Elearning! Magazine: Building Smarter Companies via Learning & Workplace Technologies.
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action learning, including real- world assignments, and men- torship programs and appren- ticeships. Cisco, for example, realized a few years ago that its leaders each other and build deeper and deeper levels of expertise. Specialization is built over time, but it doesn't require building more formal training programs. Modern organiza- driver of learning outcomes. So we decided to look closely at 100 practices related to culture and compare to business per- formance. We identified 40 key practices used by companies High-performing companies such as Qualcomm, Accenture, Westinghouse and Vestas use specialization to drive competitive advantage. needed a new set of skills to collaborate, innovate and cre- ate disruption in the market. (Disruption is one of Cisco's leadership competencies.) Within its Center for Collaborative Leadership is a program called The Enterprise Action Learning Forum. This program brings together lead- ers from different units and assigns them to build a new business within Cisco. One of the businesses born of this program takes technologies from across Cisco business units for developing highly- communicative, smart energy devices — a $5 billion market, according to the company. DEEP SPECIALIZATION High-performing companies succeed by being specialists. Companies we've studied such as Qualcomm, Accenture, Westinghouse and Vestas use specialization to drive competi- tive advantage. These compa- nies focus on continuous learn- ing throughout employees' careers. Westinghouse, for example, has created an infor- mal learning model for its nuclear power plant operators. The model enables operators to use enterprise social network- ing to share information with Formally Designed Training 20% New Disciplines Disciplines Disciplines New Tools and Technology Learning Culture Tools and Technology ools and Technology Annual 2010 29 On-Demand tions are using mentoring, coaching and informal learn- ing. (See Fig. 2, Modern Learning Architecture). STRONG LEARNING CULTURE Our 2009 High Impact Learning Practices research showed that learning culture is the biggest with strong learning cultures and found that they drive innovation, productivity, time- to-market and quality. We also found that most of these 40 practices involve oper- ational processes and are out- side the traditional domain of corporate HR and training departments. Leadership and FIGURE 2: The Modern Learning Architecture Learning Programs Audiences, Problems, and Environment Informal Social 80% Embedded management play a pivotal role in learning culture, and most practices focus on informal approaches to learning. The bottom line is that cul- ture matters. Companies with strong learning cultures have a distinct competitive advantage and outperform their peers. TALENT MOBILITY We have studied succession management strategies at hun- dreds of companies. We've learned that succession man- agement is not just about replacement but about talent mobility — having systems to move people around your company in a strategic, deter- ministic fashion. At JPMorgan Chase, for example, employees are required to have an up-to-date résumé posted online at all times. It is a cultural norm to be moved around the compa- ny. In fact, employees can be Government Elearning! Learning Architecture Organization, Governance, and Management Approaches