To be a ‘smart organization’, for a company to fully utilize the expertise and front-line knowledge of all, speaking up must be encouraged and praised, not just tolerated. The culture must embody an expectation of candor and avoid groupthink by acknowledging the importance of informed dissent, even appointing devil’s advocates if necessary.
Authoritarian hierarchy suppresses truth; cultures of blame and shame (versus responsibility and accountability) hide errors; prideful ego can block learning. No leader has full visibility, and knowledge is distributed throughout the organization.
Errors are inevitable and will repeat UNLESS they are discussed openly with lessons learned shared widely. After Action Reviews (AAR) are solution-focused and seek to improve processes and analyze systems, not people.
Signs of a Learning Organization
- Leaders tend to speak last, encouraging Junior people to freely speak early
- Silence is noticed, opinions and input actively solicited
- Dissenting views are welcomed and taken seriously
- Bad news travels fast, no upward censorship
- Risks detected/communicated early, messengers celebrated
Closing Quotes:
“Fear is the enemy of learning.” – Amy Edmondson, The Fearless Organization
“We want employees to report bad news immediately. It’s only the good news that can wait.” – Warren Buffett
“Bad news does not become dangerous when it appears. It becomes most dangerous when it is hidden.” – ChatGPT5.2
As always, I share what I most want and need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier
Note: Every effort has been made to properly source any 3rd person material. I am, however, a voracious reader. If anyone finds any unattributed material, pls let me know asap and I will be delighted to give credit where credit is due.
“All intelligent thoughts have already been thought; what is necessary is only to try to think them again.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832
