Replying to LO26202 --
Actually Senge uses some examples of learning organizations that do work.
1. is the musical ensemble. 2. A sports team that must constantly adapt
and learn new situations in the game. 3. Certain Native American groups
that have had such structures for millennia who are at this time
succeeding in learning how to survive in a society that seems hell bent to
eat itself alive.
Musical organizations must constantly adapt as a horizontal organization
with a directing leader. The exception to this is the Orpheus Ensemble
which is leaderless. The key is competence. It is crucial that people
know their jobs and allow others to do theirs while fitting together in a
unified whole. I still am not sure how a company that hires and fires
with impunity for less than skill reasons can achieve a learning
organization. But I am here to tell you that as long as the skill,
resources and access is available for the whole group that a learning
organization will work.
As I said, I'm not sure how that works in a market where downsizing is
used as a device to create wealth through economic, but not
organizational, efficiency.
The other key is education. Musicians, athletes and Indians are
comfortable with the concept of a Master Teacher who has both the success
and experience to guide the development of skill in a group of superior
talents. In such a situation challenge is considered "white noise" that
is unacceptable to the group that already has solved most of the problems
and wishes now to deal with the issue of cohesion.
I would recommend John Warfield's work especially his Essays on Complexity
(GMS pub.) for the group process issues that you raise within a group
where the skill level is mixed. An orchestra is not a little red
schoolhouse (LRS). LRS's have their own pedagogy while Learning
Organizations in my experience have a different pedagogical development.
Ray Evans Harrell, artistic director
The Magic Circle Opera Repertory Ensemble, Inc.
New York City
> Come on folks, the concept of the LO IS good.....but is it an achievable
> reality? NO MORE simplistic, mechanistic and popularist bullet pointed
> headings!!
--"Magic Circ Op Rep Ens" <mcore@nyc.rr.com>
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