Cultural inhibitors to continual learning

"The biggest issue holding organisations back is outdated mindsets at the board and c-suite levels, ... control ... will not work in an era where people-work is ambiguous assessing, collaborating, innovating and building relationships."

Rachel Happe

Some common cultural inhibitors to continual learning in complex organisations:

The myth that leaders have to be in control, decisive, and dominant

The myth of 'rugged individualism'

The comfort of familiar, safe, simplistic, 'solutions'

A shared belief in managerial prerogatives; ('the divine rights of managers')

A belief that power is the ability not to have to learn anything

Individual achievement as the primary source of status

Compartmentalisation of work from self and family

A belief that 'task' issues should override relationship concerns

The myth that management is about 'hard' things; (money, data, 'the bottom line') versus 'soft' issues; (mindsets, thinking, reflection, people, groups, relationships)

A bias toward linear, short-term thinking versus systemic, long-term thinking.