Building an Innovative Learning Organization

Chapter 3Developing a Learning Plan

Sarder Framework: Building the Learning Organization

Always plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.¹

—Richard Cushing

Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.²

—Alan Lakein

Change begins with an idea: a desire to make something happen, solve a problem, do something new, or become better. Implicit in the idea of change is a vague understanding of the desired outcome: “Let's improve the morale around here.” “Let's provide more relevant services to our community.” “Let's be more sustainable.” “Let's become more profitable.” “Let's become known as a great place to work.”

Everyone has great ideas. But few of them become reality. That's because having an idea about what you want to accomplish is only the starting place. Actually accomplishing it takes a great deal of thought and lots of hard work. And it takes a plan. Without a concrete, carefully developed plan, even the best ideas and the most worthwhile dreams soon wither away.

That's what often happens to the idea of building a learning organization. The CEO comes back from a conference on competition in the twenty-first century filled with ideas. She calls her executive team together. “We have to shore up our training efforts. We need to get everyone learning!” HR is given new mandates. Managers are told to provide (unspecified) ...