Learning from Nature
Photo by niko photos on Unsplash
The continued success of any business or organisation depends on its ability to learn. Learning includes developing and honing skills – capability building – as well as learning that responds to challenges in the world. Only that which can change can continue.
The continued success of any organisation depends on its ability to learn
In my work developing and scaling innovation capability in organisations, I've noticed that how quickly we learn depends on our understanding of how learning occurs. There are two key schools of thought.
The first is akin to building a wall. Individual "building blocks" are layered and pieced together, one at a time. Foundations are required before height can be achieved. Gaps can be problematic and need to be filled, requiring immediate attention. The quality of the wall is dependent on the skill of the bricklayer. Once finished, the wall stands alone.
The second approach sees learning as more like the growth of a tree. What's a perfect tree? Any tree is perfect; any tree has adapted perfectly to its surroundings and grown based on its resources – it's soil, nutrients and light. A tree grows in all directions at all times. While connected to its environment, growth comes from itself. Until a tree dies, it never stops growing.
The first approach sees growth occuring through external input, the second from within.
What is least helpful is the view that learning involves fixing. No-one is broken or defective. Instead, we are complete and we can grow.
We are all learners and we all capable of growing in response to our environments. We are all able to adapt. What differs is the quality of our environment, culture, input and understanding.