Organisations often struggle with learning due to four biases that prevent individuals from gaining new knowledge. The focus on success bias leads to an overemphasis on executing tasks that are currently working, leaving little room for innovation. The action bias is a tendency to favour action over reflection, which hampers the ability to learn from experiences. The expert bias is the tendency to undervalue outside input, limiting the potential for learning from diverse perspectives. Lastly, the blame bias involves attributing failure to external factors, thus avoiding the opportunity for learning from mistakes.
To overcome these biases, organisations can implement strategies such as celebrating failures and promoting a culture of inquiry and humility. Encouraging time for reflection and learning can balance the action bias, while seeking external input can counter the expert bias. By fostering a no-blame culture and focusing on learning from failures, organisations can turn the blame bias into a learning opportunity. By effectively addressing these biases, organisations can create an environment that encourages continuous learning and growth.
Go to source article: https://hbr.org/2015/11/why-organizations-dont-learn