The Value of Learning
Mission Capital has six powerful core values, including learning, that serve as a foundation for our mission and vision. These values guide how we work within our organization and in the communities we serve.
Collaboration: We believe in the power of working together.
Service Excellence: We go above and beyond to exceed expectations.
Trust: We respectfully and ethically interact with each other and those we serve.
Learning: We pursue and promote leadership and growth.
Innovation: We relentlessly pursue creative solutions to improve our work and our community.
Connectedness: We create opportunities to work and play together in meaningful ways.
As an organization, we strive to live our core values in our daily interactions, our program and service delivery and measurement, and our hiring, employee development, and rewards and recognition practices. In the Value of Core Values series, we’ll first explore Mission Capital’s core value of Learning. At Mission Capital, learning is a part of our DNA. We know that in order to accomplish our bold vision, we need to continuously learn, both individually and collectively, and create environments where others in our community can learn from one another.
What is a Learning Organization?
In The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge defines a learning organization:
"A learning organization discovers how to tap people's commitment and capacity to learn at all levels…where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free and where people are continually learning how to learn together.”
In such an environment, individual and organizational learning is central to the organization’s strategy. Members of the organization understand how their actions impact the organization and how they can affect positive change. Learning happens continuously through the course of day-to-day work and is not seen as extraneous or an added item on an employee’s “to-do” list. What would it look like to create this kind of learning culture within your organization?
Learning is Key to Organizational Effectiveness
In Mission Capital’s Nonprofit Effectiveness Framework, implementation and improvement is identified as a key element for organizational success. We believe in the power of creating a culture that values learning and recognizes that failures are opportunities to grow. Learning organizations achieve the best results and are constantly equipping themselves to create lasting social change.
In a true learning organization, employees are given the time and resources to make learning a priority, and they are encouraged to take risks and iterate. Leaders provide constructive feedback and honest appraisals of what is working and what is not. Furthermore, they acknowledge that failure is a necessary part of learning and growth.
Our mission is to multiply the impact of mission-driven people and organizations. We achieve this bold goal through our commitment to learning. Opportunities to learn and grow surround us every day. Allowing yourself to learn wherever you are and from whoever you encounter is a gift you give to yourself. Commit to being a leader who seeks to learn.
What will you learn in 2017? How will you share what you’re learning to strengthen your organization and this community we call home? If you’re interested in pursuing opportunities for learning and leadership growth in 2017, learn more about our Learning & Leadership offerings.