DLN Services Available

to

Create a Learning Organisation

 

Aim

The creation of systems, and an environment, in which the organisation is continually learning and improving; and for this to feed through to bottom line criteria.

 

The Services are described in context of the five stages in creating a learning organisation.

  1. Challenging our Thinking: The recognition that our thinking determines our actions.
  2. “Hearts & Minds” of Senior Managers
  3. The Operational Systems: Identifying and recording the operational systems of the company
  4. Performance Measurement: The design and analysis of a non-financial measurement system.
  5. Learning System: The design of a learning system that engages the creativity and innovation of staff.

 

Investment

Securing progress obviously requires investment, and the predominant investment in context of creating a learning organisation is going to be the valuable time of the managers and senior executives. The investment of senior executive time will have a major bearing on the success of the project.

 

We recommend therefore that the starting point is to consider the areas of the business that are going to be addressed along with the executive time that is going to be made available to the project.

 

DLN Role: The role of the DLN is to provide a learning environment with a mixture of peer learning, training courses, assistance with projects and links to the wider community. It aims to provide access to a wide range of learning environments so that each organisation can plot its own course. The DLN can provide assistance with the design of the programme.

 

Cost: The majority of the activities are covered by membership of the DLN. Other costs such as the training courses, research and conferences do carry additional costs that vary relative to the application and the project plan. Services with additional costs are identified in the following list of services.  As we mention above the main cost is in terms of executive time.

 

In a separate paper The DLN provides a range of sample implementation programmes, with costs, as guidance.

 

Programme Manager: While we all prefer a sequential and ordered implementation programme, reality reflects that learning is cyclical. We are taught a concept, but learn by doing, which allows us to deepen the understanding of the concept, etc. We therefore recommend that the organisation appoint a member of staff who has responsibility for managing the above process. The Staff member should have the authority to be able to challenge the conceptual thinking of the leaders of the organisation.

 

Services in context of the five stages of creating a Learning Organisation

 

1. Challenging our Thinking

Our actions are determined by how we think, so our first task is to identify the basis of our thinking – our underpinning theoretical assumptions.

 

We also recommend that the organisation should be seen as having its own way working that is based on theoretical assumptions that may be quite different from that of the individual executive.

 

Challenging the management paradigms of the individual and the organisation is not easy.

 

Services Available

  • Learning Groups: the membership of the DLN provides access to a range of various learning groups. The CEO group, Safety group, New Economics, People Matter, The Data Club, The Systems group, The Learning Systems group.
  •  The NetatWork group: This group has a public sector focus. It will evolve into a range of activities similar to the above learning groups.
  • “Best Practice” workshops where we provide the opportunity to hear presentations of modern thinking aligned with case studies. Examples in 2004 included Ann Gillies from W L Gore on the company’s unique management style and Billy O’Neill on the development of learning skills as opposed to traditional education that simply fills students with information.
  • Introductory Workshop: A two hour workshop for each member organisation comparing traditional and modern thinking.
  • Research: The DLN will research the existing foundations or theories of an organisation through listening to staff, through consideration of structures and methods in use plus the data collected and how it is analysed. The outcome is a report plus recommendations (Additional Cost)
  • Training Course – Opening Our Minds to New Possibilities – The course addresses the basis of knowledge so that we can free ourselves from past misconceptions, a belief in people and their potential, systems thinking, performance measurement and analysis, the development of learning systems, and the development of personal disciplines of leadership. (Additional Cost)
  • Annual Conferences – Society in Sync: An annual conference where we bring together the considerable knowledge we have here in Scotland, plus what is available internationally.
  • Web Page: The web page has a range of articles and links. In particular it provides:
    • A description of “The Challenge”
    • Principles or Theories which leads onto:
      • A link to an article on “The Crux of the Challenge”
      • A Link to an article comparing modern and traditional thinking
    • Modern Methods
    • A Self Assessment Tool
    • It also keeps members up to date in context of current activities
    • Etc
  •  Videos  - available for loan
    • Alfie Kohn  on Why Performance Based Pay Cannot Work
    • Anna Maravelas on Anticipating and Addressing conflict inherent in transformation
    • Mindwalk – a video on holistic thinking
    • Peter Senge on addressing the immediate at the expense of the long term.
    • Tony Buzan on Mindmapping
  • Audio Tapes – available for loan
    • Dr Eidlman on the basis of knowledge - Convergent and Divergent thinking
    • Alfie Kohn – Quality as democracy – towards a participative workplace
    • Myron Tribus – Germ Theory of Management - revisited
  • Bibliography: Recommendations as to the books that provide the source information
              

2. Hearts and Minds of Leaders or Influencers.

It is imperative that the thinking of those who have an influence on any change programme have a commitment to adopting new principles.

 

  • Hearts & Minds Workshop: In context of individual organisations, the DLN would facilitate workshops, adapted to suit individual needs, with the leaders of the organisation, including the board, where the nature of the change is anticipated and fully discussed. The purpose of the workshop is to garner across the board commitment to the whole change process, and to develop a “go forward” plan. (Additional Cost)
  • Bi-monthly Strategic meetings: The DLN would provide a facilitator to meet with senior executives bi-monthly to review concepts and project progress. (Additional Cost)
  • The Wider Context: Invariably there are influences out with the particular organisation. The public sector for example is influenced by politicians, The Scottish Executive and the media. (and so are we all) The “Safety” culture in the oil industry would involve the oil majors, contractors, sub contractors, operatives and legislation. The aim of the DLN is to encourage open and honest conversations across all sectors of society.
 

3. The Systems of the Organisation.

A major element in modern management thinking is the recognition that the system in which we all work is the principal determinant on performance. These systems include operational procedures, recruitment and training policies, data collection systems, our education system, the culture of the organisation can be seen as a system etc. We can have both technical systems and social systems. A primary responsibility of leaders is in the design of these systems. This element addresses the recording and improvement of the systems of the organisation.

 

To record these systems the organisation would need to have acquired a deployment flowmap package. Once the systems are recorded then the task is to study the systems, from the perspective of modern theories, and stage by stage implement improvement.

 

Services Available

  • Advice of the deployment flow packages that are available
  • A 1 day training course on Systems Thinking  - incorporating  the use of deployment flowmapping, rich diagrams, soft systems methodology, dynamic systems archetypes, the concept of delay, etc. (Additional cost)
  • Facilitation and advice in the depicting and analysis of systems.
  • Listening to staff and then recording the actual systems being used by the company or section. The record would be in the format of a deployment flowmap. (Additional Cost)
  • In context of technical systems we can use proprietary methods (Such as ISO 9000) from a systems perspective, using the ISO 9000 model we depict the company’s system in flowmaps, write up a manual and establish a learning systems. The company will be able to progress to ISO 9000 accreditation. The manual and recorded system will be very much more succinct than most comparable established systems.  Other tools such as IIP, ISO 14001 , HSG 65,  First Point Assessment, EFQM can also be addressed in this way. (Additional Cost)
  • The DLN are to form an Applied Systems Learning Group: to exchange knowledge and ideas, with peers, in context of improving systems.
 

4. Performance Measurement and Analysis

In this area we are addressing the analysis of data that allows us to understand our business processes better and monitor the steps we take to improve them. The focus is to measure the performance of the system. Crucially we recognise the existence of variation in the performance of all processes. The science that interprets variation is Statistical Process Control. (SPC) The enterprise will require a software package to help with SPC and in particular with the construction “Control Charts.”

 

Services Available

  • Advice in the Control Chart packages available
  • Training Course: A one day course on Statistical Process Control (Additional Cost)
  • Advice in the interpretation of data: The DLN provide advice and facilitation in the analysis and interpretation of data.
  • The DLN is to form a Data Club Learning Group:  where participants can bring along data, in control chart form, and with the help of their DLN peers, spend time analysing the data and securing "knowledge from the data.”
  • Measurement to reflect the whole operation (non financial) The DLN provides advice on the development of non financial company wide measurement systems. (Additional Cost)

  

5. The Development of a Dynamic Learning System

This element is the driver for continual improvement into the future. It facilitates the capturing of ideas and creativity of everybody in the organisation in driving the organisation forward.

 

Services Provided by the DLN

  • The facilitation of "Quality Improvement Teams” (Additional Cost)
  • Assistance with the design of a Learning System (Additional Cost)
  • One day training course on improvement strategies and methods. The course will include analysis tools such as “cause and effect diagrams, Time Plots, Pareto analysis, etc.  as well as thinking tools such as “The Six Thinking Hats” Brainstorming and the structures for “opportunities search” (Additional Cost)
  • One day course on Dialogue. Listening and understanding across the whole remit of the organisation recognising that “Team Learning” is fundamental to a learning organisation. (Additional Cost)
  • The DLN provides an outside view to facilitate fresh perspectives.
  • The DLN are to form a Learning Systems Group for those members who have responsibility for the learning system within their organisation.

content