My name is Camille Tillman and I'm a grad student in the
Cleveland, OH area with many questions. I'm currently working on a
project for my Systems Thinking class and was hoping the members of this
ListServ could help me. Following are several questions that sprang to
mind after wondering, "But what's it *really* like to start a Learning
Organization?" Please answer as many or as few of these questions as
you'd like. Additionally, I was hoping to receive some input from
employees of a Learning Organization (i.e. someone who's not spearheading
the effort, but learning about it from the Leader).
Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Please feel free to
reply here or to me directly at clt@flashline.com. Thank you in advance
for your insight and contributions.
Camille Tillman
clt@flashline.com
LEADER QUESTIONS
1. How is the concept of Shared Vision generated throughout your
organization?
2. Are you more focused on day to day issues or fundamental improvement?
3. What part of Personal Mastery or Systems Thinking have you found most
difficult personally? Which has been most difficult for your
organization?
4. Think back . . . what was the first action you took towards becoming a
Learning Organization?
5. Do you look for any special traits or skills when you hire a new
employee? Is there a special question you ask in the interview?
6. How do you indoctrinate a new employee?
7. Have you had anyone from the outside - such as consultants or
discussion facilitators - come in to help you learn or better apply the
principles of Systems Thinking and Personal Mastery?
8. How do you deal with an employee who does not enroll? How does that
employee effect the other employees?
9. What is the biggest, or the most difficult, change you've made in your
management style?
10. In many respects, I view this as a whole new way of communicating.
Did you find it slow to get through a meeting as you first started
practicing these principles? Any words of advice on this topic?
11. When employees have a new idea or see a new opportunity, how are they
told to act on it?
12. Please give some examples of how your employees are empowered.
13. How has your company become more horizontal (i.e. communication,
decision making, departments, etc.)
14. Please describe your company's culture.
15. Please basically describe what your organization does.
EMPLOYEE QUESTIONS
1. How is the concept of Shared Vision generated throughout your
organization?
2. What is your company's vision? How much do you believe in it?
3. How confident are you in the leadership of your organization?
4. What part of Personal Mastery or Systems Thinking have you found most
difficult personally?
5. How do you indoctrinate a new fellow employee?
6. What did you first think when you heard about a "Learning
Organization?"
7. Did you believe/accept the concept right away, or did it take longer?
8. What part of this new outlook have you found most difficult?
9. How has your relationship changed with your boss?
10. As a result of this new outlook, what are the biggest changes you've
noticed?
11. What has changed that you don't like?
12. Assuming that you do like the change, are you less likely to leave
your job for fear that you won't find this environment elsewhere?
13. What types of learning opportunities are available to you?
14. When you have a new idea or see an opportunity, how do you act on it?
15. Please describe your company's culture.
16. Please describe your job.
Camille Tillman
clt@flashline.com
--"Camille L. Tillman" <clt@flashline.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>