Personal learning and growth

During three discussions recently it again struck me that the core of organisational renewal and growth is personal growth.

Where a client discusses issues, intellectually grasps what needs to be done, totally agrees and nods but does not go over into action, learning has not taken place. Nor will the organisation grow.

Where an owner is eager to learn and applies new learning, things start to happen within that organisation.

Focus on intangibles

Owners, in turn, need to consider the individual talents and the learning and growth abilities of their staff members. Owners have to manage the development of their intangibles.

One client asked me what is meant with “intangibles”. Kaplan and Norton of Balanced Scorecard fame, defined three types of intangible capital, namely Human Capital, Information Capital and Organisation Capital. Here’s a quick informal definition of each:

•  Human Capital – the talents, knowledge and experienced-based skills which people bring with them into an organisation when they are appointed. And, of course, their attitudes and mindsets. Do they have an inner drive to do well and make a difference? Or do they want or need a manager to direct them and keep an eye on them and their performances? How could you build on their talents?

•  Information Capital – the information and intellectual capital which resides in your organisation. Nowadays, this information is to a large extent to be found on the computers of a company. Is there an attempt to develop and shape information and to make it accessible on shared databanks? What happens if a key manager or staff member leaves your company? Does the information depart with the departing person? What happens to important and often unique intellectual capital namely information about your products, services, operations and clients?

•  Organisation Capital – your shared culture, your leadership and managerial styles, teamwork, alignment between personal and organisation objectives, the type of communication which you choose to conduct, and your ability to handle change. New skills can be developed in all these areas. Organisation capital is a hugely important area.

People are an organisation. We all know this intuitively, but does this knowledge affect our behaviour?

How strongly do we actually deal with our intangible assets or capitals? Do we build them purposefully?

Mindset

It takes a shift in mindset to make people (staff and clients) and relations with them the centre of your business model. It takes a specific effort to develop intangibles, starting with oneself.

How much time do we spend each week in purposefully acquiring new knowledge by reading, by studying and/or by having meaningful conversations with people within and without our organisation?

Building ourselves

How much time do we spend in converting new knowledge and insights into new practices and routines? Do we without fail each week gradually build our businesses by applying new insights?

Building people

How much time do we spend each week in building our people? We have to invest time in our people. Do we make a thoughtful contribution to their personal learning and growth? Or do we believe that by just turning up at work and working sufficient learning takes place?

There is a direct link between personal learning and growth (spanning the three types of capital) and organisational success.

Of course, there is also a direct link between my ability as consultant to learn and grow and to impart new applicable knowledge to my clients – knowledge which addresses their specific needs. I should add that I am often immensely pleased when a client teaches me a new or better approach.

All of this is pretty exciting.

How strongly do you focus on intangibles?

Should you do more?

Albert