Landi Renzo Case Study: Making Learning a Strategic Asset

Topics: 2011 GLC, Learning Excellence, Strategy Integration, Governance & Structure, Cultural Outcomes

Contents

Landi Renzo Group, S.p.A. (Landi Renzo) serves more than 30% of the market for LPG and CNG alternative automotive fuel systems and components. In 2009, the company implemented a new strategic plan, and the president and CEO of the company determined that education could be a key driver for the Landi Renzo's strategic development. The challenge for the existing corporate university was to create learning that addressed the company's strategic needs and create a culture where everyone in the company understood the value of that learning in reaching their individual goals and those of the company.  

Setting up a governance structure that involved senior management and enabled the new Landi Renzo Corporate University to address the strategic needs of the company was the first step. To spread the idea of the importance of the education throughout the organization, the CU created specific initiatives designed to increase the commitment of Landi people to the idea of learning. These included learning activities such as brainstorming meetings; lesson-learned roundtables; personal development projects; corporate cases check up and discussion; tutorials on challenging corporate projects/missions; on-boarding programs; and communication tools. To assure that the learning focuses on business challenges, the CU, with the support of the CEO, identify leaders as teachers. This helps to better customize education programs and to stimulate a process of individual stretching to become a recognized role model among the organization.

These initiatives have helped the CU bring education closer to the professional and business needs of the company and to spread among the organization the culture of continuous learning. Now LR people are aware that learning doesn't mean classroom but, instead, a process that is embedded in their work life. Thanks to the initiatives and programs managed during the first year of the retooled Landi Renzo Corporate University, employees developed a higher organizational maturity and managerial skills, methodologies, and tools that help the group tackle operational and strategic goals. Informal education, such as brainstorming meetings, are now considered a way to make processes leaner and help information circulate, as well as a way to stimulate innovation, problem solving and continuous learning.

Members of CorpU can watch the presentation and read more detail about these award-winning efforts.