Getting it Right: Top 5 Learning Organizations

I have spent the last week scouring the Fortune 500 roster, the Non-profit Hall of Fame, and People’s “Sexiest Small Business Alive” list. (I have done no such thing, but roll with me here.) I have been in search of the cream-of-the-crop, elite handful of organizations who are showing the world what “learning organization” really means.

I now present to you my scientifically-validated findings.

1. Deloitte: This consulting giant is so dedicated to learning that they built a learning mecca to it. Deloitte University is a 700,000 square foot facility located on 100+ acres in Texas. It’s like a professional development ranch, minus the cowboys and cattle. Deloitte sends employees on all-expenses paid learning retreats. Excuse me while I go apply for a job at Deloitte.

2. Google: You knew it was going to be on here. Google is ubiquitous on “best-of” lists, and this one is no exception. Google makes the list of top learning organizations because of its 20% time policy, which allows for Google employees to spend 20% of their time on any creative or innovate project they think will benefit Google. 20% time (called 120% time by some – LOL) birthed Google News, Gmail, and other products.

3. The Nerdery: This software development company in Bloomington, MN builds learning right into the foundation of their culture. One of The Nerdery’s Core Values is “Constantly Push Boundaries” – it’s how they innovate and stay at the cutting edge of their industry. Here’s one way that value comes to life through collaborative learning, according to the company blog: "Nerds are encouraged to push boundaries with an online quiz game, DoDat, which challenges participants to identify departments and contributions that keep The Nerdery running smoothly. Nerds are encouraged to seek answers from other teams and departments as they complete their challenges."

4. US Army: General Petraeus wrote “The Army/Marine Field Manual on Counterinsurgency”, in which he speaks to why the military must be a learning organization. “The side that learns faster and adapts more rapidly—the better learning organization—usually wins. Counterinsurgencies have been called learning competitions.” He goes on to share seven suggestions for becoming a learning organization: (1) establish training centers; (2) regularly challenge your assumptions, both formally and informally; (3) Learn about the broader world outside of the organization; (4) Promote suggestions from the field; (5) Foster open communication between senior officers and their subordinates; (6) establish rapid avenues of disseminating lessons learned; (7) Be open to soliciting and evaluating feedback from others. Read more here.

5. Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP): This non-profit national network of charter schools serves 27,000 students through 1,900 teachers. KIPP wanted to empower its teachers to build on one another’s lesson plans rather than working from scratch and duplicating efforts. They created KIPP Share, a knowledge sharing online system that showcases exemplary work from great teachers available to all. Interested in learning more about non-profit learning organizations? Keep reading.

At this point, you are undoubtedly dying to know whether your organization qualifies as a learning one. HBR has already answered that question for you. Who knows…maybe you’ll make next year’s Top 5 list. I’ll be rigorously researching until then.

Happy learning!