At any time in our lives, we have all been exposed to many professional environments. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the adult who worked between 1978 and 2006 held an average of 10.8 jobs (Bureau of Labor Statics, 2008). In such environments, one is bound to be confronted with both the most rewarding work experiences and the difficult work experiences. During my history in different work environments, I grew more as an employee and had better relationships with my colleagues when I was in an environment that allowed and encouraged me to learn and solve problems, as opposed to a rigid, non-constraining environment. promote all types of personal growth. An employee's ability to learn and solve problems plays a key role in the effectiveness of an organization. According to Brown and Gray (2004), “the true genius of organizations lies in the informal, impromptu, and often inspired ways in which real people solve real problems in ways that formal processes cannot anticipate” (p. 4 ). When formal processes become what is "lived," the ability to solve problems innovatively is diminished or, more importantly, an employee's desire to engage in a creative problem-solving process is reduced. This is important to note because often the organization that encourages learning and individual expression can often respond to problems and make more effective decisions (Coles, 2004 p.176). I found myself more engaged with the organization I worked for when I was "in the trenches" helping to solve problems and enabling the creation of new processes instead of being relegated to the sidelines to enable “important” people to make all the decisions. I am, in essence, an active member of the ...... middle of paper ......uction. In M. L. Connor & J. G. Clawson (Eds.), Creating a culture of learning: Strategy, technology, and practice (pp. 1-16). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008). Number of jobs held, labor market activity and income growth among younger baby boomers: results of a longitudinal study. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/nlsoy.nr0.htm. Chaleff, I. (2003). The Courageous Disciple: Standing Up to and for Our Leaders (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. Coles, W. C. (2004). Improved performance: that’s our diploma. In M. L. Connor & J. G. Clawson (Eds.), Creating a culture of learning: Strategy, technology, and practice (pp. 169-185). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Smith, G.T. (1999). Courage and calling: harness the potential God has given you. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.