General Mills as a learning organization and brain-like enterprise

¶ … Living Brain

The brain is one of the most crucial organs in the human body, playing a role in almost every action and decision taken by an individual. Well, the brain is made up of different parts, and each of these parts plays a different role, yet in the end, the entire brain operates and functions effectively to control the rest of the body. In other words, the brain is able to process large amounts and different types of information in an infinite number of ways, and the different parts are able to self-organize themselves in a way that benefits and facilitates the smooth working of the whole. Morgan (2006) queries whether it is possible for an organization to function in such a resilient, flexible, and inventive manner as the brain. Well, the answer is a tentative 'yes'; it is possible for an organization to function in this manner, but this is only if it encourages change and innovation, and is willing to adopt a learning culture. In other words, an organization can only function like the human brain if it makes itself a learning organization. American-based company, General Mills, is a perfect illustration of a learning organization -- one that has opened itself to the concept of continuous organizational learning. The subsequent sections demonstrate how this is so.

Morgan (2006) mentions that in order to function in a brain-like manner, organizations need to adopt the process of continuous learning -- they need to be constantly learning new approaches to dealing with emerging as well as old problems. This is only possible if they foster a culture that supports change and encourages innovation and risk-taking as a normal process (Morgan, 2006). At General Mills, innovation is a component of daily business -- the company runs an innovation blog, where employees can connect with customers, suppliers, entrepreneurs, academics, and inventors to learn from each other, develop new brands and devise new techniques for product development (General Mills, 2015). Employees are encouraged to take risks, and the company's top leadership commits itself to supporting any new ideas. Employees are encouraged to be leaders of their own -- as much as they are given the go-ahead to make their own decisions, they are also held accountable and are fully responsible for the same (General Mills, 2015). The company's openness to risk-taking and innovation is evident in its innovative brands and award recognitions -- in 2014, for instance, the company was named one of the world's most innovative companies in the Forbes Magazine Annual List of Innovative Companies (Christenson, 2014). When an organization is open to innovation, individual employees are more willing to learn new things that could lead to the betterment of the organization as a whole.

One of the basic tenets of Morgan's brain-like approach is cohesion -- as already mentioned, the brain is composed of many different parts, yet these work together cohesively to realize the organ's overall goal (Morgan, 2006). In other words, the different components are united by a common goal, and they work together (each one carrying out its specific function) towards the realization of the same. This tenet emphasizes the concept of shared goals in an organizational setting. In order for an organization to be effective, there needs to be a shared goal or objective uniting the different components/departments. Moreover, this must be known and clear to all members and all components involved. At General Mills, employees are united through the common vision of providing consumers with nutritious and convenient foods that can help them lead healthier lives (General Mills, 'Global Responsibility' section, 2015). This vision guides employees and governs their activities in all of the company's branches in all of the 6 countries that it is operational. When employees have clear knowledge of what they are supposed to achieve, they are better-placed to work and make decisions in a manner that is beneficial to the whole.