Susan Littlefield
Learning Organizations
Business 610
Organizational Behavior
Week 6 Final Paper
January 16, 2012
Abstract
Peter Senge who wrote the transformational book called “The Fifth Discipline,” about learning organizations which focuses on five aspects called systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, shared vision and team learning. He has been a visionary in the business community according to Mark Smith, “His areas of special interest are said to focus on decentralizing the role of leadership in organizations so as to enhance the capacity of all people to work productively toward common goals” (Smith, 2001). He is the founding chair of the Society for Organizational Leaders and a lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has written many other books about how to become a learning organization, “SoL is part of a “global community of corporations, researchers, and consultants” dedicated to discovering, integrating, and implementing “theories and practices for the interdependent development of people and their institutions” (Smith, 2001).
Learning Organizations
Introduction
When thinking about all the possibilities for company structure we are left with the feeling of being overwhelmed by our choices, people in charge of organizations are pressed for time and commitment, sometimes short-term goals are seen instead on long-term ones and for the employees that can be hard because some workers may be more interested in learning instead of just doing a job. Learning organizations can help foster those desires to learn more because as John Baldoni states in his article “Leader as Learner”, learning organization is a commitment to helping individuals and teams grow collectively and systemically so that they become smarter, wiser, and more competitive-individually and collectively” (Baldoni, 1998). That sounds like the type of environment I would like to be in because learning helps an individual grow, and when a company puts time into training an employee of that company they are looking for long-term results, and sometimes I believe that the company’s I have worked for have only had short-term goals and only cared about production rates. Peter Senge wrote a book called the “Fifth Discipline,” which has sold more than one million copies since its publication, in 1997 Harvard Business Review identified it as one of the seminal management books of the past 75 years (Smith, 2001). The aspects of a learning organization are systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, shared vision and team learning another area to consider is transformational leadership and that is when followers are transformed by leaders by creating changes in their goals, values and belief and aspirations and that is exactly what a learning organization does (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009 p 359).
Learning Organizations
“A learning organization is one that proactively creates, acquires and transfers knowledge and that changes its behavior on the basis of the new knowledge and insights” (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009 p 416). There are three components that occur in a learning organization: new ideas are a prerequisite for learning, hiring new talent and devoting significant resources and time to training and development of its employees, this is seen as a long-term goal which is key to a learning organization it is different from other types of organizations that look to short-term goals (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009 p 416). Second the new knowledge must be transferred to the whole company, “if one area of the company discovers a better way of doing things, or happens upon an interesting piece of research that works, it would be helpful to the entire organization if everyone in the company could share in the new ideas” (Baldoni, 1998). This is when the transformation has taken place and people can see from their efforts that the, “behavior came as a result from the new knowledge,” and the awareness of this change can remind them of what they used to do as opposed to what they do now (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009 p 416). A learning organization is always a work in progress which is repeated over and over again with new ideas, concepts and lessons that are learned which in turn are passed throughout the company and not just a small group of workers. The new behaviors are used to achieve corporate goals and what happens is this continual learning system will excite new behaviors that will make the company more successful, positive energy is catchy, just like when someone smiles and the other person returns a smile back, this environment fosters an excitement for learning, achievement and intellectual growth (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009 p 416).
Systems Thinking
Lisa Abbot wrote an article about “The Fifth Discipline,” which gives a nice summary of what each of the five disciplines mean, “Systems thinking is the changing the way we think in order to see the underlying structures of things, the relationships among players and forces and the dynamic complexity of the many problems we face” (Abbott, 1990). The reason why I like her definition is because when I read a couple of different articles written by men (Smith and Baldoni) they both have definitions of systems thinking that are not very straight forward and come off as more complex and Abbot cuts right to the point. Smith states that, “it is the discipline that integrates the others, fusing them into a coherent body of theory and practice and systems theory’s ability to comprehend and address the whole, and to examine the interrelationship between the parts provides, for Peter Senge, both the incentive and the means to integrate the disciplines” (Smith, 2001). This sounds more complicated than it really is because systems thinking is about changing the way people in the organization do things and how it relates to people in the organization so that they can solve any problem that comes up in a new way. Baldoni states, “System thinking is an approach that emphasizes the individual relationship to the group and to the organization as means of creating feedback to address organizational issues” (Baldoni, 1998). This one is easier to understand over Smith’s because he basically spells out that, “creating feedback to address organizational issues is important and having a “double loop” learning process will enables the company to “map route causes and then find a new way to treat them”(Baldoni, 1998). He also noted that it is important to have progress because the organization will be able to see what has been “learned along the way” and it is always good to have a frame of reference and recognize the difference between new and old ways of thinking (Baldoni, 1998).
Personal Mastery
This is when we clarify our personal vision and with self awareness we can do so with and open and objective mindset. Lisa Abbott suggests, “Good leaders learn to live and work with the tension created by the distance between their goals and aspirations and the current reality” (Abbott, 1990). This is the time when people in the organization ask themselves questions on an individual level for example, what can I do to further empower myself, how can I express myself more, how can I prepare myself, how can I resolve this, what is really happening here (Ayer, 2012)? Those are all questions that we can ask ourselves which puts us in the driver’s seat so that we are the ones in control of how we respond to a situation that is occurring in the workplace. The list is really a little bit longer than what I have shown here and it is from my chiropractor Dr. Deb Ayer who practices Network Spinal Analysis her technique is all about transformation, energy work, breathe and movement and the environment is full of both healing and support. It is great because practice members learn through their own transformations and then organically bring what he or she has learned out to the world and it is done on a subtle basis so people who are unfamiliar with Network are attracted to those who are and they really do not know why. Mark Smith states, “people with a high level of personal mastery live in a continual learning mode where they never “arrive”, which means their journey never ends,” and these type of people like me can learn from the past and take the good with the bad, it is mostly about being present and being aware of your environment (Smith, 2001).
Mental Models
Means becoming conscious of our individual and collective mindset or worldview and
Lisa Abbott also suggests,” good leaders learn to consider other perspectives through inquiry and reflection” (Abbott, 1990). This means that through our own stories we have learned that we have a certain mindset that we bring with us wherever we go and Smith explains that, “we have deeply ingrained assumptions generalizations, or even pictures and images that influence how we understand the world and how we take action” (Smith, 2001). Our memories are stored in our bodies so that when a similar action takes place we will call up the information that we had learned before and if we are not aware of how we handled the situation in the past we may react to something in the present the same way. For example, I used to not be able to stand up for myself and now I have no problem telling someone how I feel or what I am thinking about and it generally surprises people who have not seen me in a number of years. I have spent the last seven years going to Wellspring receiving Network care and I have had a personal journey of transformation, so it happens naturally and I have a supportive group of friends that believe the same things I do. In this time of transformation my friends have changed to people who like sports, going to the gym, cycling and I have gained a special group of friends who are supportive of energy work like acupuncture and healing from within. My friends now have a whole different mindset than the ones I had five years ago when I worked at AT&T, which closed in 2009 due to losing a government contract with Department of State.
Shared Vision
“The practice of shared vision involves the skills of unearthing shared “pictures of the future” that foster genuine commitment and enrolment rather than compliance. In mastering this discipline, leaders learn the counter-productiveness of trying to dictate a vision, no matter how heartfelt” (Smith, 2001). “A shared vision is the collaborative shaping of an idea for the future that includes the participation of an individual, if the vision is to guide the organization, it must be shared and members have to make it their own” (Baldoni, 1998). Lisa Abbott’s definition of building a shared vision, “is the practice of continually engaging people in articulating personal visions for the future and building a common sense of purpose and vision” (Abbott, 1990). This reminds me of the times when I have been in training and I was given literature that included a vision statement that I looked at for about less than thirty seconds and said, “Yeah right”. There is a big difference in having a vision statement to fit into the corporate culture and it is another thing to have a model “where people can excel and learn, not because they are told to, but because they want to” (Smith, 2001). I would like to work in a learning environment because it will fit me on so many levels, I have gotten bored at many of the jobs I have had but did so I could pay the bills. Some of the positions I have taken since the layoff in 2009 have been through temp services but could have gone longer if I was just the regular Joe or Jane who did not want to grow, but instead follow a dull routine. I had friends tell me I am too dynamic for one of the jobs I held at Long Term Care Partners on the email team, we ran out of work and I sat on the end so when I pulled out a book to read one of the managers asked me what I was doing? She told me, “To ask for more work” and when I did another supervisor in charge of the department thought I did not like my work, he did not even come and talk to me and I was the one let go because things were slow. The vision for temps was only short-term and nobody really expected that they would hire all of us after the enrollment period had ended, it was just not the right fit for me.
Team Learning
“Learning skills of dialogue and discussion in order to generate collective learning and produce results that are greater than the contributions of individuals” (Abbott, 1990). Baldoni states, “That team learning is the approach members of a team use to come together and align themselves with the goals of the organization. As with other group activities, it's a "team skill" that can be nurtured through honest and open dialogue” (Baldoni, 1998). Working as a team to reach goals is important and learning different communication techniques will help all members of the organization work better together.
The Road Less Traveled
Having a healthy organization is something that Morgan Scott Peck wrote about in his book, “The Road Less Traveled” he was a physician (past tense he passed away in 2005) who talked about healthy organizations and the irony is he died of Parkinson’s disease as well as pancreatic and liver duct cancer at the age of 69 (Mac Millan Interactive Communications, 2012). He believes, “that a healthy organization has a sense of community, if information flows smoothly and people are emotionally present then that alone allows us to care for one another” (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009 p 393).
Workplace Health Check Off List
In the article written by Stephanie Mines, PH.D called “The Alive Workplace: Restoring Vitality, Love and Trust to the Organizational Environment,” she focused on three aspects needed to achieve a healthy workplace which is physical health, emotional and physical environment and she asked many interesting question that we really do not think about when we are on the job (Mines, 2012). Do the health benefits provided by the company truly serve the employees? Given the stress that is inevitable at work how does the organizational structure provide for recovery? It is interesting because when an employee receives a benefits package we have to accept whatever is given unless there are multiple medical packages to choose from. She also suggests that for recovery massage, a gym where exercise or yoga can be done? Is there a place to relax like a quiet room? Two questions that ask about the work environment are, do employees feel comfortable in the spaces in which they work in and is good lighting provided? She asks question that human resource managers should take into consideration, but it would be a truly unique company that takes the time to look at small matters such as lighting and work environment because companies do not want to spend extra money. On the emotional level she asks, “what does the company provide to cultivate camaraderie, participation, and a sense of community’? What happens when an employee is going through a hard time, such as a divorce or a loss, depression or anxiety? These are very interesting questions to ask and as I go through my program with a specialization in human resources I will have lots and lots of notebooks filled with great articles because sometimes I have to print them up and use them for later.
Conclusion
Peter Senge believes, “that organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together” (Smith, 2001). I would love to work for a learning organization because I enjoy reading and being able to see words in front of me rather than having an actual in person training a class. If company’s allowed its employees to read and learn about different topics in general or something that interests that person, like how to build better communications skills that would benefit the employee and the company. Training class can be exciting, but they may also be expensive and time consuming if I obtain a position in Human Resources I would suggest that the company check out Ashford because there is already a set curriculum. I believe that company’s should offer a reimbursement program so the employee who wants to better themselves will have the opportunity to do so without the stress of having to pay for their education. A learning organization can be exciting because when employees learn how to do something better it is shared throughout the company so others will benefit from that knowledge. When someone shares their success stories or discovers a new way to do things the company benefits from the creativity, the profits will be higher and other companies who do the same thing know that something is going on with their competition. People in this economy want to be treated with respect, have an opportunity for growth with their company, want to come to someplace they can call their home during the day and be around people who are supportive of them. One way to do this is by expanding the educational opportunities that employees have and allowing them to have the time to work on those projects within the learning process that is needed. Learning cannot be rushed it is a process that builds, because everybody learns in a different way and training adults the same way leaves out factors such as experience, speed of learning (learning curve) or past experiences that someone may have had which was either positive or negative. It is important to be aware of employees needs and sometimes just having a simple conversation with him or her will allow the manager to see the areas of growth that need to be worked on and what the employees vision goal for themselves are.
References
Abbott, L. (1990). The fifth discipline, peter senge 1990 review. Retrieved from
http://www.kftc.org/our-work/leadership-development/the-fifth-discipline.pdf
Ayer, D. (2012, January 16). Handout on transformational thought. Retrieved from
http://wellspringdover.com/
Baldoni, J. (1998). [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://www.lc21.com/directions/thoughts3.html
Kinicki, A., & Kreitner, R. (2009). Organizational Behavior: Key Concepts, Skills &
Best Practices (customized 4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin
Mac Millan Interactive Communications. (2012, January 16). [Web log message]. Retrieved
Mines, S. (2012, January 16). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.tara-approach.org/articles/authentic_workplace.pdf
Smith, M. (2001). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/senge.htm
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