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May 23, 2001 Issue 12



"We must dare to think 'unthinkable' thoughts. We must learn to explore all the options and possibilities that confront us in a complex and rapidly changing world. We must learn to welcome and not to fear the voices of dissent. We must dare to think about 'unthinkable things' because when things become unthinkable, thinking stops and action becomes mindless."
—James William Fulbright

"There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of them acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic."
—Anaïs Nin





We're pleased to announce the addition of John Leggate as a keynote speaker at the 2001 Systems Thinking in Action Conference on October 24-26 in Atlanta, GA. As group vice president for Digital Business at BP Corporation, he has been successfully linking information technology and learning processes in helping to design a sustainable corporate future. Learn more about and register for this exciting event. Contact the Conference Department at 1-800-272-0945 or 1-802-862-0095.
TEAM DISCOUNTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE.


This month features a provocative interview with Tom Crum, a keynote speaker at the 2001 Systems Thinking in Action Conference, author of The Magic of Conflict, and cofounder and president of Aiki Works. In this piece Crum describes how centered leadership can stimulate effective problem solving, facilitate communication, and create value in complex situations. Go to the interview.



September 10-12, 2001, International Conference on Work Teams, Dallas, TX

Sponsored by the Center for the Study of Work Teams at the University of North Texas, this event focuses on leveraging team performance for business results, including increased productivity and revenues. For more information, go to the Center's web site.


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Pegasus Communications provides resources that help people explore, understand, articulate, and address the challenges they face in the complexities of a changing world. Since 1989, Pegasus has worked to build a community of practitioners through The Systems Thinker® newsletter, books, audio and videotapes, and its annual Systems Thinking in Action® Conference and other events.
LEARNING LINKS
Stop, Start, Continue: A Tool for Honest Feedback
SHOP TALK
How Can Healthcare Institutions Create System-Wide Models for Collaborative Problem Solving and Decision-Making? and Reader Response to Shifting from a Short-Term to a Long-Term Perspective
FROM THE FIELD
Rethinking the Mission of High Schools
 



LEARNING LINKS
Stop, Start, Continue: A Tool for Honest Feedback
by Janice Molloy

Have you ever been surprised—and frustrated—by feedback you received in your annual performance evaluation? In traditional work settings, managers often "hoard" comments until the formal review or offer praise while letting unaddressed problems fester. Such feedback usually lacks reciprocity—employees rarely get to suggest ways for managers to improve their performance. More progressive companies may suffer from a similar lack of communication, because no one wants to create conflict. Over time, untimely guidance and coaching can lead to low productivity and morale.

"Stop, Start, Continue" is a simple technique for fostering respectful and effective communication. In the spirit of learning, one person tells another things she should "stop" doing, things she should "start" doing, and things she should "continue" doing. For example, a manager might recommend that a worker stop using a certain supplier, start tracking time spent on different projects, and continue collaborating with colleagues in other departments. The worker might suggest that his manager stop arriving late to meetings, start delegating more tasks to others, and continue apprising department members about project budgets.

This approach allows both sides to give direct and specific feedback. It ensures that valuable information gets communicated even-handedly, reinforces productive behavior, and provides managers with insight into their employees' capabilities. Teams can also use "Stop, Start, Continue" to develop a list of action items or unearth hidden problems. When colleagues can communicate honestly and collaborate to improve processes, they advance team learning and provide opportunities for developing shared vision.

Read the complete article or see LEVERAGE No. 19 (October 12, 1998). Readers who wish to discuss this topic are invited to the New Workplace Forum.

 



SHOP TALK

Although many healthcare professionals want to create system-wide models for collaborative problem solving and decision-making, many healthcare institutions seem entrenched in disjointed, top-down styles of behavior. How can we begin to break this deadlock?

Please take a minute to share your thoughts about this issue in the Healthcare Community Forum. Selected comments will be shared in a future issue of LEVERAGE POINTS.

SHOP TALK RESPONSE
From Issue #10

Most of our organizations and societal structures are oriented toward short-term fixes, without taking the long- term implications into account. What are some specific tools or methods we can use to help people shift their approach from a short-term to a long-term perspective?

I recommend a tool called "Smart Skills." Smart Skills is a thinking-style inventory that allows individuals to analyze their preferred thinking style. It distinguishes short- and long-term thinking as 2 of the 21 types of thinking. People are encouraged first to understand their preferences and then to realize that effective thinking is achieved by matching the thinking style to the situation. For example, when it is time to make a decision, decisive, judgmental, opinionated thinking is appropriate. When it is time to probe for new ideas, that type of thinking is not appropriate. Success comes from developing one's abilities in all areas and then applying the right thinking at the right time. Smart Skills is also an excellent vehicle to cross cultural barriers and to break down personality type barriers.
Jaki Scarcello

If we are to convince people to shift their viewpoint, we need hard evidence that diminishing outcomes are the result of the short-view orientation (plus a lack of a systems view). Computer simulations such as the Beer Game can be a help, but too many executives still don't want to be told what to do by a computer. I get the feeling that only a survival threat may make a real difference. Having new companies (that use the long view and systems thinking) be a real threat to existing organizations may wake people up. I would only hope it never comes to that.
Thomas J. Clifford

I made some progress with "Shifting the Burden." I developed a simulation based on the realities of our IT support organization and can show that the model predicts what will happen in the future. The timing (3-6 month delay) was especially helpful for management. In the beginning no one believes it; after some time we get "Aha." I can't avoid the problems the first time they occur, but it seems the organization is learning faster.
Gerd A.T. Mueller

Readers who wish to view the complete responses to this question or to continue this discussion are invited to go to the Systems Thinking Forum.
 



FROM THE FIELD
Rethinking the Mission of High Schools

Many educators today claim that American high schools don't prepare students for employment in jobs that pay competitive wages. Accordingly, some policy experts urge more rigorous high school academic standards; they maintain that students today require a high level of skills and knowledge, whether they plan to enter the workforce after graduation or pursue post-secondary education. Others disagree, arguing that rising college dropout rates indicate that some teenagers might be better served by apprenticeship or vocational programs.

Exacerbating this problem is a lack of alignment between secondary and higher education standards. High schools generally gear exit exams to 9th- and 10th-grade skill levels; meanwhile, college entrance exams, such as SATs or ACTs, focus on general knowledge not necessarily tied to high school curricula. Many students realize too late that they are unprepared to succeed in college; to catch up, they end up taking longer than four years to receive a bachelor's degree. Similarly, their peers who head straight for the workplace often find themselves unqualified for anything but low-paying entry-level positions.

Reformers advocate rethinking the mission of high schools so that kids—and employers—feel that secondary education is relevant to today's challenges. They suggest making schools smaller so staff members really get to know students; connecting school activities with the developmental realities of today's adolescents; and redesigning traditional schedules so that students have opportunities to learn outside the classroom—through workplace and volunteer experiences, college courses, travel, and so forth. Ideally, everyone wants to create a seamless educational system that prepares all students to meet higher academic and workforce standards.

Source: Debra Viadero, "Getting Serious About High School," Education Week, April 11, 2001
Readers who wish to discuss this topic are invited to the new Education Roundtable.
 


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