Continuous Learning in Business

Continuous Learning and Professional Development
Differentiating Training from Development
Training
Development
What It Is
Specific program designed to give workers skills and knowledge they will need to complete work-related and role-related tasks
Broadly defined by long-term goals, such as employee growth and performance, development refers to the measure of an employee’s contributions to the workplace over a period of time
How It is Applied
Typically whenever a new hire is onboarded or whenever a new employee is brought in to perform in a new role, training is applied over the duration of a few days or weeks to acquaint the worker with the information and practices that will be required to perform in the role. Techniques can include:
· Seminars
· Video training
· Reading material
· Shadowing
· Mentoring
Development is applied by conducting employee reviews, setting goals for the department and aligning the individual worker’s performance and goals with those of the department and organization. Development is measured by performing:
· Annual employee reviews
· Performance evaluations
· Direct observation
· Interviews with workers
· Other metrics
1
The difference between individual learning and development vs. organizational learning and development at Johnson and Johnson is based on the objectives that distinguish the two. The individual’s objectives are typically much smaller in scope and focus on specific actions or tasks that facilitate a larger process within an organization. The organization’s objectives are typically larger in scope, farther-reaching, and more comprehensive and considered in terms of a final product or service. For this reason, learning and development is considered on more of a micro-scale for individuals and on more of a macro-scale for organizations. With that said, organizations do learn from what individuals are doing, so there is some relationship between the two. As Wilhelm (2017) notes, “Learning organizations and the people in them learn constantly from everything they do.”  They not only look at their past performance but they also look at the performance of others in the industry to see what they might be missing. They are constantly engaged in a process of continuous education to enhance production and performance. Everything the organization does is done with the view of keeping track, just like sports analysts keep track of players’ stats, to see how everyone and everything is performing, where performance is lacking, and what issues need to be addressed. Individual learning and development plays a part in organizational performance, and organizational learning plays a part in how employee programs, training, and metrics are used.
At Johnson and Johnson, one way that individual learning and development is promoted is through the use of TEDx Talks. This was also an organizational learning opportunity, too, as something like this had never been tried for the workplace culture. As Garguilo (2018) notes, “By inviting professionals from throughout the organisation to share their knowledge and experience, Johnson and Johnson engaged and inspired their employees.” This allows the company to share ideas with workers and to develop strategies to help them grow personally and professionally. An emphasis on decentralized businesses with the corporation helps (Johnson & Johnson, 2018). And as Garguilo (2018) points out, the focus is all on strengthening from within: “The single biggest skill that is overlooked in large organizations is community building. It’s absolutely vital to culture change.” In other words, learning and development has to grow organically from within the company because the inner core of workers is like the backbone of the company—if they are not continuously strengthening, the company will have no inner support. Garguilo (2018) puts it this way: “As opposed to trying to drive change from within an HR function or from the senior executive level, it's critical to amplify voices buried within the organization who are connectors and who are making new ideas happen. Help them to build communities and role model the change.”  This approach aligns with the business objectives of Johnson and Johnson, which are: 1) ensuring the delivery of high quality products around the world; 2) complying with laws and regulations; 3) evaluating performance and compensating workers for achieving goals (Governance & Ethics, 2018).
2
Continuous learning and professional development drive sustainable business performance at Johnson and Johnson through the efforts of leaders who engage in community building, which allows for a positive culture to develop in which the concepts of continuous learning and professional development are front and center (Garguilo, 2018). Continuous learning and professional development in turn excite personnel to be motivated to achieve organizational objectives. They lead to commitment on the part of workers to the company and they inspire workers to be creative and to be engaged.
One area where the company has to engage in continuous learning is the health care industry. The company’s pharmaceutical division must stay abreast of advancements in learning and technology that can lead to improved care. Should it fall behind the curve, its products would have less value than those of competitors who stay current and updated on all advancements and breakthroughs. For that reason, Johnson and Johnson continuously reinvests in itself, in research and development, in order to create a sustainable culture that promotes scientific discovery and innovation. As the company notes, its “pharmaceuticals business has taken a disciplined management approach to increasing its efficiency in order to invest in its pipeline and new product launches.  For example, the pharmaceuticals business has seen a significant increase in productivity over the last two years based on the ratio of sales per employee, and it continues investing in R&D at higher rates than its competitive set” (Products and Operating Strategy, 2018). By staying invested in discovering new approaches to medicine, Johnson and Johnson is able to maintain a core community of learning and development that enables accomplishment of its goals.

Refernces
Garguilo, S. (2018). How Johnson and Johnson transformed their culture through TEDx
talks. Retrieved from https://www.findcourses.com/prof-dev/l-d-articles/learning-culture-change-garguilo-13437
Governance & Ethics. (2018). Johnson & Johnson quality and compliance core
objective. Retrieved from https://www.jnj.com/about-jnj/company-statements/johnson-johnson-quality-and-compliance-core-objective
Johnson & Johnson. (2018). What we do. Retrieved from
Products and Operating Strategy. (2018). Global products launch. Retrieved from
https://www.jnj.com/media-center/press-releases/johnson-johnson-highlights-strategies-for-growth-through-differentiated-medicines-transformational-pipeline-and-global-product-launches
Wilhelm, W. (2017). What are learning organizations and what do they really do?
Retrieved from https://www.clomedia.com/2017/02/22/37471/