Create a Learning Organisation
Description
Agile leaders perceive their organisations as intricate human systems, acknowledging the complexity of their behaviour, interactions and development, necessitating a systemic approach.
A systematic approach has been referred to by Peter Senge as a Learning Organisation. Leaders should focus their efforts on creating an organisation where individuals can work effectively together when responding to market complexities. Individuals will need the safety and space to explore the creation of a Learning Organisation. They will need to explore and challenge their own assumptions and views on the world to participate effectively in collaborative dialogue, towards a purpose that leaders ensure everyone engages in and understands.
Rationale
Peter Senge has highlighted five disciplines that enable us to create Learning Organisations, these disciplines should not be developed independently, but as an ensemble.
He has captured this in his work The Fifth Discipline.
Thinking of organisations as whole systems that are bound by invisible fabrics of interrelated actions. System Thinking is a conceptual framework, a body of knowledge and tools to make full patterns clearer and help us see how to change them effectively. Systems Thinking is seen as the fifth discipline, as it integrates the following four disciples together.
Challenge deeply ingrained assumptions that we hold, these are formed from our memories & experiences and influence how we understand the world and take action. Very often, we are not consciously aware of our mental models or the effects they have on our behaviour. In order to work effectively with others, we must be prepared to re-frame our own mental models.
Re-framing these models can be hugely disruptive for people, finding out a belief they held no longer serves them. As this can be a painful experience, we are well-versed in creating defensive routines that insulate our mental models from examination.
Individuals are committed to their own lifelong learning, develop patience, treat each other with respect and see things objectively. Personal mastery enables individuals to effectively take part in team dialogue, challenge their own mental models and commit to a shared vision.
Unearthing shared pictures of the future that foster genuine commitment and enrolment rather than compliance.
Create an environment for genuine dialogue, individuals should suspend their assumptions in order to do genuine thinking together.
“To the Greeks dia-logos meant a free-flowing of meaning through a group, allowing the group to discover insights not attainable individually.” “The discipline of dialogue also involves learning how to recognize the patterns of interaction in teams that undermine learning. The patterns of defensiveness are often deeply ingrained in how a team operates. If unrecognized, they undermine learning. If recognized and surfaced creatively, they can accelerate learning.”