Learning_Organization

Which is the most important feature of the learning organization' Which is least important' Why' According to our text a learning organization is an organization that has an enhanced capacity and wants to learn, adapt and change (Noe 2008, p. 183). In these types of organizations training is designed to make the employees and the company better (p.183). Noe refers to six key features of the learning organization, they are. • Continuous learning- the sharing of knowledge between employees • Knowledge generation and sharing-systems are designed to retain and share knowledge • Critical Systematic thinking-allows employees to think outside the box • Learning Culture-learning is rewarded and encouraged by the company and its employees • Encouragement of Flexibility and Experimentation- company’s allows for an employee to take risks, innovate and explore new ideas • Valuing of Employees-the company focus is on ensuring that development and well-being of the employee (p.184) All of these features are very important to the learning organization; the one that I see is being the most important is knowledge generation and sharing systems. This feature allows for systems to be developed for creating, capturing and sharing knowledge (p 183). With this system in place when employees leave there knowledge doesn’t leave them. This is very important for companies especially ones that depend on employees that have been with the company for a long time and bring in a majority of the business. If there knowledge is not shared and with others there comes the risk that business maybe lost when the leave. The law firm I work has this problem and really needs to work on creating a program to capture the knowledge. The firm’s biggest problem is that we have key attorneys that are the reason we bring in certain business. These attorney will inevitably retire or leave the firm, and with them the possibility of the business. If these attorney work on training other attorneys and grooming them to take over the practice it would help to ensure that those clients stay with our firm. I believe the least important feature is critically systematic thinking because when you begin to allow people to think outside the box to much it can lead to problems with controlling the employees Noe, R. A. (2008). Employee training & development (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin.