Thomas Dwyer wrote in LO19645:
>I would rather by-pass going thru all this strategic planning stuff and
>go right into implementing learning org. strategies with these orgs. My
>superiors feel that these baby steps, so to speak are needed.
I feel a little like a physician who hasn't yet examined the patient when
trying to answer this, but I'll forge ahead with a couple of general
conclusions I've drawn from my 18 years of experience in helping
organizations change.
The most important lesson I ever learned about the dynamics of
organizational change is that it is fundamentally a subversive process --
by which I mean "subversive of the status quo." Think about it for two
seconds and I'm sure you'll agree that change subverts the existing
structure. However, the encouraging news is, as a mentor of mine once
said, "No one ever said that it took a majority to make a revolution."
I have always approached change projects as if I were stirring up a
revolution. The (MAJOR) difference being, in my case, that I had the
blessing of the ultimate powers of the organization. This blessing,
however, does little to make the change process easier. At best it keeps
you, and those within the organization who get aroused to action with you,
from being summarily fired the first time something happens that is
uncomfortable for the powers that be.
So my advice to you, Thomas, is twofold:
1. Get the okay of someone who can protect you to make specified kinds
of changes happen and explain to them your methods. Get their approval of
your general approach as well. The strategic planning process "should"
have provided the rationale for their support.
2. Then act almost as if you didn't have this approval. Find a few
people who are excited about making these specific changes happen. Help
them organize teams and fire them up to act. Teach these leaders how to
run their teams as learning organizations. To the extent that the teams
are successful, you will have persuasive power to encourage others to try
the methods.
While you are making all this happen in little lonely corners, make sure
that the powers that endorsed you are kept informed about what is
happening. And make sure that they participate in very publicly
celebrating the initial successes of the very first teams. Make them take
some credit for those successes, while also making sure that they
recognize the teams' and team leaders' efforts as well. Then the powers
will have their names publicly tied to the methods these teams used
(namely, LO methods.)
It's more complex than this, but this is the basis of the approach I have
always taken. Best of luck. Being a subversive isn't easy in the
friendliest of environments. Where you are it could get a person killed.
Watch your back!
--"John W. Gunkler" <jgunkler@sprintmail.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>