Learning Executive Think Tank

Many of these best practices identified by the Learning Executive Think Tank relate conceptually to the ideals espoused by Garvin in “Building a Learning Organization.” The advisory councils best practice bears similarity to Garvin’s emphasis on the Three M of Management. Management refers to providing practical counsel to subordinates rather than merely engaging in directive aspirations. In their discussion of this best practice, the advisory councils provide the forum where this practical counsel can occur. Managers work directly with subordinates on the advisory councils to ensure that the learning programs that are developed relate to practical needs. Similarly, the best practice of stakeholder communications confirms Garvin’s concept of the Three M’s, particularly meaning and management. Meaning must be defined in a way that makes sense to subordinates about what a learning organization actually is. The best practice of stakeholder communications could ensure that this occurs by requiring formal sessions in which managers meet with all stakeholders. The best practice of a quarterly development process bears similarity to the idea espoused by Garvin that half-life learning curves might not represent the best way to approach measuring progress. He notes that progress might be incremental and occurs over time. Similarly, the quarterly development process takes a long-range view of the learning organization. The emphasis is on cutting through the information overload to provide training that achieves gradual learning outcomes. The Go Slow Go Fast concept expressed in the best practices is highly similar to the discussion by Garvin about learning curves and measurement. …show more content…
Garvin documents the need for organizations to measure progress, and the best practices takes this concept further by noting how this can occur in a planning stage that must precede the training program. The concept of the half-life curve’s weaknesses presented by Garvin also confirms this best practice as the emphasis is on incremental learning rather than immediate outcomes. The need for comprehensive tools to measure progress also align with this best practice as fast learning will eventually occur through methodical planning. Although mentoring programs are not specifically mentioned by Garvin, these principles are evident in his discussions of observations and engaged learning that offer the best way for organizational members to learn. The mentorship process as described in the white paper offers a more detailed way to understand how engaged learning might occur. Moreover, the observations that the mentee makes during this relationship confirms what Garvin says about the need for best practices to be identified in practical, real-work settings. One must question whether this similarity might differ somewhat in how Garvin and the white paper might consider the cost efficiency of mentorship. The mentee might not present productivity while learning from the mentor. Therefore, this best practice most likely reflects the reality that the data collected by the think tank for the white paper comes from senior executives. Executive mentoring is likely much more cost feasible than mentoring would be for an organization that wants to promote learning among lower level workers. Mentorship that pairs a one to one relationship is infeasible for these types of workplace environments. Differences The white paper places a strong emphasis on the fact that many companies operate in a global, multicultural environment. …show more content…
This emphasis is mostly absent in Garvin’s discussion of the learning organization. The think tank’s best practice of a global process reflects organizational challenges in an international environment that certainly apply to many companies today but certainly not those that operate only domestically. The executive onboarding similarly addresses a need for organizations to address corporate culture barriers that would exist in large, multinational firms. The think tank also addresses practical benefits of online learning more than Garvin emphasizes in his discussion. The best practices of virtual learning environments and blended online learning shows how online systems can be used to store, retrieve, and evaluate knowledge. These systems represent a knowledge database as well as learning tools. This emphasis in the white paper appears to reflect the desires of the business leaders that were part of data collection by the think tank to achieve utmost efficiency in their learning tools and processes. Evolution of Thought The similarities and differences noted in this comparison and contrast reveals how the evolution of thought is just like the evolution