Idea 29 - The learning organization The world is speeding up, as it gets more wired and as people get more demanding - I want exactly what I want, and I want it now. But I might want something different tomorrow. As markets fragment and change accelerates, business has to keep up or die. That's why the continuous improvement that started on the factory floor is now reflected in the notion of continuous change, company wide. The ability to rethink, continually, your purpose and methods is the most important single source of competitive advantage, says Dutch writer and ex-corporate planner Arie de Geus. But individuals can only change through learning, which makes learning the capital of the future. Hence the evolution of the 'learning organization', which is not entirely the same as one that trains its people well - though it does that too. The organization itself learns and keeps learning, over and above its individuals. MIT lecturer Peter Senge has made much o...