Well,!!! Now we are getting into the thick of it, it is about time.
First a comment. I too have sat patiently on the sideline for the past
several months watching what I only can call a brilliant yet ethereal
discussion on subsets of the learning organization. Lots of interesting
stuff, but very little if any about how to make a learning organization a
reality in any organization or moreover real in terms of dealing with
specific issues. Steve Eskow commented of late "Glen, doesn't every
theory imply practice, demand it?" Steve it may imply it but it certainly
doesn't demand it. Take the world of leadership studies where I spend my
time. There are so many theories out there, and so many people espousing
pure drivel and making so much money, but the question is which one works
and which one brings the kind of change that we seek?
A short story. Recently, I co-presented at the International Leadership
Conference in Atlanta at the end of Oct. I got into this very discussion
in an open forum where all the participants were gathered. I asked where
does the "rubber meet the road". My comment was I am watching people
discuss leadership as though I was watching a wonderful fireworks show.
My problem was, my job was to "light the city."
I wanted to see how leadership impacted real events. I sat down. A
member of the executive committee stood up and told me that he disagreed,
that we should be concerned about "excellence in leadership" and not
worried about what it really means to making progress or to the state of
the real world. Can you believe it? I couldn't!! I jumped to my feet
and asked my show stopper question, it is the same question I am asking
all of you about the learning organization because leadership
(collaborative leadership that is) goes hand in hand with the tenets of
the learning organization. The question Someone tell me how your theory
of leadership connects to or impacts such a complex item as school safety.
In other words, how can we demonstrate to the responsible decision makers
that the learning organization and collaborative leadership can keep KIDS
FROM KILLING KIDS.
How is that for a real question? In this list serve we talk mostly about
business organizations. Too bad, we might find ourselves talking about
business decisions in a society that has imploded from within by tearing
itself apart at the seams.
So how do we do this, huh?
Let me mention how I have tried to deal with this problem, not in any way
to hold myself up and say "hey Aren't I just great?"
In Chapter 17 of the original book "The fifth discipline" Senge talks
about Microworlds--microcosms of reality where it is safe to play. In
1994 when I read that, I began work on creating a significant leap in
microworld development. I have achieved that. I feel confident in saying
that the LeadSimm method I have created is the best microworld in
existence. I am prepared to defend that comment with not only theory but
with an independent report conducted on the training given to a major
police department in California, where over 376 were trained using the
method. This method was also the subject of my doctoral dissertation.
So I have either made the people on this listserve angry or given them
reason to say hey, it can be done. Senge told us what needed to be done.
I am absolutely beside myself in trying to understand why more people
haven't embarked on creating usable bridges so that those who wish to
traverse from their current organizational philosophy to a learning
organization can do so.
Rick, I am sorry if I may have gotten out of line a bit, but I just
couldn't take another discussion which seemed to orbit around one's
spiritual practice or profit motive, or listening to music or other
individual soulful pursuit is the essence of making things change. You
know, in my experience I have found that people can be very spiritual and
still be as incompetent as hell, so where does that leave us. Anyway
there is a difference in human development and leadership development from
where I stand.
[Host's Note: John, you're not at all out of line. ..Rick]
One other note, if you want to test a theory of leadership don't do it in
business. Business provides a false bottom upon which leadership
practices rest. You see, people are paid for their loyalty in business.
If you want to test a theory of leadership try it where a number of
stakeholders are their because it really matters to them that change
occurs. You know sort of like KEEPING KIDS FROM KILLING KIDS.
It is Saturday night and I am finished!
John P. Dentico, Ed. D.
LeadSimm
Making the Leadership Experience Real
P.O. Box 6305
San Diego, CA 92166-0305
619-226-0547 Office
619-300-3080 Cell and Vm
619-523-3068 Fax
www.leadsimm.com
--"John P. Dentico" <jdentico@adnc.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>