Jackie,
Whether or not you company is or becomes an organization that learns
depends on the priorities of your management. If your managers place high
value on the following there is a chance.
communication
know actual results of processes used
working together
team rather than individual performance
experimenting and trying new ideas
process results over time instead of individual event results
meet for the purpose of selecting the best idea regardless of source
does no confuse idea chosen with using processes to pick
the best idea
That is a very short list of ideas but it is a start. Your managers must
have the right priorities or they can drive high levels of competition
that is not in the best interest of the organization and the competition
will eliminate the possibility of learning from each other.
Their priorities must show up in who is promoted who gets pats on the back
and what they laud.
To build on one point above if they reward the person whose idea is chosen
rather the team for choosing the best idea they will cause people to
compete in meetings, tospend energy to sell their own idea over others, to
squelch genuine criticism. This prevents valid discussion of the ideas and
competitive meetings. Just one step away from an organization that learns.
Best of luck,
Gene
Eugene Taurman
interLinx ilx@execpc.com http://www.execpc.com/~ilx
What you are is determined by the thoughts that dominate your mind.
Paraphrase of Proverbs Ch 23 vs 7 KJV
--Eugene Taurman <ilx@execpc.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>