Responding to Louise Toucher's post :
Use of Object coding is again employed to illustrate some new ideas /
insights and it will be deposited in Internet Knowledge database
(Outsights http://www.outsights.com) to share with the Internet
community.
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Goal: Need some ideas on how to move forward from budget problem
towards the organisation goal within short time frame.
Fix: Learning Organisation
Fix: Mental Model
Fix: Shared Vision
Fix: Team Learning
Fix: System Thinking
Fix: Personal Mastery
Fix: Creativity
Symptom: "KwaZulu Natal Nature Conservation Service" is a non-profit
making organization which has been recently formed from two previous
organizations.
Symptom: The organization has 4000+ employees.
Symptom: I am responsible for the Strategic Planning Cycle and
accountable for the supporting information and systems for KwaZulu
Natal Nature Conservation Service.
Symptom: I report directly to the deputy chief executive / chief
executive team and am a member of the executive management team.
Symptom: The organization has a Board.
Symptom: It is a parastatal meaning that it is partially funded by the
state but also generates income for itself (through tourism amongst
other things).
Symptom: The organization manages some of the most diverse (beach to
mountain) and beautiful game parks, forests, mountains and coast in
the world.
Symptom: The two previous organizations rescued the white rhino from
extinction amongst many other things.
Symptom: The challenge that we as an organization have is that we have
only just come together, the new Board took office and met for the
first time in late July (new vision and mission required)
Symptom: The two previous organizations had a large cut in their state
subsidy and we have less than half a year left in which to steady and
ready the organization for the very likely scenario of another budget
cut.
Symptom: At this stage due to the amalgamation and the budget cut an
unusually high percentage of our total budget is being spent on staff
salaries leaving too little to operate effectively.
Symptom: The organization has a tremendous senior management team ("I
am a new kid on the block - (2 years)") who very successfully blend
diverse personalities, diverse skills and strengths to move forward.
Symptom: This team is committed and shares the essence of the same
mission and vision even though it is made up of people from the two
previous organizations.
Symptom: The board is new and is still settling in.
Symptom: We have prepared background information on the essence of the
previous organizations, and some performance measures and standards
for the dimensions for the new Board i.e.: biodiversity e.g. % change
in land under conservation in KZN change in status of endangered
species customer finance community (fostering nature conservation
value in society - which includes co-defining nature conservation
value) internal (includes family spirit of the organization)
innovation and learning
Symptom: We believe that this will assist the Board and the Executive
to understand and share a vision for the future.
Cause: Assumptions of commitment of all parties concerned imply
[Shared Vision] by all, but still need to bring the Board on board.
Cause: Operational aspects of the grand vision / mission is confined
to inner management of "given" resources", which depend to a large
extent from external fund.
Cause: Lack of practice on the discipline of [System Thinking]
Fix: From the description, there is the [Shared Vision] that creates
the structural tension with the team members, with some more homework
required to influence the new Board. The enthusiasm and commitment
among team members and staff imply [Personal Mastery] and [Team
Learning], but the [Mental Model] somehow takes for granted the main
source of fuel or fund to the organisational engine, i.e. fund from
outside sources. Hence little creativity is on generation of own fund
all these years. The [Shared Vision] e.g. protection of wildlife and
nature etc. does not include another contributing factor like source
of fund.
Fix: Good practice of [System Thinking] will include source of fund as
an important element on the overall interacting forces towards the
[Shared Vision].
Fix: A well to do family can have good [Shared Vision] among members,
commitment, love and loyalty, i.e. all the good attributes of [Team
Learning] etc. The day the key bread earner is disabled, the family
collapses. Whereas another not so well to do family, constantly
prepares members with dynamic [Mental Model] for eventualities,
understanding various interacting factors that make or break the
family bond, (essence of [System Thinking]), strive well in the worst
adversity.
Fix: It is never too late to further re-examine the [Mental Model] for
"KwaZulu Natal Nature Conservation Service" organisation, thereby
creating a new source of energy, coupled with the proven [Shared
Vision] to chart a new course with creativity thinking and action
implementation.
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Regards
Andrew Wong
Organisation Observer and Thinker
Personal Coach & Organisation Coach
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5621
An associate of Outsights
http://www.outsights.com
--andreww@petronas.com.my (Andrew Wong Hee Sing)
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>