How Motorola infused a culture of learning into itself

Training and development is no longer a task-specific function which needs to be handled by the human resource department alone.

Training is a continuous process — in fact, it is the essence of the learning organisation. Training, or continuous learning, is the bridge that connects employees to the organisation’s objectives. Thus, it is a prerequisite for sustainable competitive advantage.

Introduction
Human resource is the mainstay of the modern competitive
organisation. In today’s highly volatile and uncertain business environment, change is the only certainty. The organisation needs strategic capabilities to survive change and adapt to it.

Often, the best organisational strategies fail because they are not supported by people with the right capabilities to execute them. In order to remain competitive, organisations need to mould every employee as a change agent and thought leader. They can do this only by building a culture of constant learning and development. As Charles Darwin famously remarked, “It is not the strongest of the species that will survive, or the most intelligent. It is the one most adaptable to change.”

Lessons in learning
Motorola: The electronics and telecom major has been globally recognised for its learning culture and innovative training practices.

As early as the 1980s, the company set up the Motorola University to meet all its training needs. The company focuses on holistic learning, and the university continuously revises its curriculum based on participant inputs, global benchmarking and changing strategic requirements. Motorola has won several international recognitions including the American Society for Training and Development’s BEST Award.

Miami Children’s Hospital, Florida: The paediatric care centre is internationally renowned as one of the few service sector organiasations to innovate in the field of organisational learning.

At the hospital, it is mandatory for all new patient-care staff to undergo six-month family-centred training. The training methodology includes role playing to sensitise staff to the needs of young patients. Each learning intervention is consciously aligned to the hospital’s mission of excelling in family-centred healthcare. The Miami Hospital is a national leader in many specialised areas of paediatric care.

Grameen Bank: The Bangladesh-based pioneer in micro-finance, which won the 2006 Nobel Prize for peace, has liberated millions of rural women from poverty and oppression.

Though the medium of the organisation is micro-finance, it maintains its focus on the mission — raising the standard of living of the rural poor — through its intensive training philosophy. The mandatory training programmes for members not only cover the basics of finance and banking, but also educate them on women’s rights, health and nutrition, maternal health and child care. The senior members are encouraged to support the new entrants and act as informal mentors.

Conclusion
Every employee is a veritable island of knowledge, and the organisation must integrate these isolated pockets to channelise individual learning towards achieving its larger strategic objectives. At the same time, it cannot afford to lose focus on the individual’s personal development. This balancing act has by far been the biggest challenge for the human resource function in the context of the knowledge economy.