EYE ON THE PROFESSION

A CLOSER LOOK AT TRENDS AND ISSUES IN THE PARK AND RECREATION PROFESSION

Does Your Agency Value Learning?

William J. M. Wald IPRA Chief Executive Officer

Continuing education is an instrumental tool for park and recreation professionals to excel in the field. Keeping up with trends, discovering new programs and services and their positive effects for the public are essential. What does your agency do with this new information? How does your agency effect change?

If your agency is a "learning organization," you already have systems in place to review and implement these new ideas. Your employees are empowered to take action. Your agency is keeping pace with the latest trends and practices in our field.

Many park and recreation agencies and forest preserves are learning organizations. Others are on their way, while some have yet to see the benefits.

A Learning Organization Defined

New knowledge must be translated into new ways of behaving.

Peter Senge, who popularized learning organizations in his book The Fifth Discipline, defined a learning organization as one "in which you cannot not learn because learning is so insinuated into the fabric of life." Another definition describes a learning organization as "a group of people continually expanding their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together." Finally, "a learning organization is skilled at creating, acquiring and transferring knowledge, and at modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights."

The concept of learning organizations has become increasingly relevant given the growing complexity and uncertainty in organizational environments. Being a learning organization may be the only way you can thrive rather than just survive in a climate of rapid change and new technologies.

Building Blocks

Ideas are essential if learning is to take place. They are the impetus for organizational improvement. But what good are ideas without action?

New knowledge must be translated into new ways of behaving, which can only be done with distinctive policies and practices in place. These policies and practices form the building blocks of learning organizations. Following are five qualities of effective learning organizations.

Learning organizations do not happen overnight, but rather are nurtured and developed.

1. Using systematic problem solving methods is an important quality of a learning organization. Data, rather than assumptions, must be used to make sound solutions.

2. Organizations must systematically experiment with new methods and procedures. Is there a steady flow of new ideas coming into your agency? Do you provide incentives that encourage employees to take risks? Do you systematically evaluate the implementation of these new ideas?

3. Organizations must learn from their past experiences. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

4. We must learn from others. Companies in completely different businesses can be outstanding sources for new ideas and catalysts for creative thinking. For example, "benchmarking" is a business practice infrequently used in our field, but it can be useful. Benchmarking is the skill of seeking out best-practice organizations and adapting their methods to your agency.

5. New knowledge and practices need to be transferred quickly and efficiently throughout the organization to ensure total saturation of ideas that may transform your agency from average to excellent.

8 Illinois Parks and Recreation

Simple Steps

Learning organizations do not happen overnight, but rather are nurtured and developed over time as changes in attitudes, practices and policies take place. Here are a few simple steps you can take to begin building a learning organization.

• Develop a climate that is conducive to learning. Managers must set aside time for their staff members to evaluate current practices, consider customer needs and implement new ideas. Organizational boundaries must be opened up to stimulate the exchange of ideas.

• Encourage a new flow of ideas and concepts by holding inter-departmental meetings and creating project teams made up of staff members from all over the organization.

• Require employees to consider new ideas and design new ways to implement them through such practices as strategic planning, systems audits and internal benchmarking.

The Bottom Line

The benefits of building a learning organization are many. Agencies can gain a competitive edge and keep up with trends in our changing environment. You can empower your employees while increasing their level of personal commitment and creativity to your agency. You can achieve your goals.

Why a learning organization? A better question might be, why not?

What will you learn from the 2005 IAPD/IPRA Annual Conference? Learning organizations know how to capitalize on conferences such as the IAPD/IPRA Annual Conference. The conference presents an ideal opportunity for learning organizations to thrive. It offers more than 100 quality educational sessions, networking opportunities and a 300+ company exhibit hall showcasing companies and products of interest to the park and recreation business. Here's how some learning organizations take advantage of this annual event. At the conference • Approach the conference with a purpose to gain insights into new methods and practices to bring back to your agency. • Plan ahead to attend appropriate sessions and networking opportunities. • Attend with an open mind. • Meet people with similar responsibilities and professional interests. • Get to know your peers. They're your greatest assets in ensuring a successful career. After the conference • Share materials from educational sessions with staff and board members. • Share new ideas gleaned from the conference in your upcoming staff meetings. • Filter new information to the right staff members. • Make changes to your own practices based on something you learned at the conference. • Follow through with the resources you jotted down in educational sessions or contacts made while networking. • Call that person on the business card that had a great idea that you would like to implement at your agency to get further information.

November/December 2004 - 9