Learning from others
The experience of others can have a huge influence on our organisational learning. For many, this can mean establishing formal and informal links with other teams in the organisation. This can range from simple lunch and learn sessions, to developing peer networks with a supportive environment and fostering alternative perspectives to explore real and current workplace challenges, and opportunities to cross team and/or departmental away days.
For the CAF Global Alliance, we regularly bring together (virtually and physically) colleagues from all over the world.
Much of the value comes from spending time together, discussing successes, challenges and – most importantly – their failures. But often really effective learning comes from ‘doing’. Regularly, our offices are working together on specific projects.
There is a richness in skills development and transfer that comes from practical, experiential learning that cannot be achieved by conversation alone. In both cases, it is significant that this learning comes from people who are not ‘people like us’. Learning from organisations with a different culture, context, skills and experience can shift us from our normal perspective and make us see problems, and solutions, from a fresh angle.