Whilst other units in SABC took advice from McKinsey and downsized (forced
the removal of 1,000+ people) and restructured (changed structure), one
unit, Channel Africa, a pan-African radio station decided to implement my
unorganization principles and "downstructured" (removed structure)
instead.
Under the downstructuring, all Channel Africa employees were renamed
"partners", job descriptions were abolished, people were liberated from
their office, desk and current remit: and in turn freed to learn. The
availability of mobile and host technology tools accompanied this
reduction in administration. Open access to all but the most sensitive
organizational data was made freely and easily available. (A detailed case
study is published at http://www.unorg.com/sabc2.htm )
Rather than being subject to the decisions of their managers and
consultants, the Channel Africa people decided for themselves what their
new role would be, if any. They were given a choice by their managers:
learn new ways of working or leave.
Anyway the single most fundamental lesson from this organizational
transformation was the importance of the ability for people to UNLEARN
outmoded practices. Those "employees" who thrived in the new "fuzzy"
environment were those who were able to change their attitude and see the
new diverse, chaotic operating environment as an opportunity and learn
from that challenge. A positive mental attitude saw the change as an
opportunity and took it.
Those who could not unlearn the received organized (hierarchical,
apartheid) convention floundered and ended up not knowing what to do with
their time and deciding to leave Channel Africa. An inability to learn
meant an inability to cope.
As such, it surprises and worries me a little to so seldom see mention of
the importance of UNLEARNING on posts to this list. Without it, effective
personal and organizational transformation cannot take place successfully.
In unstructured environments where managerial control and understanding is
absent- attitude is paramount.
Unlearning is a pre-requisite to progress and learning- "free your mind
and the rest will follow", as the vast majority of people in South Africa
will tell you!
Rgds sincerely Simon Buckingham, www.unorg.com, buck@dial.pipex.com
--Simon Buckingham <go57@dial.pipex.com>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>