Organizational Learning Maturity Scale

Transcription

1 Organizational Maturity Scale Author: Stephen J. Gill Suited for: Organization Purpose: Assessment 2012 By Stephen J. Gill

2 Organizational Maturity Scale Product Overview The Organizational Maturity Scale is used to assess how close an organization is to having a learning culture and to help that organization decide what needs to be done to develop such a culture. The OLMS has two dimensions: (1) the focus of learning and (2) the level of learning. By determining where an organization falls along these two dimensions, leaders can stimulate conversation and planning around how learning can help meet team and organizational goals. Type of Product The OLMS is a tool for assessing the learning culture of your organization. It will tell you how close you are to having a culture in which individuals, teams, and the whole organization are learning and changing. Who Should Use This Tool? This assessment should be used by any manager who wants to create a work environment in which learning is embedded in the culture. This is a culture in which people are constantly developing the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs that will help the organization succeed. When and How Should You Use This Tool? In teams, small groups, and across the organization, ask yourself the following questions: Regarding the Focus of Is your organization focused on methods of instruction, outcomes of that instruction, achieving strategic goals, building capacity to be successful, or creating a learning culture? Organizations might move progressively through these stages, jump among the stages, or fixate on just one of the stages. Awareness of this will help you and your organization take the next step By Stephen J. Gill Page 2

3 Regarding the Level of To what degree does your organization have a learning culture to support the best possible work at the individual level, team level, whole organization level or even at the community level? Where within your organization is there the greatest need for ongoing learning? At what levels will such learning have the greatest impact on your businessʼ success? What needs to be done to establish more of a learning culture in your company? The answers to these questions and the conversation about the answers will take you and your organization a long way toward intentionally creating a learning environment tied directly to your businessʼ goals. What is the Focus of This Tool? This assessment tool focuses on five stages in the development of a learning culture: 1. Method- 2. Outcomes- 3. Strategy- 4. Capacity- 5. Culture- Each of these stages has four levels of learning: 1. Individual 2. Team 3. Whole Organization 2012 By Stephen J. Gill Page 3

4 4. Community Product Features Product Materials The Organizational Maturity Scale can be administered either in hardcopy format or online. Length of Time to Administer This survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. Product Benefits Using this assessment will: Provide a snapshot in time of your organizational culture and the degree to which that culture supports ongoing learning Increase organizational awareness of how well people are learning collectively Help establish your business as a learning organization by providing information that can be used to develop targeted learning programs 2012 By Stephen J. Gill Page 4

5 Organizing Maturity Scale (OLMS) Introduction and Instructions Think about your organization. Using a highlighter, fill in one box at the right of each level that best describes your organization at this point in time. Stage of Maturity Level Method- Outcomes- Strategy- Capacity- Culture- Individual Training and development programs are topical and off the shelf. activities are for the purpose of developing knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to achieve results in the individual s workplace; training is customized and delivered when needed. activities are designed to help individuals achieve the strategic goals of the organization. Individuals have learning plans; learning activities encourage feedback and reflection; action learning is applied often; knowledge is shared among individuals; individual beliefs and values are addressed. Expectations for ongoing learning are made clear to new employees and other stakeholders; information is shared freely among employees and other stakeholders; every employee has a learning plan; individual learning is recognized and rewarded By Stephen J. Gill Page 5

6 Stage of Maturity Level Method- Outcomes- Strategy- Capacity- Culture- Team Team training, if it happens at all, is generic; the team goal is to complete the assigned task. Teams evaluate themselves on the basis of intended outcomes achieved; teams seek to learn why they did or did not achieve intended outcomes; teams try to improve performance. Teams understand the vision and mission of the organization; teams are continually evaluating themselves on the basis of achieving organizational goals; teams try to learn from experience. Teams have learning plans; teams receive tailored training in teamwork; teams assess their own effectiveness as a team and try to improve teamwork and work processes; teams regularly collect and use feedback from customers and other stakeholders. Teams apply action learning; teams continually assess performance and use this information to improve; teams share knowledge with other teams; teams make learning one of their goals. Whole Organization There are no learning activities at this level. Accumulated outcomes of the organization are assessed and reported. Groups of internal and external stakeholders review performance in relation to strategic goals. Employees and other stakeholders share a vision for the direction of the organization; systems are in place for sharing knowledge; collecting and learning from feedback is recognized and rewarded. is an explicit goal of the organization; a knowledge management system facilitates sharing of information among individuals and teams; knowledge is readily shared across departments; physical space is conducive to learning among individuals and teams; underlying values related to actions are continually examined By Stephen J. Gill Page 6

7 Stage of Maturity Level Method- Outcomes- Strategy- Capacity- Culture- Community There are no learning activities at this level. Employees learn how to conduct a community needs assessment. Employees learn how to work with community members to set goals and develop a strategy to achieve those goals. Employees and community members establish a system for continually assessing needs, establishing goals, and assessing outcomes; there is regular community feedback and reflection. The organization has a dynamic learning relationship with the community; the organization and community are continually learning about the assets of the community and how these can be used to improve the quality of life; knowledge is freely shared among the organization and the community stakeholders; the organization helps the community learn how to learn about itself. The 5As Framework How to Achieve Results From Using the Organizational Maturity Scale To get the most out of using this assessment, apply the 5As Framework: 1. Alignment 2. Anticipation 3. Alliance 4. Application 5. Accountability 2012 By Stephen J. Gill Page 7

8 Alignment Employees (and other stakeholders) will be motivated to participate in the Organizational Maturity Scale if they understand how their participation will help them be more effective in the organization. Link the assessment to significant, bottom-line performance outcomes. Explain how the learning that will come from using this assessment will contribute to their effectiveness in achieving intended outcomes on which they are being measured. Anticipation Tell employees what they will learn from using the tool, why they will learn it, and what they can do with that learning. Set high but reasonable expectations for how learning will be applied to achieving business results. Tell them your expectations for creating a learning culture. Be positive about the potential for organizational improvement. Alliance Ask supervisors/managers and top organizational leaders to support the assessment process. Explain the importance of their essential role in application of the tool. Advise immediate supervisors on how to work with learners to set goals, clarify expectations, provide opportunities for utilization of learning on the job, and determine impact. Employees who participate in this assessment should meet with their supervisors to discuss goals and results. They should plan together how to improve performance and achieve intended results. Application Apply learning from the assessment as soon as possible. Application of findings should occur within hours or, at most, a few days of the learning. This means that employees and their managers have meaningful opportunities to apply that learning. Employees and their managers must plan together to ensure these opportunities. The opportunity to apply the results of the assessment cannot be left to chance. Accountability Finally, employees should be held accountable. Accountability means answering important questions, for example: What happened as a result of the assessment process? Did the learning contribute to important business results? Was it worth the time, effort, and cost? Would the business goals have been achieved anyway, even without application of the tool? What needs to happen so that the learning from the assessment can contribute to important business results? 2012 By Stephen J. Gill Page 8