The information in this message is very useful to me just now. I'm
working with a small computer training company that has grown very fast
and is suffering serious pains of organization & process. They have a
self-organizing management system (see Margaret Wheatley materials) that I
believe works well with what Richard is suggesting here.
I'm also using concept mapping in my work with this company to help them
better understand who does what, when, and who else in the company their
actions affect. Understanding the downstream implications of
organizational communications and behavior is something companies have a
hard time doing as they get bigger. Keeping that in perspective is pretty
important for continuous learning.
I'm also using 360-degree feedback mechanisms, especially for the
trainers.
I look forward to finding out more about PRM best practices information as
it becomes available since this would fit in perfectly for my current
clients and ones I hope to continue to attract.
kind regards,
Vana Prewitt
Praxis Learning Systems
Chapel Hill, NC
vprewitt@bellsouth.net
Richard S. Webster wrote:
> Jane Galloway Seiling's book, "The memberbership organization: Achieving
> top performance through the new workplace community," (Davies-Black, 1997
> - the SHRM "Book of the Year" for 1998) has more to say about this.
...snip...
> PRM Insttitute is working to test the hypothesis that there are other
> useful strategies for turning companies into a workplace communities.
> They include:
>
> 1) Balanced scorecard
> 2) Compression planning (storyboard-based brainstorming and selection of
> ideas, using pre-planned headings for categories, subjects, and topics).
> 3) Ideas program ("Every idea is an incitement" - as written on the seal of
> the new Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. "To get
> good ideas get many ideas.")
> 4) Learning / development plans ("Learning is each person's responsibility
> and opportunity; helping each person learn is the responsibility of every
> other member of the company.")
> 5) Process improvement ("Every process can be improved. The people doing
> the work, company members, know how!")
> 6) Open book management
> 7) Servant leadship (Robert Greenleaf's creation, closely linked to Peter
> Block's "stewardship" and "accountability").
> 8) Visual workplace
> 9) Workout (a program started at G.E. by CEO Jack Welch).
>
> PRM Institute is preparing a "best practices" project that will examine
> these resources (are there others that we should add?), and seek to
> integrate them so a company could use two or more in combination when that
> fitted their vision, mission, goals, culture, and climate.
>
> We invite comment and expressions of interest in participation.
>
> Dick Webster
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