A Learning Organization

1. A Learning Organization LAC-USC Medical Center A Perspective on Internal Employee Training and Development

2. Table of Contents • Title page • Table of Contents • A personal reflection (Collins) • Introduction • LAC-USC Speicifics • A personal reflection (Bennet) • Bennet Profile • A personal reflection(Weick) • The evolution of learning at ()MC • Types of Training & Development

3. A Justification for Learning Jim Collins: Asking why you need to put learning objectives before performance objectives is like asking for a financial justification for breathing. (Frost, Nord & Krefting, 2004, p.262)

4. Introduction In today’s environment, organizational learning represents a new form of learning in the following ways: • It is performance based • Emphasis is on the learning process • Learning is part of everybody’s job • Organization-wide opportunities exist to develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes (Marquardt, 2011, p.ix).

5. One Example of Organizational Learning The Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center (LAC-USC) is located in the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. It is a county owned and operated, public, level I trauma center, that is one of the largest teaching and training medical centers in the U.S. It was founded in 1878 and began its affiliation with USC in 1885. “As a teaching hospital responsible for creating a learning responsive environment, LAC-USC has continued its commitment to ensure all personnel, contracted employees, interns, and residents are privy to the most optimal learning experiences” (T. Bennet, personal communication, June 18, 2013).

6. Tracy Bennet Personal Motto- “As a lifelong learner, I view everyday as a learning day, a new opportunity for growth and insight” (Tracy Bennet, 2013).

7. Tracy Bennet Profile Tracy Bennet is currently the Director of Nursing at the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center. In this position she is responsible for planning, policy creation and enforcement, budgeting, employee management, and employee training and development. Employment history includes 10 years in her current position, 5 years as a Recruiter at LAC-USC, 10 years as a Facility Director at a hospice in Georgia, and 5 years as a Head Nurse at a county hospital in Georgia. Ms. Bennet received her MSN from the University of Southern California in 1998 and her BSN from the University of Georgia-Athens in 1984. Additional training includes Six Sigma Training and post-graduate work at USC. Ms. Bennet has been married to Leonard Bennet for thirty years, has three adult children, and two grandchildren. She is an active board member on numerous local and state charitable organizations.

8. The Wisdom of Learning Karl E. Weick: “What most organizations miss, and what explains why most organizations fail to learn, is that reality backs up while it is approached by the subject who tries to understand it. Ignorance and knowledge grow to together. To put it another way, each new domain of knowledge appears simple from the distance of ignorance” (Frost, Nord & Krefting, 2004, pp. 407,408).

9. LAC-USC :Evolution of Learning Past Programs Uncommon Leader Program: Building the New American Leader-senior management development program Master level nursing residency program initiative with Western University From Captain to Leader Initiative- Project Safety

10. LACUSC: Evolution of Learning Current Employee Enhancement Programs Project Safety II Partnership for Patients Safety First Initiative Six Sigma Preceptor Training Leadership Training Program

11. LACUSC: Evolution of Learning Future Goals for Learning UCLA Partnership in Safety First Program-Initiative for Readmission Reductions and Medical Errors C.H.A.N.G.E. Program-Team Leadership Training AHIMA workshops

12. Types of Training & Developmentat LACUSC Training Development Seminars Job Rotations Conferences Lectures Committee Appointments Case Studies AHIMA programs On-the-Job Training CEU opportunities Shadowing Mentoring Project Leadership Appointments Committee Appointments Preceptor Programs Residency Programs Internships Executive Leadership Programs

13. Questions Anyone……. Jim Collins: “Walton viewed himself not as a definitive expert on retailing, but as a lifelong student of his craft, always asking questions and taking every opportunity to learn……” (Frost, Nord & Krefting, 2004).

14. Summary Learning organizations view learning as a constantly evolving process. Every success is viewed as a stepping stone toward the “cognitive” growth of the organization, while every failure should be viewed as an opportunity for exploration. LAC-USC is but one example of a monumental shift in organizational priorities from performance-focused-goals only toward a learning goals perspective. In this knowledge-based economy, illumination must triumph over cognitive stagnation.

15. References Frost, P.J., Nord, W.R. & Krefting, L.A. (2004). Managerial and organizational reality: Stories of life and work. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. LAC-USC. Http://www.lacusc.org/. Viewed and retrieved on June 25, 2013. Marquardt, M.J. (2011). Building the learning organization: Achieving strategic advantage through a commitment to learning (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

16. A Word of Thanks……. I would like to express my gratitude to Ms. Bennet for her graciousness and willingness to provide her valuable insights on the role of organizational learning.