What is learning?

Conducting an interview of the Senior Director for my project, I encountered his definition of learning:

"Learning is knowing how to do our jobs and how to do them better".

Would you agree that learning is limited to job knowledge?

What about career development? What about organizational development? If our only concern is for workers to know how to do their jobs better, what will be missing?

Can workers be energized and engaged when the only focus and expectation is doing the job better?

Are you getting the picture that this definition is way too narrow for me? I have been thinking alot about the narrow vision of the Senior Director. While our conversation did include his desire for individual growth and development of the workers and the efforts he is taking to increase their job knowledge, is learning about doing a your job the sum total of desired learning? NO!

I was also reminded of theory-in-use as he talked. His word choices all had to do with growing the worker and equipping them. But his words limited a worker's growth to job knowledge. What about the processes? What about the system? What about the environment? What about whether the way the job is structured is the best fit overall? And yet the SD obviously belivese he has the best interest of tehr worker and the organization at heart.

I remember we talked about learning not happening at once. So I can expect that some seeds I planted will sprout. But I need to contemplate some thought provoking comments I can make when I see him around.
How to help him put his theory-in-use to reality?

Do you have comments or thoughts for me?