The latest versions of FSSC 22000 V6 and Codex HACCP 2020 standards now highlight the importance of food safety culture. In the last article we have talked about one of the key factors in building a positive culture is communication. Another key factor in creating a positive food safety culture is training. A commitment to developing employee competence in food safety will influence both the organizations and its employees’ ability to adapt to change. Such development initiatives should encompass specific, technical food safety capabilities in addition to broader leadership and management skills such as negotiation and influence, communications, problem-solving and change deployment. An organization that successfully adapts to change typically is characterized by empowered employees capable of taking on new and challenging responsibilities. In order to achieve that, we need to become a learning organization.

Today I’m going to share with you this article from Harvard Business Review “Is Yours a Learning Organization?” by David A. Garvin, Amy C. Edmondson, and Francesca Gino.

A company that’s really good at learning can handle unexpected challenges well. But, it’s been hard to find a clear way to figure out exactly how an organization learns and to pinpoint steps to make it even better at learning.

Leaders sometimes believe that making their organizations learn is as simple as having a clear vision, offering rewards to employees, and providing lots of training. And Managers sometimes complain, “We trained our team, but things haven’t improved.” So, what’s the problem here?

In today’s world, organizations need to learn more than ever before to deal with the challenges which include growing competition, advances in technology, and changes in what customers want. Each company should aim to become a “learning organization.” The idea was to have an organization where employees are skilled at creating, acquiring, and sharing knowledge. These people could help their companies be more adaptable and responsive to unpredictability. However, this ideal hasn’t been fully realized, and there are three main reasons for this.

First, earlier discussions about learning organizations were more about promoting a better vision than offering practical steps. They focused on the big picture and neglected the details, making it hard for managers to know how to move forward.

Second, the concept mainly targeted CEOs and top executives, not the managers of smaller departments where a lot of crucial work happens. These middle managers had no way to measure how their teams’ learning contributed to the organization as a whole.

Third, there were no established standards and tools for assessing organizational learning. This made it easy for companies to claim progress without thoroughly understanding their own performance or comparing it to others.

So, what can we do to become a learning organization? The foundation of a learning organization consists of three key elements that researchers have identified as crucial for learning and adaptability. These building blocks are:

1. A supportive learning environment
2. Practical learning methods and proedures
3. Leadership behavior that encourages learning

We can think of these as the fundamental components that make an organization good at learning and adapting.

Companies and their individual departments will need to work on their specific strengths and weaknesses to become better at learning in the long run. Because all three building blocks are broad enough for managers and companies of all kinds to evaluate, our tool lets them examine the data in ways that are most helpful to them. They can create profiles of their unique ways of learning and then compare themselves to a group of organizations for a better understanding of where they stand. To see the value of these comparisons, let’s take a closer look at each of the building blocks of a learning organization.

1. To avoid arguments and make people like them. Many leaders steer clear of disagreements and discourage differing opinions because they want to be seen as nice. They think they can either be nice or risk offending others, believing those are the only options.
2. To pretend they’re inclusive. Some organizations think being nice is the same as being inclusive and humane. But when you see employees naturally grouping with others who are similar to them, it could mean the organization is silently saying, “You can be different, but still be nice.”
3. To be overly respectful of those in charge. In organizations where fear is a big deal, being nice is a way to protect yourself. The idea is that if you don’t upset the powerful people, you’ll have a better chance of keeping your job.
4. To motivate people instead of holding them responsible. Being friendly can help influence others, but you still need to hold them accountable. Timothy once worked with a CEO who was very likable, but his attempts to create a culture of niceness ended up causing problems. People would hug and be nice to each other, but they wouldn’t follow through on their commitments.

Building Block 1: A Supportive Learning Environment

The first building block is creating a supportive learning environment, which means having a workplace that helps people learn and grow in four important ways:

1. Psychological safety: People should feel safe to express their thoughts and ideas without the fear of being criticized or treated unfairly when they disagree with others, ask basic questions, admit their mistakes, or have a different opinion. They should be comfortable sharing their thoughts about the work they’re doing.
2. Appreciating differences: Learning happens when people are exposed to different ideas and perspectives. Recognizing the value of having different opinions and ways of looking at things can energize and motivate the team, leading to fresh ideas and preventing boredom and stagnation.
3. Being open to new ideas: Learning isn’t just about fixing mistakes and solving problems; it’s also about coming up with new and innovative approaches. Employees should be encouraged to take risks and explore uncharted territory, trying out things that haven’t been done before.
4. Taking time to think: Many managers are often judged based on how many hours they work and how many tasks they complete. But when people are too busy or stressed by deadlines, their ability to think critically and creatively suffers. They become less effective at identifying problems and learning from their experiences. A supportive learning environment allows for breaks in the action and encourages people to reflect on the organization’s processes thoughtfully.

Building Block 2: Practical Learning Methods and Procedures

Creating a learning organization doesn’t just happen on its own; it involves a series of clear steps and actions, somewhat like how various business processes such as delivering goods, managing payments, fulfilling orders, and creating new products work. Learning processes include things like gathering, interpreting, and sharing information. This involves trying out new things to make and test new products and services, staying informed about what competitors, customers, and technology are doing, carefully analyzing and solving problems, and providing education and training for both new and experienced employees.

To make sure knowledge is useful, it needs to be shared in an organized and well-defined way. Sharing can happen among individuals, groups, or the whole organization. Knowledge can move from one person to another or go up and down the hierarchy in a company. The way knowledge is shared can be inward-focused, meaning it helps fix issues within the organization. For example, after completing a project, there might be reviews that are shared with others working on similar tasks. On the other hand, knowledge sharing can also look outward. It might involve regular discussions with customers or experts to understand their views on the company’s actions or challenges. By having these structured processes, important information gets to the right people quickly and effectively.

Building Block 3: Leadership Behavior That Encourages Learning

The way leaders behave has a big impact on how an organization learns. When leaders actively ask questions and listen to their employees, it encourages discussion and debate, making people feel like it’s okay to learn. If leaders show that they value time spent on identifying problems, sharing knowledge, and reviewing what they’ve done, these activities are more likely to thrive. When those in charge lead by example and are open to different points of view, it makes employees feel more confident about suggesting new ideas and options.

Conclusion

The three building blocks of organizational learning work together and overlap. Leadership behavior helps create a supportive learning environment, which in turn makes it easier for managers and employees to carry out practical learning processes effectively. And these processes provide opportunities for leaders to encourage learning and inspire it in others.

Take the First Step Towards Excellence! Contact us today to learn more about how your organization can elevate your food safety standards and establish a culture of excellence within your organization.