Executive Interviews: Interview with Vinton G Cerf on Learning Organizations
July 2008 - By Dr. Nagendra V Chowdary

Vinton G Cerf
Vinton G Cerf is Vice President
Chief Internet Evangelist for Google.

• How to create a learning organization? What according to you should be the defining DNA of a (to be) successful learning organization? Are there any sacrosanct principles that an aspiring learning organization should adhere to?
  I amnot aware of any sacrosanct principles except for the obvious one that a learning company has to LEARN, so that means it has to have leadership that understands this need to learn and adapt.

• What are the building blocks of a learning organization?
  Management that can learn and use that learning to provide leadership. Employees that are willing to adapt to new practices and products and procedures.

• What is the role of knowledge management in creating a learning organization? Do you think that a learning organization is the front end and knowledge management is the back end of a successful learning organization? Are Chief Knowledge Officers (CKOs) mandatory for all the learning organizations?
  I am not sure what a Chief Knowledge Officer is so I cannot say that such a person is mandatory. Companies need to be able to measure themselves, to know what customers are saying and expecting, to communicate effectively with employees, to listen to employees and customers. Management needs to be supportive and show leadership in learning.

• Should companies make any perceptible changes to their organizational structures to be successful learning organizations? Any new hierarchical arrangements and reporting structures to be made?
  I think this may orthogonal although successful learning organizations are probably flatter than the more hierarchical ones.

• One is to become a (successful) learning organization. Other is to be benefited from being a learning organization. However, how do we assess whether an organization has become truly a learning organization or not? Are there any yardsticks to assess the attainment of being a learning organization?
  Perhaps just in simple terms, one can assess the degree of learning by observing the ability of the company to adapt to changing requirements (management and staff).

• What is the role of information technology in fostering a learning culture?
  Record keeping, corporate measurement, effective tools for helping new and existing employees to learn about newprocedures contribute to the ability of a company to adapt.

• What is the role of leadership in creating a successful learning organization?
  Leadership has to demonstrate by example an ability to learn from mistakes or from changing conditions.

1. Learning Organization Case Study
2. ICMR Case Collection
3. Case Study Volumes