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January
24, 2001 Issue 8
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LEARNING
LINKS Getting Organized from the Inside Out |
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SHOP
TALK What Techniques Have You Used for Teaching Causal Loop and Stock and Flow Diagrams? and How Can We Collect, Document, and Retrieve Learnings? |
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FROM
THE FIELD Identifying and Relieving Managers' Workplace Stress |
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LEARNING
LINKS Getting Organized from the Inside Out by Marilyn Paul Deciding to change and actually producing change are often two different things, particularly when you're attempting to become more organized. Most people try to "just do it," perhaps by undertaking a massive office clean-up, but they soon fall back into old habits. Systems thinking offers tools for breaking the cycle and effecting lasting change. The image of an iceberg, a classic systems thinking tool, illustrates the importance of understanding the complex structures beneath the surface of a problem. What we can see—events that take place above the "water line," such as losing important phone numbers, arriving late for meetings, and living with lots of clutter—is just a small piece of the iceberg. What lies hidden beneath the surface—the assumptions that we hold about ourselves and our world—shapes our perceptions and influences our behavior. The alternative to "just do it" is to change these hidden structures by using the "CHI" method: examining choices (C), changing habits (H), and deepening insight about our mental models (I). The key to "CHI" (pronounced "chee" and meaning energy in Chinese) is making the connection between our thinking and our habits. As we familiarize ourselves with the thoughts and feelings that accompany how we do things, we can learn to make new choices that can lead to more productive habits. Don't expect a quick fix, but if you persist in learning more about the unspoken assumptions that drive your behavior, you will see real change in your work, home environment, and yourself. Read the complete article online or see LEVERAGE Number 24, December 28, 1998. Readers who wish to discuss this topic are invited to the Leverage Points Discussions Forum. |
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SHOP
TALK What techniques have you used for overcoming the challenges of teaching people to use visual tools like causal loop and stock and flow diagrams? Please take a minute to share your thoughts about this issue in the Systems Thinking Forum. Selected comments will be shared in a future issue of LEVERAGE POINTS. As a member
of a Learning Team, I am challenged with the task of documenting
the new information we are collecting and putting it into retrievable
form. We are experimenting with outlining, hypertext, multiple views,
and key word or key phrase searching using a Lisp language. Is anyone
else thinking about these things? I recently attended
a lecture that covered a world-class process for both capturing
lessons learned, entering them in a huge database, and accessing
them in real time. It is the Army's After Action Review process.
The process is a blend of culture, process, and high technology.
Quite interesting and effective. We could not
solve that puzzle until we redefined everything. First, forget the
technical aspect of methods or approaches. Second, there is no information,
there is only information for some purpose. The basic idea
is that the solution to your challenge is a conceptual one and not
a technical one. The main problem is that most people do not like
this answer at all. "We bought all this expensive software
and now someone comes and tells us to think before acting." There are any
number of ways to go about what you are doing. I would put search
capability and flexibility above looking for the perfect taxonomy
for your data. It seems that whatever our teams or communities learn
must be captured and used with the context as much intact as possible.
I like the After Action Review approach, but it perhaps would be
more useful if accompanied by quotes or interviews with key participants
to capture some of that context. Also, stories and metaphors are
powerful embodiers of context. For example, what about having the
group brainstorm about an image or metaphor that expresses their
team learning? It has that double-loop effect of also getting them
to work as a team. Readers who
wish to view the complete responses to this question or to continue
this discussion are invited to go to the |
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FROM THE FIELD Identifying and Relieving Managers' Workplace Stress A key reason for high levels of stress in the office may surprise some corporate leaders. Long hours and tight deadlines do account for some pressure, but many managers report that impossible expectations place higher on their stress list. Especially in this time of tightening budgets, they are often given responsibility for solving a problem without the resources or authority to do so. This kind of no-win situation is extremely frustrating and demoralizing, particularly for skilled managers used to moving projects forward in a productive and efficient manner. Another major cause of job stress occurs when capable managers are promoted to positions for which they don't have the appropriate skills or that are too removed from the work they enjoy. These individuals frequently end up creating resentment by micromanaging their staff or feeling unfulfilled and leaving the company. Communicating job frustration poses a difficult challenge to many managers who fear their supervisors will perceive them as incompetent or malcontented. But managers usually get the relief they need when they speak up. Identifying and communicating to others the work that does fulfill them often leads to new opportunities within the organization. Supervisors, in turn, can help managers execute their responsibilities by making sure they have the resources and skills they need to achieve success and by visibly supporting challenging projects. Source: "Impossible Expectations and Unfulfilling Work Stress Managers, Too," by Carol Hymowitz, The Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2001. |
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| Copyright 2001 Pegasus Communications. LEVERAGE POINTS can be freely distributed in its entirety, or reproduced or excerpted for another publication with written permission from Pegasus Communications. Contact permissions@pegasuscom.com. | ||||||||||||||||
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Organizing
for Learning: Strategies for Knowledge Creation
and Enduring Change
