It is almost a cliché to say that organizations are under constant pressure to renew and transform themselves to stay competitive, let alone build new competitive advantage.
What is less discussed is how companies can enable their employees to do the same. Whatever the pace of technological development and the use of AI, an organization is still, in the words of the Cambridge Dictionary, "a group of
people who work together in an organized way for a shared purpose." Shouldn't it then be a priority to focus on people and their capacity for renewal?
For answers, I found it useful to turn to a foundational concept in adult education: transformative agency. This is the capacity of individuals and groups to envision, initiate, and sustain meaningful change. Transformative agency is about actively shaping new directions for work, expertise, and organizational culture. Contemporary research highlights it as a crucial dynamic capability in future-ready organizations.
Transformative learning as a driver
How can organizations foster this transformative agency? Adult education research offers a practical answer: transformative learning. This form of learning goes beyond skill acquisition. It is marked by significant shifts in how people make meaning, understand their own identity, and see the world.
The essential components of transformative learning are:
•Taking initiative in one's own learning
• Focusing on practical application
• Engaging in critical self-reflection
• Encouraging open discussion
• Building networks among learners
Together, these elements create environments where employees question established assumptions, embrace evolving roles, and collaborate on new solutions.
Practical implications for HR leaders
For those leading human resources and organizational development, supporting transformative learning means deliberately designing specific kinds of learning opportunities. For example:
• Presenting "disorienting dilemmas" to provoke new thinking, for example through challenge-based learning
• Encouraging critical reflection, for example through coaching or creative methods
• Creating and supporting informal peer-to-peer learning networks
Just as important, giving employees real opportunities to apply what they learn makes transformation sustainable. This can mean encouraging diverse career paths and ensuring broad participation in innovation projects. The way R&D is
organized, development projects are resourced, and innovation is driven, can all support transformative learning, and with it the whole organization's capacity for renewal.
Designing a culture of continuous learning
A comprehensive transformative learning strategy connects individual learning with systemic organizational development, and it encourages social learning.
This means investing not only in skills training but also in rethinking the whole approach to continuous on-the-job learning, expertise development, and career path design.
Supporting employees in their own capacity for renewal may be a real source of competitive advantage. And perhaps more importantly, it creates a sense of personal purpose that makes all the difference in our ever-changing working lives.
