Dear Nancy,
Thanks for your excellent post on organisational learning in hospitals.
I have had a deal of similar experience to you with medical faculties,
teaching hospitals, medical research, veterinary training and veterinary
research. I have also consulted on the restructuring of two major
Veterinary Teaching Hospitals.
For some years I have been working with the local Dean of Veterinary
Science on transforming his Faculty. The situation you describe below is
very real with this banch of the "medical" profession as well and the
going is very tough. A Dean of Medicine once quipped "Reforming medical
education is more difficult than moving a graveyard," and observation
with a number of shades of meaning...
>Could healthcare benefit by learning how to become a learning
>organization???? ABSOLUTELY!!! Perhaps no industry is more divided in
>"silos" than the healthcare industry. Additionally, most HC organizations
>are still managed by heirarchy and chain of command. There isn't much
>opportunity for different groups to get together and brainstorm ideas,
>critique existing practices or together, envision better ways of operating
>TOGETHER. Is it happening yet?? Not that I have seen but I hope there
>are some organizations out there that can prove me wrong.
We have instituted some activities to improve cross-silo learning and
development in Vet including-
-ongoing leadership training for the executive
-regular whole-faculty retreats
-meetings with the Vet profession
-planning processes
-measures to promote collaboration and cross-silo learning
-but the going is tough. Everyone has entrenched positions and the
"system" is set up to reward and recognise the status quo where
professionals are exalted, and support staff kept in their places.
But, hope springs eternal!
Regards,
Philip
Philip Pogson
Leadership Development Strategy Consultant
Staff Development Branch
University of Technology Sydney NSW 2007
Australia
ph: +61 2 9514 2934(w)
fax: +61 2 9514 2930(w)
ph/fax: +61 2 9809 5185 (h)
mobile: +61 0412 459156
"Authenticity is the single most important quality of leadership. You
cannot 'get authentic' by delivering a great speech. It is demonstrated
day-to-day through a thousand micro-behaviors."
-Bob Kidder
--Philip Pogson <ppogson@uts.EDU.AU>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>