Inspired by Sherri Malouf's post on the above, the following objects
are coded using further fictitious scenario and analysis of possible
thought structures to illustrate some insights.
These objects are deposited in Internet Knowledge database to
share with larger Internet community.
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Goal: How to have Learning Organisation when emotional abuse of people
is rampant?
Fact: Learning Organisation
Fact: Fear Culture
Fact: Mental Model
Fact: Personal Vision
Fact: Personal Mastery
Fact: Empowerment
Symptom: Business organisations focus on profit and monetary bottom
line.
Symptom: These companies use fear from top management down to satisfy
money making objectives.
Symptom: A new CEO, in charge of 15 different divisions, came on board
and decided to do Jack Welch style management -- Management by
Objectives.
Symptom: All the Presidents were asked to come up with revenue targets
for the following year.
Symptom: All the Presidents were pushed to set outrageous targets.
Symptom: None of the Presidents achieved these targets -- many
exceeded the previous years earnings. At least 6 were fired -- even
those that had exceeded the previous year.
Symptom: A manufacturing plant that supplies the auto industry.
Symptom: The people who get promoted are those who yell loudly at the
line workers and threaten them.- a case of Management by bullying.
Symptom: Many examples of this kind of emotional abuse of people. All
of these people would benefit from learning organisations.
Symptom: But how can a learning organisation thrive in a
fear-dominated environment? I don't think it can unless all on board
are prepared to dive in head first.
Symptom: One other thought -- it seems that learning organisations
will only really work when humanity as a whole becomes emotionally
healthier and gentler.
Symptom: And it may be a chicken and egg type of syndrome because I
believe unhealthy systems create unhealthy behaviours....
Cause: Mental Model of powerlessness and helplessness
Cause: Vicious thinking paradigm - hopeless situation, unless a
condition, but not possible - leading to no creative action.
Cause: The disciplines, theory and principles of Learning Organisation
not well understood.
Fix: What are described are organisation symptoms. The mental model
involved also deal on the symptoms without a larger personal vision.
Hence no structural tension is created between the "vision" and
reality (symptoms).
Fix: Expression of "unless all on board are prepared to dive in head
first", "when humanity as a whole becomes emotionally healthier and
gentler" etc. are more of a wish list, not Vision that can lead to
Personal Mastery.
Fix: Beneath the symptoms, there are pattern to be discovered.
Underneath pattern, is the underlying structures. At the bottom of the
iceberg, is the human values / principles which are universal. These
universal human values and principles are the leveraging areas where
profound and effective change could be triggered.
Fix: With good understanding of these systemic forces, by practising
the disciplines of Learning Organisation, powerlessness and helpless
can be transformed to empowerment and creation of a desired reality.
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Goal: Which level of the organisation can overcome unlearning
organisation?
Fact: Learning Organisation
Fact: Fear Culture
Fact: Mental Model
Fact: Personal Vision
Fact: Personal Mastery
Fact: Empowerment
Symptom: Business organisations focus on profit and monetary bottom
line.
Symptom: These companies use fear from top management down to satisfy
money making objectives.
Symptom: A new CEO, in charge of 15 different divisions, came on board
and decided to do Jack Welch style management -- Management by
Objectives.
Symptom: All the Presidents were asked to come up with revenue targets
for the following year.
Symptom: All the Presidents were pushed to set outrageous targets.
Symptom: None of the Presidents achieved these targets -- many
exceeded the previous years earnings. At least 6 were fired -- even
those that had exceeded the previous year.
Symptom: A manufacturing plant that supplies the auto industry.
Symptom: The people who get promoted are those who yell loudly at the
line workers and threaten them.- a case of Management by bullying.
Symptom: With fear culture, middle management decides how to manage
downwards: - simply mimic the way they are managed.
Symptom: But middle management can choose if they are aware enough -
people making learning organisation choices.
Symptom: Middle management can influence upwardly --- and in many
cases these people will be in favour of it -- if it has a positive
impact on perception and the bottom line.
Symptom: Or middle management can use fear, then politics tend to be
more rampant as the leadership tends to be weaker.
Cause: Mental Model of powerlessness and helplessness except (maybe)
the middle management.
Cause: The disciplines, theory and principles of Learning Organisation
not well understood.
Fix: What are described are organisation symptoms. The mental model
involved also deal on the symptoms without a larger personal vision.
Hence no structural tension is created between the "vision" and
reality (symptoms).
Fix: Focus on the middle management as a possible group of change
agents imply hopelessness on the upper management and powerlessness on
the shopfloor staff.
Fix: Beneath the symptoms, there are pattern to be discovered.
Underneath pattern, is the underlying structures. At the bottom of the
iceberg, is the human values / principles which are universal. These
universal human values and principles are the leveraging areas where
profound and effective change could be triggered.
Fix: Leveraging on the human values and principles need not be
confined to the middle management, thus restricting the avenues of
opportunities. People at all levels, upper, middle and lower are all
trapped in the symptomatic forces. Hence it is not necessary that only
middle management is more liberated than others.
Fix: With good understanding of these systemic forces, by practising
the disciplines of Learning Organisation, powerlessness and helpless
can be transformed to empowerment and creation of a desired reality by
any level of the organisation.