What it means to be a learning organization

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore practical and sustainable ways of implementing small to large scale integrated organizational talent development programs in the form of a learning plan. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses the work of psychology‐based consultancy, The Learning Curve (TLC), including its five‐point plan and two case studies, and Peter Senge's book, The Fifth Discipline, as a basis to demonstrate the importance of the learning plan within an organization's culture and business strategy. Findings – Productivity and profit increase in organizations that embrace the concept of a learning plan. Practical implications – Many of the methods employed by TLC have bred independence among client organizations, which go on to sustain the learning plans in cost‐effective ways. Originality/value – This paper takes a new look at what it means to be a learning organization, while recognizing the importance of budgetary and resource constraints.