Jeff,
You'd like to know how someone within an organization (perhaps without
formal "power") can help promote organizational learning.
First, you must recognize that you are trying to change the organization.
Without an awareness of change dynamics (primarily, the natural resistance
all people and organizations have to any kind of change) you will probably
give up in frustration.
Let me encourage you, however. As one who, for more than 15 years has
helped organizations change, I can tell you that no one can believe that
it takes a majority to make a revolution! My first two steps as a change
consultant ("revolutionary") are these:
1. Gain the endorsement of those in power for the goals. [That is, make
sure that some powerful people acknowledge that the destination you're
trying for matches a destination they want for the organization. If not,
you're into another kind of challenge -- which is very appropriate in some
cases and very wrong in others. If this is your situation, write me
again.]
2. Foment "subversive" activities by "true believers" in support of the
new destination. They are "subversive" precisely in the sense that they
subvert (try to change) the existing organizational culture. This is a
good thing (to the extent that the destination is a good destination.)
The "true believers" come from anywhere in the organization -- and
anywhere in the hierarchy. They are simply people who are willing to try
to do things that run counter to existing norms. They are people who have
their own support -- or own support groups -- that will sustain them
through the disapproval of the existing culture. So, step three usually
is ...
3. Help the true believers form support groups. (Usually, they support
each other. Which means that, early on, it's important to put in place a
process for identifying other true believers.)
When true believers (early adopters is another name for them) get
together, they typically agree on high-leverage relatively small projects.
They clarify their aims and goals then try to figure out what kinds of
resources and permission they absolutely must have in order to achieve
them. The more modest these needs, the more likely it is that they will
succeed.
Then they pull off the projects and say to the existing culture -- look
what we did and how it benefits everybody! And the revolution begins to
build.
--"John Gunkler" <jgunkler@sprintmail.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>