Experience of a Learning Organization: How To Grow Beyond Blame

Agenda Learning Organization Philosophy The 5 Disciplines Overview Double-Loop Quality Process Overview The Discipline of Mental Models  Direct Communication Standard  Productive Conversation Framework Double-Loop Quality Process Re-visited Discussion

What's a Learning Culture? learn… a place in which people seek to learn rather than know. They admit that their pictures of the world are incomplete and therefore they need to learn from each other in order to fully understand the whole system. They do this through a process of respectful inquiry into each other’s world views.

Learning Culture thinkinteract thinking interacting“The way organizations are is a product of how we think and how we interact; they cannot change in any fundamental way unless we can change our basic patterns of thinking and interacting”.  Peter Senge

The Learning Organization Philosophy Based on the book The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge 5 Disciplines  Personal Mastery  Shared Vision  Team Learning  Mental Models  Systems Thinking

1 st - Personal Mastery Have you ever wondered…  about the purpose of your life?  why you aren’t more effective in what you do?  when you were finally going to achieve your life-long goal? Wouldn’t it be great if…  you understood exactly how to achieve your goals?  you were in your ideal job, doing work you loved and were good at.

1 st - Personal Mastery What is the discipline of Personal Mastery?  Developing... my commitment to my future.  Expanding my personal capacity to create the results I really care about in my life. How do you do Personal Mastery work?  Develop a creative tension between who you are and who you want to be.

2 nd - Shared Vision Have you ever wondered…  why people just seem to be doing their own thing without regard to the impact on others?  why the organization seemed to be spinning its wheels without going anywhere? Wouldn’t it be great if…  the organization was poised to reach its full potential?  All employees are very clear on what the purpose and vision of the organization is?

2 nd - Shared Vision What is the discipline of Shared Vision?  Developing… our commitment to our future.  Developing shared images of the future we seek to create together. How do you do Shared Vision work?  Create a shared image of “our future” by sharing individual visions.

3 rd - Mental Models Have you ever wondered…  why that other person “just doesn’t get it”?  what it would be like to have really powerful conversations with your co-workers? Wouldn’t it be great if…  every conversation you had increased, rather than decreased, mutual understanding?  you never had to worry about the other person “taking things the wrong way”?

3 rd - Mental Models What is the discipline of Mental Models?  Seeing… How I think.  Becoming more aware of the sources of our thinking; increasing mutual understanding. How do you do Mental Models work?  Reflect on your own thoughts and actions and discuss them with others.

4 th - Team Learning Have you ever wondered…  why people seem to get stuck in the same roles in every meeting?  why we sometimes dread meetings? Wouldn’t it be great if…  we could have meetings that really meant something?  you felt like a vital member of a very special team?

4 th - Team Learning What is the discipline of Team Learning?  Developing… How smart we are.  Transforming our skills of collective thinking through discussion and dialogue. How do you do Team Learning work?  Practice talking and thinking together to generate collective insight.

5 th - Systems Thinking Have you ever wondered…  why things seem to get worse, when you are trying to make them better?  why solving a problem in one area causes a new problem for another area? Wouldn’t it be great if…  we understood why “shift happens”?  we could always take actions that were high leverage?

5 th - Systems Thinking What is the discipline of Systems Thinking?  Seeing... how things are connected.  Understanding the forces and inter-relationships that shape the behavior of systems. How do you do Systems Thinking work?  Study interconnections between factors that impact your results.

How the 5 Disciplines Work Together Five Discipline Matrix

What if One’s Missing?

Everything Hangs on These 5 Hooks

Double-Loop Quality Process Why do we want this outcome in the first place? Is it the right outcome? Why did we think the previous action strategy would work anyway? What assumptions are we making?

Mental Models

Why Do We Need a “Direct Communication Standard”? Meeting-after-the-meeting Telephone game Rumors

1 st Discuss your differences directly with the other person, one on one. 2 nd If not resolved, both persons meet with a mutually agreed-upon Conversation Coach to continue the discussion. 3 rd If still not resolved, bring the situation to the next level of authority for a resolution. Direct Communication Standard Only listen to discussions about the “other person” if you are re-directing someone to go back and have a direct conversation. Encourage every effort to be made in the 1 st and 2 nd stages to avoid the 3 rd stage.

When do I use the Direct Communication Standard? When its about relationships and communication, and has an impact on performance.  Examples  Differences of opinion  Confronting gossip Not if its an issue of authority  Examples  About policies  About evaluation

Conversation Coach Program Purpose: To increase mutual understanding between associates by facilitating productive conversations. Conversation Coaching Method Confidentiality. Facilitate people outside their own department; Advise people from any department. Authority vs. relationship/communication issues.

Two Roles of Conversation Coaches

The Plan I’m going to try and convince you of three things:  ONE: Our thinking (our Left-hand Column) has an impact on the results of our conversations.  TWO: We create our own Left-hand Column, and therefore we are often our own worst enemy.  THREE: Our Left-hand Column can be changed (using the Ladder of Inference).

I’m going to try and convince you of three things:  ONE: Our thinking (our Left-hand Column) has an impact on the results of our conversations.  TWO: We create our own Left-hand Column, and therefore we are often our own worst enemy.  THREE: Our Left-hand Column can be changed (using the Ladder of Inference). The Plan

Hidden Structure (Left-Hand Column) “Inner voice” “Self talk”

The Structure of Conversations Did you find this to be true?

The Structure of Conversations Did you try this strategy?

The Structure of Conversations Did you try this strategy?

I’m going to try and convince you of three things:  ONE: Our thinking (our Left-hand Column) has an impact on the results of our conversations.  TWO: We create our own Left-hand Column, and therefore we are often our own worst enemy.  THREE: Our Left-hand Column can be changed (using the Ladder of Inference). The Plan

The Structure of Conversations

Ladder of Inference

We Create Our Own LHC Name the conclusion. Recall how you interpreted what you observed. Remember what you actually observed.

I’m going to try and convince you of three things:  ONE: Our thinking (our Left-hand Column) has an impact on the results of our conversations.  TWO: We create our own Left-hand Column, and therefore we are often our own worst enemy.  THREE: Our Left-hand Column can be changed (using the Ladder of Inference). The Plan

How Do We Change Our LHC? Assume the other person is acting with integrity, given their situation. Move our conversations as low on the ladder as possible.

Get Down To Data WHENEVER POSSIBLEWHENEVER POSSIBLE, “get down to data”, when the issue is contentious or difficult. When you talk about what actually happened, rather than your interpretations or conclusions about what happened:  Feelings are diffused  Less defensiveness

Advocacy and Inquiry Advocacy  Walking up the Ladder of Inference  Revealing your own thinking  “Disclosure” Inquiry  Walking down the Ladder of Inference  Asking questions to reveal their thinking  “Curiosity”

Reveal Your Thinking Offer your conclusion. Share how you interpreted what you observed. Restate what you actually observed. ADVOCACY

Get Curious About Their Thinking Imagine their conclusion (and test it with them). Ask how they interpreted what they observed. Ask for a description of what they actually observed (an example). INQUIRY

Moving Up and Down the Ladder Imagine their conclusion (and test it with them). Ask how they interpreted what they observed. Ask for a description of what they actually observed (an example). Offer your conclusion. Share how you interpreted what you observed. Restate what you actually observed. ADVOCACY INQUIRY

Double-Loop Quality Process Why do we want this outcome in the first place? Is it the right outcome? Is there a better outcome to pursue?Is there a better outcome to pursue? Why did we think the previous action strategy would work anyway? What assumptions are we making? Can we make any new assumptions about possible successful action?Can we make any new assumptions about possible successful action?

Thank You!