
| ultimate competitive advantage -- the ability to | | | | The Growth Coach(R): |
| learn faster than your competitors. | | | | Dave Kahle is a consultant and trainer who helps |
| "In fact, I would argue that the rate at which | | | | his clients increase their sales and improve their |
| individuals and organizations learn may become | | | | sales productivity. Dave has trained thousands of |
| the only sustainable competitive advantage." Ray | | | | salespeople to be more successful in the |
| Stata. | | | | Information Age economy. He's the author of |
| As the economy becomes more and more | | | | over 500 articles and five books. His latest is 10 |
| global, competition will increase. Few businesses will | | | | Secrets of Time Management for Salespeople. His |
| enjoy a secure market position. The quality of | | | | "Thinking About Sales" Ezine features content-filled |
| competition will also improve as competitors strive | | | | motivating articles, practical tips for immediate |
| to out do one another in providing customer | | | | improvements, useful resources and helpful tips to |
| service and value added products and services. In | | | | help increase sales. |