Term used to describe groups in which the organization itself is designed to adapt to changing conditions as opposed to the literal interpretation, a group of people devoted to learning. This makes it more like a chess-playing computer designed to improve with practice than a club that teach chess players better skills. As the quantity and character of knowledge changes and expands, the luxury of learning and honing a static set of skills throughout life is no longer an option. This is as true for organizations as it is for individuals. Where this is not recognized, individuals must shoulder the responsibility for their own development. In a learning organization, development is a shared and coordinated activity where personal visions and newly acquired skills become the stepping stones to the development of the organizational vision and its success. A true learning organization realizes that it is the sum of the knowledge, skills and experiences of its members, and that it must also consciously grow new skills.
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