Benni wrote: "I'm searching for any toolkits, templates or any other
materials that can help me in the application of a learning organization.
Your help will really be appreciated." Rick responded by [Host's Note:
The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook is one good place to start... At least for
exercises and practices that will help groups and teams. ....Rick]
I have been working with The Team Learning Lab (TLL) for a year now and it
provides a great practice field for teams where they can learn and apply
org'l learning principles directly to their work. I have posted
information about the TLL before but it may be of interest to those of you
who have recently posted questions about conflict in teams, how to support
org'l change efforts, and LO toolkits. Here is one option......
The Team Learning Lab is a program that translates the principles of Peter
Senge's The Fifth Discipline into tools that employees can use immediately
on the job. The process is unique in that the program allows "learning
teams" to conduct their own training, in an equal participatory manner.
The programs are designed to be extremely flexible. They can be done in
short increments of time, over the course of weeks, scheduled to minimize
impact on work flow. They are designed to be team-facilitated with the
support of a coach. This unique team learning process makes it time- and
cost-effective to make such a program available to a large number of
people.
The video that supports this program features commentary by Peter Senge
and real-life experiences and examples are provided by Nick Zeniuk and
Fred Simon, former Ford Motor Co. program managers. (Actually the content
of the TLL is result of the Learning Labs that Nick and Fred (with Senge,
etc..) developed while working on the Lincoln Continental Project.)
In Module 1, Understanding Mental Models, participants first focus on
understanding their own "mental models," and learning how to create open,
honest, and meaningful conversations, by learning, practicing and applying
directly to their own experiences the Left Hand/Right Hand Column, the
Ladder of Inference, and the Balancing Advocacy and Inquiry Protocols.
In Module 2, Applying Systems Thinking, participants learn how to analyze
and describe the complex relationships in which they work, and think about
the root causes of the situations and issues they are experiencing. With
Systems Maps and archetypes, people can now describe situations, have
meaningful dialogue about them and begin creative problem-solving.
Now the stage has been set for really effective conversation about where
the participants and their organization want to go. Module 3, Creating
Shared Vision, requires the team to ask: What are our personal visions?
What is our team vision? What does vision mean within the context of our
work, our department, our division, the organization? Having a shared
vision can help the "team" get off the problem-solving treadmill (relying
on quick fixes and putting out fires).
The last module, Module 4, Using the Tools, integrates all the tools
previously learned to create an Alignment Matrix. This Alignment Matrix
identifies specific outcomes and daily tasks needed to be accomplished to
achieve results, and helps to align the work people do with their shared
vision. Inhibitors and enablers of these goals are addressed. Leverage
points are identified (by focusing on systemic structures). In this way,
the Alignment Matix becomes the team's Roadmap for Success.
If anyone would like additional information, please feel free to contact
me off-line.
Happy Holidays, Claire
Claire McCarty Kilian, Ph.D.
MR Communication Consultants
16700 County Hwy UN
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
715-726-0561 (phone)
715-726-0563 (fax)
ClaireKil@aol.com
Offering "The Team Learning Lab"...
a practical program to improve results through systems thinking,
mental models, and shared vision.
--ClaireKil <ClaireKil@aol.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>