Over the last two years our organization has been trying to transform our
culture from a traditional top-down structure to one more favorable to
nurturing the development of the potential of all the organization members
assuming that important information and creativity exists in all rather
than just those at the "top".
This is a difficult task because we are a state organization in a
university environment with highly educated "scientists" and "bench-level"
staff. We have highly specialized accountants (business manager) who
alone know how the finances "look" and function (lab personnel simply need
to know how to do their jobs well; they do not need to be involved in
budgets). We have the top level administrators who alone "know" what the
lab should be involved in as well as "how" things should get done. And
within the various "specialties" within the lab we have the "experts" who
know and find that conflict is least when each "expert" stays in their own
area. Additionally, in the state of Iowa, the State Public Health
Laboratory is not part of the Iowa Dept of Public Health but rather part
of the University of Iowa (academia seems to contribute another level of
stratification by highlighting those who are "most highly" educated).
In the organization as a whole change has been very slow (some would say
not at all - although we use different words now); but, in some
individuals changes within themselves have been quite great. As I look at
myself I see great changes.
Our first exposure two years ago was to the tools of TQM (because
administration wanted the staff to be more efficient -- get more done with
fewer people). Although I saw legitimate advantages to these tools they
were not in themselves very encouraging to me. It seemed to me that the
"belief" issues offered far more opportunity for benefit than to simply
"do" things differently (I believe that people will always act based on
their beliefs. Even though they may be able to "imitate" another's
behavior, without the underlying belief that created the behavior, they
will simply manipulate and deceive). As I began to read more on TQM
privately I found that my concerns were shared by many. As I continued to
read I found "The Fifth Discipline". The book was given to me by someone
who knew it was important (he was "told" this by someone who should
"know") but was unable to "wade through it" or make sense of it. His
conclusion was that the book was for those who would rather TALK about
something than DO something.
But, as I read it I found a resonance that excited me. I had been
interested in years about how "learning" takes place both in myself and
how I can promote it in others. It seemed to me that the book had much to
do with how learning takes place and so I devoured it. I come to believe
that what we are trying to do within the organization is to cause learning
to occur (not to know what to do, or to know the right answer; but to
understand what we do and why, to derive the answer by "seeing" rather
than by being told). This learning will involve an understanding that is
based on believing.
Then two weeks ago I stumbled across the "Learning-Org Discussion Pages"
on the Web and there found a fertile soil that I should plant myself into.
I'm finding myself "taking off" on these thoughts. Since this is suppose
to be just an introduction of myself to the rest of you I think I better
stop now on this post and "dive into" a thread somewhere.
Questions of interest to me:
How do you create a shared vision within an org?
The role of language in learning?
Why do we all seem to have such a desire (even a joy) in sharing our thoughts?
I should also indicate that although I've spoken only of my organization,
I actually have found these issues to flow into each area of my life:
My family (My wife of 25yrs; 5 daughters and two sons [24yrs:10yrs]; a
son-in-law and daughter-in-law; 1.5 grandchildren [1yr:-6months])
My community (working in the prisons to see life resurrected from death)
My church (When structured religion seems to be so destructive why does
the church migrate to religion rather than to the incredible message of
freedom and life? The One who said, "I came not to condemn the world but
that the world through Me might have life".)
I'm about as excited about sending this off as I would be if I were
stepping onto a plane to begin an adventure.
Thank you for letting me come in among you,
Stan Berberich
--Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>