Learning, Becoming, Doing

In any vocation we are called to do—and do it well—learning is foundational, and through a process of academic and experiential learning we can become highly proficient, perhaps even mastering our calling and in the process doing good in the world; yet, to sustain our excellence, the learning must be continual, for life.

And so it is for organizations, and the field of organizational development is one field wherein the search for the tools to ensure organizations become committed to lifetime learning, to become learning organizations, is constant.

A seminal book in the field is The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization, and the description of one of the disciplines: personal mastery, is evocative.

An excerpt.

“Personal Mastery. Mastery might suggest gaining dominance over people or things. But mastery can also mean a special level of proficiency. A master craftsman doesn’t dominate pottery or weaving. People with a high level of personal mastery are able to consistently realize the results that matter most deeply to them—in effect, they approach their life as an artist would approach a work of art. They do that by becoming committed to their own lifelong learning.

“Personal mastery is the discipline of continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision, of focusing our energies, of developing patience, and of seeing reality objectively. As such, it is an essential cornerstone of the learning organization—the learning organization’s spiritual foundation. An organization’s commitment to and capacity for learning can be no greater than that of its members. The roots of this discipline lie in both Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, and in secular traditions as well.” (p. 7 in the 1994 edition, but the Amazon link is to the revised edition of 2006)