Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, Digital Transformation: Next-Generation Learning Organization (21-slide PowerPoint presentation). Survival of a business in this Digital Age largely depends on its ability to timely embrace Digital Transformation. Digital Transformation entails using Digital Technologies to streamline business processes, culture, and customer experiences in order to stay ahead of the rivals. To compete in [read more]
Digital Transformation 2.0: Creating the Next-Generation Learning Organization
* * * *
Survival of a business in this digital age largely depends on its ability to timely embrace Digital Transformation. Digital Transformation entails using Digital Technologies to streamline business processes, culture, and customer experiences.
In order to compete today—and in future—and to enable Digital Transformation, organizations should work towards fostering a culture of continuous learning, since Digital Transformation depends on learning and innovation. The organizations that holistically embrace this culture are called “Next-Generation Learning Organizations.”
The next generation of Learning Organizations capitalize on the following key variables; Humans, Machines, Timescales, and Scope. These organizations incorporate technology in enabling dynamic learning. Creating Next-Generation Learning Organizations demands reorganizing the entire enterprise to accomplish the following key functions to win in future:
- Learning on Multiple Timescales
- Man and Machine Integration
- Expanding the Ecosystem
- Continuous Learning
Learning on Multiple Timescales
Next-Generation Learning Organizations make the best use of their time. They appreciate the objectives that can be realized in the short term and those that take long term to accomplish. Learning quickly and in the short term is what many organizations are already doing, e.g., by using Artificial Intelligence, algorithms, or dynamic pricing. Other learning variables that effect an organization gradually are also critical, e.g., changing social attitudes.
Man and Machine Integration
Rather than having people to design and control processes, Next-generation Learning Organizations employ intelligent machines that learn and adjust accordingly. The role of people in such organizations keeps evolving to supplement intelligent machines.
Expanding the Ecosystem
The Next-generation Learning Organizations incorporate economic activities beyond their boundaries. These organizations act like platform businesses that facilitate exchanges between consumers and producers by harnessing and creating large networks of users and resources available on demand. These ecosystems are a valuable source for enhanced learning opportunities, rapid experimentation, access to larger data pools, and a wide network of suppliers.
Continuous Learning
Next-generation Learning Organizations make learning part and parcel of every function and process in their enterprise. They adapt their vision and strategies based on the changing external environments, competition, and market; and extend learning to everything they do.
With the constantly-evolving technology landscape, organizations will require different capabilities and structures to sustain in future. A majority of the organizations today are able to operate only in steady business settings. Transforming these organizations into the Next-Generation Learning Organizations—that are able to effectively traverse the volatile economic environment, competitive landscapes, and unpredictable future—necessitates them to implement these 5 pillars of learning:
- Digital Transformation
- Human Cognition Improvement
- Man and Machine Relationship
- Expanded Ecosystems
- Management Innovation
1. Digital Transformation
Traditional organizations—that are dependent on structures and human involvement in decision making—use technology to simply execute a predesigned process repeatedly or to gain incremental improvements in their existing processes. The Next-generation Learning Organizations (NLOs), in contrast, are governed by their aspiration to continuously seek knowledge by leveraging technology. NLOs implement automation and autonomous decision-making across their businesses to learn at faster timescales. They design autonomous systems by integrating multiple technologies and learning loops.
2. Human Cognition Improvement
NLOs understand AI’s edge at quickly analyzing correlations in complex data sets and are aware of the inadequacies that AI and machines have in terms of reasoning abilities. They focus on the unique strengths of human cognition and assign people roles that add value—e.g., understanding causal relationships, drawing causal inference, counterfactual thinking, and creativity. Design is the center of attention of these organizations and they utilize human imagination and creativity to generate new ideas and produce novel products.
3. Man and Machine Relationship
Next-generation Learning Organizations (NLOs) make the best use of humans and machines combined. They utilize machines to recognize patterns in complex data and deploy people to decipher causal relationships and spark innovative thinking. NLOs make humans and machines cooperate in innovative ways, and constantly revisit the deployment of resources, people, and technology on tasks based on their viability.
Interested in learning more about the other pillars of Learning? You can download an editable PowerPoint on Digital Transformation: Next-generation Learning Organization here on the Flevy documents marketplace.
Do You Find Value in This Framework?
You can download in-depth presentations on this and hundreds of similar business frameworks from the FlevyPro Library. FlevyPro is trusted and utilized by 1000s of management consultants and corporate executives. Here’s what some have to say:
“My FlevyPro subscription provides me with the most popular frameworks and decks in demand in today’s market. They not only augment my existing consulting and coaching offerings and delivery, but also keep me abreast of the latest trends, inspire new products and service offerings for my practice, and educate me in a fraction of the time and money of other solutions. I strongly recommend FlevyPro to any consultant serious about success.”
– Bill Branson, Founder at Strategic Business Architects
“As a niche strategic consulting firm, Flevy and FlevyPro frameworks and documents are an on-going reference to help us structure our findings and recommendations to our clients as well as improve their clarity, strength, and visual power. For us, it is an invaluable resource to increase our impact and value.”
– David Coloma, Consulting Area Manager at Cynertia Consulting
“As a small business owner, the resource material available from FlevyPro has proven to be invaluable. The ability to search for material on demand based our project events and client requirements was great for me and proved very beneficial to my clients. Importantly, being able to easily edit and tailor the material for specific purposes helped us to make presentations, knowledge sharing, and toolkit development, which formed part of the overall program collateral. While FlevyPro contains resource material that any consultancy, project or delivery firm must have, it is an essential part of a small firm or independent consultant’s toolbox.”
– Michael Duff, Managing Director at Change Strategy (UK)
“FlevyPro has been a brilliant resource for me, as an independent growth consultant, to access a vast knowledge bank of presentations to support my work with clients. In terms of RoI, the value I received from the very first presentation I downloaded paid for my subscription many times over! The quality of the decks available allows me to punch way above my weight – it’s like having the resources of a Big 4 consultancy at your fingertips at a microscopic fraction of the overhead.”
– Roderick Cameron, Founding Partner at SGFE Ltd
“Several times a month, I browse FlevyPro for presentations relevant to the job challenge I have (I am a consultant). When the subject requires it, I explore further and buy from the Flevy Marketplace. On all occasions, I read them, analyze them. I take the most relevant and applicable ideas for my work; and, of course, all this translates to my and my clients’ benefits.”
– Omar Hernán Montes Parra, CEO at Quantum SFE
Readers of This Article Are Interested in These Resources
|
37-slide PowerPoint presentation
|
|
26-slide PowerPoint presentation
| |||
About Mark Bridges
Mark Bridges is a Senior Director of Strategy at Flevy. Flevy is your go-to resource for best practices in business management, covering management topics from Strategic Planning to Operational Excellence to Digital Transformation (view full list here). Learn how the Fortune 100 and global consulting firms do it. Improve the growth and efficiency of your organization by leveraging Flevy's library of best practice methodologies and templates. Prior to Flevy, Mark worked as an Associate at McKinsey & Co. and holds an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. You can connect with Mark on LinkedIn here.Top 10 Recommended Documents on Learning Organization
» View more resources Learning Organization here.
» View the Top 100 Best Practices on Flevy.