Is Ignorance bliss?- On Organisational Learning

I'll be posting a series of thoughts and ideas on this theme over the coming days and weeks. The underlying thread relates to adults and and learning in the workplace. I'd be interested to hear what you think.

Is ignorance bliss? 1

Here I’m introducing my idea of Organisational Ignorance

If you’re like me then you’ll probably have an optimistic view of people in the workplace that leads you to believe that problems can be worked out through collaboration, sharing information and learning new things from each other. If that is the case you’ve probably also been ‘blind sided’ all too often by obstructive behaviour, political manoeuvring, and filibustering across the spectrum of superiors, colleagues and subordinates and left wondering why this happens when all you’re trying to do is your job as well as possible.

Being naturally optimistic you warm to management concepts such as organisational learning that connect with your feeling that everyone’s working day will be improved if more time was spent ‘seeing it’ from the other person’s point of view, helping them out in their difficulties, making life easier because there are enough challenges in the job without having to create your own.

The solution to our workplace difficulties, it seems, is obvious. We’re all meant to be one cohesive team, ‘singing off the same hymn sheet’, working towards a unified vision, guided by common goals, and if this isn’t the case then we can be put it right by creating the 'right' culture, improving communication, and becoming a learning organisation.