Building and sustaining learning organization

Every generation needs a revolution - an entrepreneurial revolution

Rizal Philippines
January 22, 2017

This post, entrepreneur, business executive has long implemented learning as one of its values (beliefs) in the organization that he has founded for more than 30 years.  He has believed that its all about getting better.

Thus he was not surprised when Peter Senge came out with the book From Slideshare - Fifth Discipline PPt  What is the fifth discipline?  Shared learning.   It is a process by which an organization encourages its members to learn, so that the organization continuously transforms itself.   Learning is defined as the steps by which an organization acquires new skills and knowledge to innovate and compete and catch with the times. Stability and administration of a on going business is yielding to change and innovation.  What is new gets old,  the present becomes the past

The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge

What have done so far to encourage our people in the organization:

1.  Performance evaluation to require staff to :   submit 1 book report a month, 3 blog comments a month on its community blog (so that the staff know what is going on);  to require everyone to have a have a learning log (and to have at least 60 entries a quarter)

2.  To require all staff to undergo orientation and pass the exams .  No additional allowance shall be given unless this is fulfilled.

3.  To promote staff via merit for following:  with following steps

     1.  40 book reports   1 step

     2.  MBA  2 steps

    3. PRC license     1 step

   4.  Creating a manual, a software program  - 1 step

We can learn a lot.  WE cant be crazy. by learning    Right now we are using only 7%  of our brain power.  When we were growing up that was at 30%.  We can memorize the Bible or encyclopedia if we dedicate our passion and efforts to do so.  Our brain has 1 trillion neurons that can store bits of information and that can be interconnected in an infinite number of ways  more than quadrillion possibilities.  That is why humans have invented so many things to improve upgrade our standard of living.

Somebody said can we learn while working.  Kaya nga sinabi, the secret of success is hard work.  We cant improve in our work we cant improve ourselves if we do not additional inputs from the world:   internet, books seminars.

There was story about two brothers who were being chased by a flash flood.  One said run, the other said run.  The elder said:   Ok let us pray while we run.  We can learn while we work.

Those who lead read

This brings us back to the story about an exec, a senior exec at a major drug company who asked his subordinates as to what is the primary responsibility of a subordinate?  Some say it is meeting the required targets and outputs;  some say its about following the rules and regulations of the company; some say its about being loyal to the boss.

To which he said they are all ok but not quite.

THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF AN EMPLOYEE IS TO IMPROVE HIMSELF.  How can he do that?  By learning new skills and knowledge to develop himself and his skills in his job so that he will grow.

We can only improve our production and output if we improve ourselves and learn new things.   If we keep on doing old things expecting different results, it is INSANITY  (Albert Einstein)

The learning organization presentation from rosinmary

Personal mastery and systems thinking is the strategy

I used to be enamored with strategy early on.  However as I mature as a businessman, strategy is very remote in the mind of the troops/employees.

Thus after I studied Peter Senge "The Fifth Discipline" and there are numerous writings on his works as "The Strategy"  I began to wonder.

Then it sank to me: a computer network or a dozen ipads, or a fleet of vehicles will not make you execute your strategy -  sometimes your organization will make them them all inutile.  In my experience in facilitation for strategy, I can see how people are so stuck in old mindset and systems -  they could not simply let go even if they know that they are standing or lying on a hot pan.  They will always mention how they have done that before.  You can observe their behavior in the workshop or production of outputs or even how they eat or interact what ails their organization

The two disciplines  mentioned above are:   personal mastery (habits) and systems thinking.  These are more important than the objectives and key activities and resources

It is more important for the mentor/strategist to:

1,  Work on the habits/personal mastery and systems thinking (what structures make the people behave in the organization?  The reporting system, the table arrangement, the salaries, rewards?)

2.  Or better work on the pro - motion (as Dr. Ned Roberto said)  work on the action rather than the value system

What do you think?

Can you make your soldiers fight if they are devout religious fanatics (not to kill?)

Green Innovation and tragedy of commons

The tragedy of commons is an example at Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge and by Fr. Jett Villarin, president of Ateneo at the Green Innovation held by AGSB last Dec 4 and 5, 2012.

The tragedy of commons is traced back to the graze land in Sahel South Africa way back in the l920s up to 1970 which saw steady growth in cattle population (wilderbeast?)  There was unusual growth due to rainfall land new wells form intl aid organization in l965.   And because of this, there was overgrazing.   This started in the l960s which saw foliage being consumed by a large herd and inability to the graze land to grow fast enough.  There was a series of drought that struck in the l960s and l970s

In the early 1970s, up to 80% of the herd was dead; and the once prosperous cattle ranchers was poor.

What do we do with free commons:  air, sea, wind, water, trees

The precious commodities:  oil, minerals, fish food, livestock?

Will there be enough for all in the future?

Will tragedy strike us all?

Peter Senge on system dynamics (tragedy of commons) vs localness