Replying to LO24217 --
Mark and Sue Foley wrote:
"I am interested in whether there is any discussion about "welfare" or
Child Protection organizations and organizational learning."
Within the United States, there is substantial discussion about system
reform. The public presentation tends to be politically driven and focuses
on "welfare" budget control. Within much of the country, (and in Michigan
where I work), the people who are doing the work recognize that
social-behavioral issues require the collaboration of many systems -
Social Service, Courts, Mental Health, Parents, Health Care, etc. To
encourage collaboration at the local level we have established local
groups called Multi-Purpose Collaborating Bodies (each county of Michigan
is served by such a group). The underlying concepts are that we need to
pay more attention to prevention, we need to share the same vision,
communicate that vision to the staff who do the work and include the
parents in the decision making process. However, the old saw "It's hard to
drain the swamp when you're up to ass in alligators" keeps getting in the
way. When we have time to think about the issues some of us, who have been
exposed to organizational learning, understand that organization learning
concepts are at the heart of the needed changes. Sometime ago, one of our
members contacted a "business guru" (whose name you would recognize),
explained what we were trying to do and got the response "good luck."
Usually, during the day we are too busy to think conceptually. However, at
night, when we cannot sleep, we have time to plan ways that we can unite
these different systems and statutory responsibilities into an
organizational unit that will more sensibly address the needs of our
people. This is being done across the country, not only in Michigan. I
just happen to belong to this news group. I manage two web sites:
http://www.lumanet.org/wmcflc/index.htm
And
http://www.lumanet.org/pages/round/
In addition, there is a state web site at
http://www.mdch.state.mi.us/pit/pit.htm
My skills are not as an author and I am certainly not qualified to write
about organizational learning. However, I have a short about paper about
managing collaboratively, written so that I know what I am trying to do,
which I am willing to share. E-mail me at rileym@wmcmhs.org. If you can
read an Office 97 Word document attachment, I will not have to copy it to
e-mail.
A need a small group has identified is the need for someone to act as an
informational liaison between system reform and organizational learning, a
person who understands, at some level, both. We want the person to be
able, by electronic means and group presentations, to bring the knowledge
of organization learning to people who are trying to do system reform. We
seek funds to do this but our proposal has not had a positive response.
Probably, for the same reason as the "good luck" response from the
business guru. We still think it a good idea and since I was also trained
as a telemarketing stockbroker I push ideas every chance I get. If this
stirs interest, I am willing to share that proposal also. E-mail me at
rileym@wmcmhs.org. If you can read an Office 97 Word document attachment,
I will not have to copy it to e-mail.
Mike Riley, rileym@wmcmhs.org
--"Riley, Mike" <rileym@wmcmhs.org>
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