Overview: The word "learn" has roots in ideas like "gather knowledge and practice" and "follow a track over time." A learning organization or community continually gathers knowledge and experience to respond to change and create its life over time--continually plan and produce results.

How Learning Community Works: Learning organizations create a culture with:

• a sense of purpose and desire to learn,
• leaders committed to change,
• dynamic internal communication and many external links,
• human resource managers that support individuals to learn.

Learning--captured in individuals, teams and the organizational knowledge base--is used to capitalize on market opportunity.

The Payoff: Ideal to develop a sense of shared history, shared vision, and future plans. Used when an organization or community, seeks to re-structure deep beliefs and core values, relationships with external environments, and business plans--in an ongoing and continuous way.

How to Make It Happen: Facilitated by someone with skills such as team building, mentoring, dialog, trend mapping, systems thinking, and strategic planning.

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Ray, M., & Rinzler, A., (1993), The New Paradigm in Business: Emerging Strategies for Leadership and …Change, Los Angeles, CA: Jeremy Tacher, Inc.

Rosen, R.H., & Berger, L. (1992) The Healthy Company: Eight Strategies to Develop People, Productivity, and Profits, NY: Tilden Publishing.

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