Faced with environmental, social and technological challenges, organizations must learn to adapt constantly. How do you rethink participative governance for young people in Normandy, transform the practices of Apprentis d'Auteuil or federate a community of practice within the CNSA? This is the mission of the Learning Planet Institute's Organizational Transformation division, which supports companies, institutions and associations through collective intelligence and continuous learning. Project manager Elisa Rossi takes us behind the scenes of this innovative approach.
Élisa Rossi is project manager for organizational transformation at the Learning Planet Institute. After completing a master's degree in Innovation Technology Management (MIT) at École des Mines and Université Paris Dauphine, she joined a design studio developing a systemic design methodology.
Three years later, Élisa feels the need to work at the crossroads of supporting innovative projects and transformation, in education and training. «When I saw that an organization transformation hub was being set up at the Learning Planet Institute, I thought it was really the best of both worlds!»
Supporting children, students, educational players and... organizations
Organization Transformation Division of the Learning Planet Institute has a raison d'être: to give organizations back the power to act and adapt in the face of environmental, social and technological transitions. Although the Learning Planet Institute is a recent creation, supporting individuals and organizations has always been at the heart of our DNA. «The Institute has been supporting children for many years (through projects such as Builders of Possibilities), students (via university courses), and an international community of players working to reinvent education (via the’LearningPlanet International Alliance). At the same time, there is a growing need for innovation in the pedagogical practices of continuing education within organizations. In line with this trend, the Learning Planet Institute has set up the Organizational Transformation division.»
Even before the creation of this center, certain structures were already knocking on the Institute's door to benefit from different advice and methodologies. «Our long-standing customers include the Centre Français des Fonds et Fondations (CFF), which wanted to renew its approach and develop a new way of supporting projects, the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), which wanted to put the climate-biodiversity-health issue at the heart of the way it works in research, and also European Climate Foundation (ECF) to understand the link between the systems approach and the learning organization».
Tailor-made, interdisciplinary support
From these experiences, and thanks to Learning Planet Institute's expertise in devising hybrid methods at the crossroads of research, teaching and consulting, the Organizational Transformation division has developed.
«Today, companies and organizations come to us naturally, out of curiosity or need. Often with the certainty that a model isn't working and needs to be changed. We first need to understand the ins and outs, in order to identify the issues and the right levers, and thus propose an approach at the crossroads of transformation and learning.», explains Elisa.
Faced with complex and often intertwined issues, the Organizational Transformation team always offers tailor-made support, based on the interdisciplinarity of the Learning Planet Institute's four other divisions: a robust methodological foundation drawn from the world of research into collective intelligence, AI and frugal innovation (R&D center), innovative pedagogies - agile and learning postures, theoretical frameworks - (Education division), global initiatives led by social entrepreneurs (within the International Alliance) and digital tools for scaling up and creating collaborative learning ecosystems (digital ecosystems division).
A common approach to every support program: the learning organization
While the support provided is specific to each organization, the approach adopted is always the same. It is that of the learning organization, an organization that draws on the diversity of its members and its ecosystem, facilitates their learning and collaboration at all levels, and demonstrates reflexivity, with a view to meeting its challenges.
«By becoming a learning organization, we can lead change in an uncertain world (social, environmental and technological crises) and take on systemic challenges that, on our own, we couldn't solve (well).»
Consulting and training for organizations
Building on this approach, the cluster offers seminars, training courses and consultancy services to help organizations learn more, in a world that is constantly reshuffling the deck. «We have two main activities: a first pillar, which is more advice and support, and a second, training.» The organizations Élisa and her colleagues work with are diverse: private companies, foundations, research institutes and public service organizations. «It's very enriching to navigate between these different worlds, and to work with them on a wide variety of subjects. You learn a lot, she enthuses.
We offer three types of consulting and support services (strategy, operational, collective intelligence). «Organizations come to us for workshops, we open the doors to a learning organization and get them working on a joint project, explains Elisa «We never come with ready-made solutions, we follow principles that characterize the Learning Planet Institute: our modes of action are always participative, evolving, integrated and learning.»
Rethinking strategy and governance with the Normandy region
The team is currently working hand in hand with the Normandy region, and in particular the consortium of agricultural high schools (Naturapôle). «We support them in their efforts to rethink governance by and for young people. We organized five workshops with students, young people, teachers and members of the rectorat to put in place a participative governance strategy as well as collective intelligence principles.» A strategic mission that brings together people at different levels of the organization.
Thinking about operational transformation with Apprentis d'Auteuil
To become a learning organization, you can also opt for operational transformation. This is one of the objectives of the Foundation Apprentis d'Auteuil, and why she contacted the Organization Transformation division. «Until now, Apprentis d'Auteuil establishments have operated autonomously, and not everyone works in project mode. We have set up experiments in the field to transform internal processes (HR, management, collaborative platforms) and we have co-constructed an “R&D Space” which should enable us to federate communities of practice, capitalize on and develop the know-how inherent in the Apprentis d'Auteuil professions». This mission, which began in February 2024, was punctuated by numerous workshops and plenary sessions involving stakeholders at all levels. It should come to an end in June 2025, with the concerted choice of experiments that can be scaled up internally. This is just the beginning of a collaboration between Apprentis d'Auteuil and the Learning Planet Institute, who share profound values, including access to education for as many people as possible.
Federating a community of practices with CNSA
The final component of the Transformation division's support and consulting services is collective intelligence. The team's work with the Caisse Nationale de Solidarité pour l'Autonomie (French national solidarity fund for autonomy) (CNSA), which aims to support players in the sector and establishments in transforming the medico-social offer. «We support them in leading and federating the community of practice they have created, which today brings together residents, facility managers, psychologists, care assistants, administrative and medico-social staff, to build a “laboratory for tomorrow's solutions” within the CNSA».». This support is punctuated by collective intelligence and reflexivity workshops.
Training for the learning organization within and between organizations
The Organizational Transformation team also offers in-company and inter-company training courses. « Our in-house training courses enable you to discover what the learning organization is, and its implications and opportunities for the organization you are working with, in order to identify concrete areas for implementation and transformation. For example, we supported the recently-launched Learning & Transition of the Cartier Group in building its roadmap.» Inter-company training also enables you to discover the learning organization, its challenges, opportunities and levers, while benefiting from peer-to-peer experience sharing.
«Whether in consulting or training, the before and after is always very interesting, notes Elisa. «People often arrive at our workshops a little closed-minded, with their heads in the sand. But as we go along, it's like little flowers opening up, and they leave the room more open and lighter! It's rewarding to organize these work and reflection sessions. At the end, we have the feeling that the people who have come to see us leave with renewed hope and concrete things to put in place», concludes Elisa.
Learn more
Find out more about Organization Transformation division of the Learning Planet Institute
Contact the team to find out more about our support services
An article written by Marie Ollivier
Thanks to Elisa Rossi for answering our questions
