We have established the case for the Rise of the Autodidacts (the meaning of autodidact is essentially a self learner).  However, an organization can create sustainable competitive advantage in a knowledge economy by creating a learning culture and raising an army of autodidacts. I strongly believe that this is one of the fundamental levers of driving and managing change in an organization. So let us examine some ways in which we can go about creating a learning culture in an organization.

Where do we start creating a learning culture?

It is incumbent upon a leader of the knowledge workforce to appreciate and recognize the tectonic changes happening all around us. One-time or re-active responses will clearly not suffice and a cultural change is required. Organizations need to embrace and internalize a Learning Culture.

There is no cookbook for creating a learning culture and the solution themes are too varied and complex. However, as teams are able to see the woods instead of the trees, the patterns begin to emerge and the stage is set for the snowball effect of a Learning Organization. If you plan to dive straight in and lead by example, you couldn’t have made a better start.

 

How can we make the change?

There are myriad ways of transitioning to a sustainable Learning Culture. Let us cull out a few “action words” from some known practices

 

• Institutionalize:

Does you organization have a well-defined learning program? What is the importance that the top management assigns to this program – through words and through its actions? We have witnessed the massive impact of formalizing our learning efforts into a comprehensive learning program that has been lapped up across all levels.

 

• Democratize:

  With institutions, come bureaucracy and hence the need to democratize. The volatility of the external environment needs an agile response. This can be achieved by democratizing the process of learning. The osmotic flows of knowledge and information are often more effective than top-down ivory tower based approaches.

 

• Align:

Is the learning program a standalone or ad-hoc initiative? Or, is there alignment between the performance management systems and the learning program? Is performance measured by more efficient replication of the past or is it measured on the scale of future relevance? Is the “Talent Management” thinking aligned with the performance management process?

 

• Diversify:

  The concept of “Connect the Dots” evokes memories of Steve Jobs applying his calligraphic skills to create beautiful fonts for computers. Much of the hype around disruptive innovation today is not stemming from a classical invention but rather from applying the knowledge of one field to another. The by-product of a conscious approach towards cross-fertilization of knowledge can be surprising. Throw a bunch of people with diverse skills into a team and you will be surprised once; get people to acquire diverse skills and they will surprise you for a lifetime!

 

• Digitize:

  Are you taking advantage of e-learning platforms? Are team members riding the MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) revolution? If Ivy Leagues are lending their expertise and knowledge with your teams at your convenience, what is stopping you?

 

• Gamify:

  Learning systems are increasingly relying upon gamification techniques and making the journey a lot of fun. Although, there will be few intrinsically motivated learners, the concepts of gamification can alter the learning experience.

 

• Communicate:

  The burden of daily chores can potentially wear down the most passionate learners. There are three things you can do as a leader – Communicate, Communicate, Communicate and if you want a different set of C’s you can communicate using curated content consistently.

 

What lies ahead?

Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future!

However, one can surmise that survival in the VUCA world will require not just sharpening the saw, but acquiring different tools. Making this change as dictated by circumstances may result in survival. However, the autodidacts will tread on a path of continuous and self-directed learning. The world will see the rise and rise of the autodidacts and the hegemony of learning organizations.

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but then we are humans and do not have the luxury of nine lives!