Forum for organisational learning: Combining learning at work, organisational learning and training in new ways

A new initiative has been taken that aims to combine learning at work, training and organisational learning and change. In this “Forum for organisational learning”, scientists, organisational advisors and practitioners cooperate in new ways in order to reach new goals: improving organisational learning, workplace learning and training and especially their alignment. In the Forum organisations meet each other in order to learn from their experiences with individual, team and organisational learning. Each organisation is represented by at least two and preferably three or more representatives, fulfilling different roles. Some, the thinkers, follow a full master program. Others, the do-ers, follow only part of this program, but work within the organisation focusing on organisational learning and workplace learning. Finally, in each organisation there is a responsible manager who sponsors the internal organisational process. In the program, five paradoxes of learning form the core content: how to combine top-down and bottom-up approaches for strategy formation, how to combine learning and working, how to combine individual and organisational ambitions, how to combine structure and empowerment in leading teams and individuals, and how to combine motivational approaches with approaches directed resistance reduction. © 2003, MCB UP Limited