Motorola - An Intriguing Yardstick

Motorola ”An Intriguing Yardstick

To support our industry data, we gathered case studies of benchmark companies that had become learning organizations. Some of the studies we conducted ourselves and other data we gleaned through research. We compared our current system with Motorola University's, which was touted as one of the most cutting-edge learning environments at the time.

Our comparison showed us that while Motorola made forty hours of annual training mandatory for every employee, Rockwell Collins "allowed" its employees thirty hours or less per year. Motorola's customers and suppliers received training, it had a distinct learning and development department separate from HR, and its training was integrated, global, and state of the art. None of those factors was in effect at Rockwell Collins. The comparison highlighted the differences between companies that value learning and knowledge and those that don't.

We used Motorola's model as a guide for restructuring the learning group 's roles and responsibilities at Rockwell Collins, and eventually our efforts surpassed what Motorola had only begun to accomplish. All of this data became part of the detailed strategic plan we put together over the coming months and was used to sell our story to the organization. Ironically, three years later Motorola came to us to benchmark our learning transformation. It had taken its own process as far as it could go and wanted guidance on what steps it should take next .

These days piles of research are available to support the need for a company to become a learning organization. Along with this book, you can find research reports at the Web sites of ASTD and Forrester Research. Peruse back issues of Training magazine and Online Learning magazine to find case studies of companies that have made the transformation, as well as statistics supporting your intentions. The data is out there. You just need to take the time and make the effort to find it.