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June 21, 2005 Issue 63



"A system of education is not one thing, nor does it have a single definite object, nor is it a mere matter of schools. Education is that whole system of human training within and without the schoolhouse walls, which molds and develops us."
—James Baldwin

"I came to believe . . . that it is vital to transform the world by changing the way people treat each other, and by modeling that kind of changed behavior ourselves."
—Anne Firth Murray

greenbiz.com


REMINDER! Special Offer for New Pegasus Video

One on One with Dennis Meadows: Growth on a Finite Planet

Order the video through July 31 and save almost 30%

 More than 30 years ago, systems dynamicist Dennis Meadows and his team began to examine the consequences of growth on a finite planet, using an understanding of complex systems, sophisticated computer modeling, and timely data. The video's clear explanations of the dynamics of growth and sustainable development make it a unique resource for businesses, classrooms, and nonprofit organizations.
View clips

Order #VONE003D, DVD Video (NTSC), 47 minutes, color, $125.00 (regularly $175.00)

Summer 2005 Pegasus Catalog Now Available


Download a copy of the new catalog

New products this season include:
• Listening to the Volcano: Conversations That Open Our Minds to New Possibilities, a new book in the Learning Fable series by David Hutchens and Bobby Gombert
• One on One with Dennis Meadows, a new video by Pegasus Communications
• The Systems Thinker CD-Rom, Vols. 10–15
Specials this summer include:
• Learning Packages
• Pocket Guides Set
• Innovations in Management Series Set


Explore Books and Resources by Daniel H. Kim

Organizing for Learning: Strategies for Knowledge Creation and Enduring Change
The most important challenge for organizations is to develop the capacity for continuous learning—that is, to go beyond managing existing knowledge to creating new knowledge. Accomplishing this requires that we not only think differently, but also frame problems in whole new ways. This collection of lead articles from The Systems Thinker opens a new dimension of insight into dilemmas that confound many organizations.
Order #OL017r, softcover, 112 pages, illustrated, $24.95

Systems Archetypes SET with 2 Pocket Guides Includes Systems Archetypes I, II, and III, and 2 laminated archetype pocket guides:

• Systems Archetypes I: Diagnosing Systemic Issues and Designing High-Leverage Interventions helps you understand the structure and story line of each of the archetypes—those "common stories" in systems thinking and outlines ways to use each archetype to address your own business issues.
• Systems Archetypes II: Using Systems Archetypes to Take Effective Action shows you how to use the archetypes for diagnosing a problem, planning high-leverage interventions, and constructing theories about the roots of stubborn organizational problems.
• Systems Archetypes III: Understanding Patterns of Behavior and Delay takes a deeper look at the "signature" patterns of behavior associated with each systems archetype, how the associated behavior plays out over time, and the special role that delays play in the archetype's story line.
• Systems Archetypes at a Glance Pocket Guide includes a review of the eight basic systems archetypes, providing a causal loop template for each; a general description of each structure; and brief, bulleted tips for detecting and managing the unique dynamics that each archetype generates.
• A Pocket Guide to Using the Archetypes outlines a 10-step process for drawing effective causal loop diagrams. Every tip is accompanied by examples and an accessible diagram.

Order #TR002, 3 softcover, two 5.5 x 8.5 laminated guides, $49.00

Leading Ethically Through Foresight
In this article Daniel H. Kim shows how ethical failures—such as those that brought down Enron and WorldCom—often result from the failure to foresee future events and take the right actions when it is still possible to do. For this reason, foresight is both an ethical responsibility and a business imperative for leaders today. Daniel describes the importance of values, purpose, and vision in guiding people's choices and producing predictable outcomes even in turbulent times.
Order #130701, PDF article, 5 pages, $6.00

Additional books and resources by Daniel H. Kim


• Contact us at Pegasus Communications, One Moody Street, Waltham, MA 02453-5339. Send an e-mail to info@pegasuscom.com, or call 781-398-9700. Web site: http://www.pegasuscom.com.
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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.
 


FACE TO FACE
Keeping Organizations Vibrant and Alive: An Interview with Daniel H. Kim
PEGASUS CONFERENCE CORNER
Take Advantage of Pre-Conference Sessions
Register by July 1 to Save $500
LEARNING LINKS
Make the Commitment to Be a Learning Organization
 



FACE TO FACE
 Keeping Organizations Vibrant and Alive: An Interview with Daniel H. Kim
by Janice Molloy

Daniel H. Kim is a renowned organizational consultant, management thinker, facilitator, teacher, and public speaker committed to helping problem-solving organizations transform into learning organizations. We are delighted that he will be sharing his passion and expertise in a keynote presentation at the 2005 Pegasus Conference, Embracing Interdependence: Effective and Responsible Action in Our Organizations and the World (learn more). In the following interview, Daniel talks about the importance to organizations of maintaining a strong sense of purpose supported by a clear set of core values-and the dangers that await those that fail to do so.

What does it take for organizations to continually renew themselves and remain vibrant and alive? As a consultant, Daniel H. Kim has spent much of his career addressing this question. In his work with companies, governmental agencies, educators' groups, and nonprofits around the world, he has witnessed organizations that have been able to succeed and stay at the top of their game through many generations of leaders, as well as those that have atrophied and died. What accounts for the difference? According to Daniel, "Too often, organizations become driven by individual egos or greed, rather than by organizational purpose. That's always dangerous."

For many of us, purpose seems like an abstraction, an elegantly worded phrase that sounds inspiring as part of a mission statement but that has no practical effect on our day-to-day activities. Nevertheless, a true sense of purpose—supported by a clear set of core values—is vital to ensuring that everyone knows the organization's overall reason for being and the principles that guide all actions. The resulting sense of alignment leads people to work together for the good of the whole and to make wise decisions when faced with tough choices.

Organizational Parasites
 When a sense of direction and guidance are missing, enterprises can quickly fall prey to what Kim refers to as "organizational parasites," a term originally coined by Arie de Geus. Daniel explains, "An organizational parasite is a person who joins an organization and holds their own agenda or purpose primary and that of the organization secondary. It's not that we can't and shouldn't have our own personal purpose, but it has to come second to the organization's. The organizational parasite enters an organization from the perspective of 'What can I get from this host?'"

Continue reading the complete interview

Learn more about the 2005 Pegasus Conference

Explore books and resources by Daniel H. Kim
 



PEGASUS CONFERENCE CORNER
 15th Annual Pegasus Conference
Embracing Interdependence: Effective and Responsible Action in Our Organizations and the World
San Francisco, California, November 14–16, 2005

Take Advantage of Pre-Conference Sessions
 Customize and deepen your learning by including pre-conference sessions in your conference schedule:

PC01 Preparing to Learn: Launching the After Action Review Cycle
Marilyn Darling and Mark Pires, Signet Consulting Group
Learn about the After Action Review Cycle as practiced in the U.S. Army, and take away tools for raising the level of learning in your own organization.

PC02 Leading Strategic Conversations: A Key Business Imperative
David Isaacs, Clearing Communications
Learn and practice World Café design principles for leading strategic conversations, and plan how you will introduce these practices in your professional setting.

PC03 Human Dynamics: Understanding People As Whole Systems
Sandra Seagal and David Horne, Human Dynamics International
 Learn about the inherent distinctions in people's communication processes, and examine the implications for successful team functioning in your organization.

PC04 Leading Systemic Change: The Art of Being, Thinking, and Acting Systemically
David Peter Stroh, Bridgeway Partners, and Michael Goodman, Innovation Associates Organizational Learning
Learn a process for engaging diverse stakeholders while experiencing the importance of leading with curiosity, clarity, compassion, commitment, and courage.

Each session will be held on Sunday, November 13, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Each session costs $895.00.

Teams of 4 or more that register for any combination of sessions can take $125 off the price per person per session. Register on our web site, or call Carrie at 1-781-398-9700.

Download a copy of the brochure for the 2005 Pegasus Conference. Find out about the exciting sessions and dynamic presenters, along with the many learning opportunities designed to build your skills and give you the inspiration to face the challenges that lie ahead.

Register by July 1 to Save $500
Register through July 1 for only $1095 (a $500 savings!). Also, get a special subscription price for The Systems Thinker Newsletter—only $89 for a one-year subscription when you register (regularly $109). Register on our web site, or call 1-800-272-0945. For teams, take advantage of additional discounts by calling Carrie at 1-781-398-9700.

 



LEARNING LINKS
Make the Commitment to Be a Learning Organization
 by Ken Blanchard

To me, the three most important aspects that contribute to an effective learning environment are openness, recall, and objectivity.

Openness
When there is institutionalized acceptance of "openness," bringing up questions is encouraged. An individual can express concerns without fear of retribution; hidden agendas do not exist; and people say the same things in a business meeting that they would after work. Managers encourage and pick up on suggestions made by employees—often championing other people's ideas through to completion.

Recall
A learning organization regularly recalls and builds upon what it already knows. In our company, we systemically capture learning situations as they occur and then document them as widely as is necessary. Thus, when we reach consensus on an issue in a meeting, we record it in the minutes with its relevant rationale, make sure those not attending get a copy, and, if the decisions pertain to the entire organization, summarize them in the company's newsletter.

Objectivity
Being objective means seeking the best answer to a question based on available data, logic, and pre-established criteria. In our company, we clarify our purpose and then imagine what a good solution would look like. Next, we ask a set of questions to better focus on the best overall solution, including:

• What are we excited about?
• What are we nervous about?
• What is likely to go wrong?
• How could we make it work?

By viewing ourselves as a learning laboratory, we constantly have experiments in progress. The value is that we're constantly thriving to innovate, continually refining our products and services, and applying knowledge in new ways to develop people and organizations.

Read the complete article on which this summary is based, or see LEVERAGE, No. 9 (May 11, 1998)
Subscribe to The Systems Thinker® Newsletter

Explore resources on Organizational Learning
 



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