LEARNING ORGANISATIONS

A
PRESENTATION
FOR
ALL
WHO WANT TO LEARN……
THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE…

THE ART AND PRACTICE

OF THE LEARNING
ORGANISATION
WHAT IS LEARNING ORGANISATION ?

ORGANISATIONS WHERE PEOPLE

CONTINUALLY EXPAND THEIR CAPACITY
TO CREATE THE RESULTS THEY TRULY
DESIRE,WHERE PEOPLE ARE
CONTINUALLY LEARNING HOW TO LEARN
TO GETHER.
A LEARNING ORGANISATION IS A PLACE
WHERE PEOPLE ARE CONTINUALLY
DISCOVERING HOW THEY CREATE THEIR
REALITY, AND HOW THEY CAN CHANGE IT.
 LEARNING MEANS…
LEARNING IS CONSIDERED SYTONYMOUS WITH
“TAKING IN INFORMATION”.
REAL LEARNING GETS TO THE HEART OF WHAT IT
MEANS TO BE HUMAN.
THROUGH LEARNING WE RE-CREATE OURSELVES.
THROUGH LEARNING WE REPERCEIVE THE WORLD
AND OUR RELATIONSHIP TO IT.
THROUGH LEARNING WE EXTEND OUR CAPACITY
TO CREATE.
LEARNING ORGANISATIONS ARE THOSE WHICH
ARE CONTINUALLY EXPANDING THEIR CAPACITY
TO CREATE ITS FUTURE.
 LEARNING…

LEARNING ORGANISATIONS
ARE POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE
ALL ARE LEARNERS.
THE MORE WE LEARN THE
MORE WE ACUTELY BECOME
AWARE OF OUR IGNORANCE.

THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE

LEARNING ORGANISATION…

TEAM LEARNING IS VITAL

BECAUSE TEAMS , NOT
INDIVIDUALS ARE THE
FUNDAMENTAL LEARNING
UNIT IN AN ORGANISATION.
UNLESS TEAMS CAN
LEARN,THE ORGANISATIONS
CAN NOT LEARN.
THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE
 DO WE HAVE A
LEARNING
DISABILITY?

THE WAY WE ALL ARE TAUGHT TO

THINK AND INTERACT CREATE
FUNDAMENTAL
LEARNING DISABILITY
“ I AM MY POSITION”

WHEN WE FOCUS
ONLY ON OUR
POSITION WE
HAVE LITTLE
SENSE OF
RESPONSIBILITY
FOR THE RESULTS
PRODUCED WHEN
ALL POSITIONS
INTERACTS.
THE ENEMY IS OUT THERE…

 IT IS A BY- PRODUCT
OF “I AM MY POSITION”.
 THER IS IN EACH OF
US A PROPENSITY TO
FIND SOMEONE OR
SOMETHING OUTSIDE
OURSELVES TO
BLAME WHEN THINGS
GO WRONG.
BEING PROACTIVE…
 TOO OFTEN
PROACTIVENESS IS
REACTIVENESS IN
DISGUISE.
 TRUE
PROACTIVENESS
COMES FROM
SEEING FROM HOW
WE CONTRIBUTE TO
OUR OWN
PROBLEMS.
FIXATION ON EVENTS…

OUR CONVERSATION IN
ORGANISATION IS DOMINATED
BY EVENTS. FOCUSSING
ON EVENTS LEADS TO EVENT
EXPLANATIONS.
LEARNING CAN NOT
TAKE PLACE IF PEOPLE’S
THINKING IS DOMINATED
BY SHORT TERM EVENTS.
 THE SUDDEN AND GRADUAL CHANGES…

 THINGS THAT HAPPEN SLOWLY DOES NOT

ATTRACT OUR ATTENTION.
 WE NOTICE ONLY SUDDEN /ABRUPT CHANGES.
 THE PROBLEM IS,OUR MINDS ARE LOCKED IN
ONE FREQUENCY ONLY
LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE…

WE LEARN BEST
FROM EXPERIENCE
BUT WE NEVER
DIRECTLY
EXPERIENCE THE
CONSEQUENCES
OF MANY OF OUR
MOST IMPORTANT
DECISIONS.
 MANAGEMENT TEAM…

THE TEAM
PRETENDS
THAT EVERY
ONE IS BEHIND
THE TEAM’S
COLLECTIVE
STRATEGY.
WHAT IS SYSTEMS THINKING…

MOST OF US SEE OUR JOBS AS

“MANAGING OUR POSITION” IN
ISOLATION FROM THE REST OF THE
SYSTEM ;
SYSTEMS THINKING IS A DISCIPLINE
FOR SEEING THE WHOLES.
IT IS A FRAMEWORK FOR SEEING
INTERRELATIONSHIPS RATHER THAN
THINGS, FOR SEEING PATTERNS OF
CHANGE.
THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE
WHAT IS SYSTEMS THINKING…

IT IS A SYSTEM FOR SEEING THE

“STRUCTURES” THAT UNDERLIE
THE COMPLEX SITUATIONS.
IT SIMPLIFIES OUR LIFE BY
HELPING US SEE THE DEEPER
PATTERNS LYING BEHIND THE
EVENTS AND THE DETAILS.

THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE

 SYSTEMS THINKING

SEEING THE THE REALITY IS MADE

MAJOR INTER- UP OF CIRCLES
RELATIONSHIPS BUT WE SEE
UNDERLYING A STRAIGHT
PROBLEM LINES;
LEADS TO NEW HEREIN LIES THE
INSIGHT INTO BEGINNING OF
WHAT MIGHT BE OUR
DONE. LIMITATION AS
SYSTEMS
THINKERS.
THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE
SYSTEMS THINKING

IN MASTERING SYSTEMS
THINKING WE GIVE UP THE
ASSUMPTION THAT THERE
MUST BE AN INDIVIDUAL,
RESPONSIBLE… ;
EVERYONE SHARES
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
PROBLEMS GENERATED BY A
SYSTEM.
THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE
BUILDING THE
LEARNING
ORGANISATION
 LEARNING
ORGANISATIONS…
 ORGANISATIONS LEARNING
LEARN ONLY ORGANISATIONS
THROUGH
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT
LEARN. POSSIBLE
 INDIVIDUAL UNLESS THEY
LEARNING DOES HAVE PEOPLE AT
NOT GUARANTEE
ORGANISATIONAL EVERY LEVEL
LEARNING WHO PRACTICE
 BUT WITHOUT IT NO IT.
ORGANISATIONAL
LEARNING OCCURS.
THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE
 PERSONAL MASTERY

 THE PHRASE IS USED FOR PERSONAL

GROWTH AND LEARNING
 FROM THE QUEST OF PEOPLE TO
GROW AND LEARN COMES THE
SPIRIT OF THE LEARNING
ORGANISATION.
 PERSONAL MASTERY IS NOT
SOMETHING WE POSSESS ; IT IS A
PROCESS.
THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE
TO EXPAND PERSINAL MASTERY

CONTINUALLY FOCUSSING
ON ONE’S VISION,
HOLDING CREATIVE TENSION,
 SEEING OUR
CONNECTEDNESS TO THE
WORLD.
COMMITMENT TO THE WHOLE
THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE
 MENTAL MODELS…

OUR MENTAL MODELS DETERMINE

NOT ONLY HOW WE MAKE SENSE
OF THE WORLD BUT HOW WE
TAKE ACTION.
TWO PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT ME
NTAL MODELS CAN OBSERVE THE
SAME EVENT AND DESCRIBE IT DIF
FERENTLY.

THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE

 SHARED VISION…

 IT IS VITAL FOR THE LEARNING

ORGANISATION BECAUSE IT PROVIDES
THE FOCUS AND ENERGY FOR
LEARNING.
 A SHARED VISION IS THE FIRST STEP IN
ALLOWING PEOPLE WHO MISTRUSTED
EACH OTHER TO BEGIN TO WORK
TOGETHER.
 IF THERE IS NO SHARED VISION THAN
THERE WILL BE “COMPLIANCE” NO
“COMMITMENT”.
THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE
 TEAM

UNALIGNED TEAM

ALIGNED TEAM
 TEAM
TOGETHER EACH
ATTAINS MORE
TALENT OF ALL
EXCELLENCE OF SOME
ALIGNED FOR
MUTUAL QUEST
 TEAMS & CONFLICT
 GREAT TEAMS ARE NOT
CHARACTERISED BY ABSENCE OF
CONFLICT.
 FREE FLOW OF CONFLICTING IDEAS
IS CRITICAL FOR CREATIVE
THINKING.
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GREAT
TEMS AND MODIOCRE TEAMS LIES
IN HOW THEY FACE CONFLICT AND
DEAL WITH DEFENSIVENESS THAT
INVARIABLY SURROUNDS CONFLICT
(DEFENSIVENESS ROUTINES)
WHY TEAMS FAIL…

 WE HAVE LEARNT NOT TO EXPRESS

OUR VIEWS AND VISIONS.
 THE MANAGERS BELIEVE THAT THEY
MUST KNOW EVERYTHING , AND
THAT THEY KNOW ANSWERS TO
MOST PROBLEMS.
 THEY DO NOT REVEAL THE THINKING
BEHIND THEIR DECISIONS.
 THIS BECOMES ORGANISATIONAL
CULTURE.
THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE
 HOW TO CONFRONT
DEFENSIVENESS

 BY SELF DISCLOSURE AND BY ENQUIRY.

 INQUIRING INTO CAUSES MEANS
REVEALING YOUR OWN ASSUMPTIONS
AND REASONING & ENCOURAGING
OTHERS TO DO SO.
 IT IS NOT ABSENCE OF DEFENSIVENESS
THAT CHARACTERISES LEARNING BUT
THE WAY IT IS FACED;
 SO, UNLOCK YOUR DEFENSIVENESS AND
RELEASE YOUR ENERGY.
THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE
 SYSTEMS THINKING..

 THE TOOLS OF SYSTEMS THINKING

ARE IMPORTANT TODAY BECAUSE
ALL THE PRIME TASKS OF
MANAGEMENT INVOLVES
WRESTLING WITH COMPLEXITY.
 TODAY THE ONLY UNIVERSAL
LANGUAGE OF BUSINESS IS
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING,IT OFFERS
”SNAPSHOTS” OF A BUSINES NOT
DYNAMIC COMPLEXITY.(HOW THESE
RESULTS WERE CREATED)
THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE
 SKILLS REQUIRED TO LEAD
LEARNING ORGANISATIONS
 WITHOUT A GENUINE SENSE OF COMMON
VISION AND VALUES THERE IS NOTHING TO
MOTIVATE PEOPLE BEYOND SELF INTEREST.
 PEOPLE LEARN MOST RAPIDLY WHEN THEY
HAVE A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILTIY FOR
THEIR OWN ACTIONS.
 THE BELIEF THAT WE CAN NOT INFLUENCE
THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDERMINES
INCENTIVE TO LEARN
 IF WE KNOW THAT OUR FATE IS IN OUR OWN
HANDS OUR LEARNING MATTERS.

THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE

 THE NEW VIEW OF LEADERSHIP

 IN A LEARNING ORGANISATIONS
LEADERS ARE DESIGNERS,STEWARDS
AND TEACHERS.
 THEY TRY TO BUILD ORGANISATIONS
WHERE PEOPLE CONTINUALLY EXPAND
THEIR CAPABILITIESUNDERSTAND
COMPLEXITY,CLARIFY VISION AND
IMPROVE SHARED MENTAL MODELS.

THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE

WHO ARE NATURAL LEADERS?

THEY ARE THE LEARNERS

OF A
LEARNING ORGANISATION !

“LET US BECOME LEARNERS”