Strategic Organizational Learning

This book discusses the successes and challenges of leveraging organizational learning in effective strategy development and execution. The authors introduce a framework that helps organizations develop core capabilities to enable them to shift direction rapidly and proactively shape future environments. They also offer a wide selection of cases to illustrate this framework. While some cases highlight fundamental strategic change over time, others are snapshots of mechanisms gradually put in place to jointly optimize learning and performance. There is no one best or right way to leverage strategic organizational learning; different practices may lead to the same outcome and similar practices may lead to different outcomes. The system dynamics underlying such learning — not the simple adoption of one or other practice — are key to success in institutionalizing a performance-based learning approach.

You know when organizational change is truly taking place because habits shift throughout the enterprise. Here is a reliable, replicable model for making that happen - and building powerful capabilities in the process. The model itself is familiar - hard and soft changes. The stories that follow show how details - a game played with Lego blocks, a CEO donning a hardhat -- make a difference.

Art Kleiner, Editor-in-chief, Strategy+Business (the management magazine published by PwC)

The sheer complexity of today’s business environment is overwhelming traditional approaches to organizational change—as noted in the track record of change efforts.  Organizations everywhere need help in learning how to change more, faster and differently than ever before.  Strategic Organizational Learning provides this help via a research-based and customizable approach for performing organizational change more effectively.  The approach will help you(and your organization) learn how to use change as fuel for continuous performance improvement and real competitive advantage.

Walter McFarland, Co-author of Choosing Change, and Board Chair Emeritus of the Association for Talent Development

Martha A. Gephart, Ph.D., co-directs the J.M. Huber Institute for Learning in Organizations, Department of Organization and Leadership, Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a social and organizational psychologist whose research and consulting focus on organizational learning and performance in diverse settings. She is also President of M. GEPHART ASSOCIATES LLC, which provides assessment, evaluation and consulting services to organizations.

Victoria J. Marsick, Ph.D., co-directs the J.M. Huber Institute for Learning in Organizations.  She is a Professor of Adult Learning and Leadership, Department of Organization and Leadership, Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research and consulting focus on Action Learning, informal learning and talent development in diverse settings. She is a Principal of Partners for Learning and Leadership.