Extending Learning with the 6D

Extending Learning with the 6D’s

09-May-18

Grantham University

Training and Development

MGT441

Extending Learning with the 6D’s

When using the 6D’s to evaluate a learning organization, you must first understand what each one stands for and how to apply them. The 6D’s are described as disciplines, that when followed, will help greatly improve the value and impact of training within an organization. The 6D’s stand for: Define business outcomes, Design the complete experience, Deliver the application, Drive learning transfer, Deploy performance support and Document results. With an understanding of each of these you can appropriately evaluate and organizations learning results.

A key to evaluating an organizations learning capabilities, is an assessment of the knowledge transfer to the employees. Was the training clearly understood, as to why it is needed, the direction of the organization and how it will be implemented? The 6D principle is based on the creation of a roadmap that ensures the learning transfer, creates tangible and measureable results, which will improve the organizations results.

A person can evaluate the organization learning initiative and opportunities for improvement for each discipline by understanding and assessing the following. Management in a learning organization, will be able to clearly state the business needs, and the expected business outcomes, before training. After the training, all employees should be able to clearly understand the same thing, this is the define stage, the first D. In the design stage, management must understand the training and the data that will prove knowledge transfer has happened and how it is applicable to the job. The Deliver stage is clearly defined with outcomes and allows time for practice of the delivered training, and also has adequate time set aside for feedback, from participants. After feedback is collected, management will act upon it and ensure the perception of the program is in line, with the desired outcome. Organization managers will remind and encourage the reflection on the training received, in the drive stage. The managers will be monitoring and actively supporting the changed, throughout the poste period. As the training, is deployed continuously in the 5th D, it is evident that there is support, coaching and facilitation on of knowledge transfer from management and peer to peer. Best practices are shared amongst all employees, across the organization. The final evaluation of an organizations ability to learn is actual date collected to prove that program successfully transferred knowledge, the program is working, feedback is solicited, analyzed and improvements documented.

The 6D’s proved a simple way, as mentioned above to evaluate a learning organization and its capability. All companies across the globe, invest lots of capital for training, with the desired outcome being, they increase their value and effectiveness of their workforce. With increased effectiveness of training, it will improve an organizations bottom line and help achieve objectives that ensure a competitive advantage, over the competition.

Find an example of an organization which is not a learning organization.

An example of an organization that is not a learning organization, would be one that does not display the building blocks that are essential for organizational learning and adaptability. Over the past decades there has been a lot of research done on what the factors truly are, that make and organization a learning one. According to Garvin, Edmondson, and Gino (2008), the building blocks of a learning organization are: “A supportive learning environment, concrete learning process and practices, and leadership behavior that provides reinforcement”. Examples of organizations that are not learning organizations, are ones that are not supportive of employee’s thoughts, the first building block of supportive learning. Employees, fear being belittled if they ask questions or go against the norm. As the example with Emerson, in Case in Point 1.2, is was mentioned that “positive support from senior executives and font-line mangers, is what made learning a delightful situation to be in.” It is essential in a learning organization that employees feel safe, appreciate differences, openness to new ideas, and allowed time for reflection, which allows new learning objectives to be absorbed.

Organizations that are not learning organizations do not provide a vision to their employees, on what the company is trying to achieve. Instead, they keep employees in the dark. This causes confusion amongst every level of the organization. The problem this creates in an organization, is no one knows what success is or how to measure it. People need a common vision and to understand what the expectations are. In order for learning to progress and mean something to the organization, all the employees must believe in it. Luhn (2016), makes a point that, the people need to share the visons and cheer themselves on. This truly instills the momentum needed to incorporate the change.

Another key characteristic of Emerson, that separates it from organizations that are not learning organizations is, a leadership that reinforces learning. An organization must promote and believe in the training, help develop the criteria, believe in the outcome of the training, and be willing to invest in it. Along with believing, an organization must also be open to other points of view, which comes from their employees. Once an employee feels empowered to bring forth new ideas and is comfortable in challenging the norm, which is when true progress through learning begins. Garvin, Edmondson, and Gino (2008), make a clear and valid point when it comes to learning, they believe; “leaders actively question and listen to employees—and thereby prompt dialogue and debate—people in the institution feel encouraged to learn.” An organization that does this from the top leadership down, makes it clear that they reinforce learning.

There is many more examples out there of organizations that are not learning organizations, than there is learning ones. It is of the most importance, to ensure training is giving the support and time necessary to ensure the information is transferred to the intended audience. Training is and investment that an organization pays upfront for, with the expectation of improved performance. Any organization, that does not follow up on the training that was given, with a post training program, that supports the learning objectives, will not be seen as a learning organization. Organizations that are not learning organizations, due not provide any knowledge transfer support. They do not solidify the changes in anyway, or improvements that have or have not been made, these organizations appear to be just hoping for a miracle to occur. Companies that have added learning transfer support, have seen significant improvement that has ensured they achieve mission-critical results. For example, according to Weber (2011), Pfizer reported and almost 50 percent increase in ROI, after adding transfer support of knowledge to one of its leadership programs.

Emerson is an example of what a learning organization looks like. They follow the 6D’s, which ultimately drives the learning transfer. Any organization can go from a non-learning organization to a learning one, if they are willing to put in the effort and follow the six disciplines of breakthrough learning. Failing organizations often become lazy and put little to no effort into their training. The outcome of the training and buy-in from employees is just the same, it becomes a waste of a capital investment and time. Management, from the top down must believe, be involved and follow up with the learning transfer, in order for it to be successful learning organization.

References

David A. Garvin, Amy C. Edmondson, Francesca Gino. (2014, July 31). Is Yours a Learning Organization? Retrieved October 07, 2017, from https://hbr.org/2008/03/is-yours-a-learning-organization

Luhn, A. (2016). The Learning Organization. Creative & Knowledge Society, 6, 1-13. doi:10.1515/cks-2016-0005

Pollock, R. V., Jefferson, A. M., & Wick, C. W. (2015). The six disciplines of breakthrough learning: how to turn training and development into business results. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Weber, E. (2011). Learning Transfer – the missing link in learning. Training and Development in Australia. Retrieved October 8, 2017, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=8&sid=fd682669-d244-459f-a64e-abf8ffaed9c9%40sessionmgr120