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Articles
We have below listed some interesting articles. The list provides a link to a precis of the article and then onto the article itself. We hope you enjoy browsing the thoughts expressed. We are very keen for members and others to enter articles in this section - so please do submit your contributions and links to Gordon Hall e-mail: g.hall@dln.org.uk
Managing the White Space by Frank Voehl This is a contribution to the Deming Electronic network. Where Frank in his words considers that - " In my experience, the white space has always been where the action is." That is the space between tasks and between functions - in the area of communication and in team work. Cosmos and Taxis - Managed and Self Managed Systems by Carlos Mendez Another contribution to The Deming Electronic Network - Contrary to Deming's view that systems must be managed Carlos develops the thought that some systems are self managing relative to abstract norms. Managing Chaos and Complexity by Jamshid Gharajedaghi (1999) David McAra's introduction to the article: What intrigues me about these ideas is that the mechanical systems view of the world was quite sufficient to get me through the first 35 years of my life, including two engineering degrees and five different jobs. It took quite a bit of shaking to wake me up to the idea that the explanation I offered to myself of how the world works was not complete. A number of those who tried to help me see the gaps were dismissed as foolish. Having finally seen some gaps in my world view I am now more willing and able to look for more. Our challenge as champions of change is that many people are still wholly satisfied with the mechanical systems view of the world and are not looking for gaps. Problem with StandardsBy Gordon Hall - Published in Quality World September 2001 To achieve a defined objective, such as 'quality' we have designed a system that includes:
This system has broad-based acceptance. It is used in quality (ISO 9000) Training (IiP) Environment (ISO 14001) Business Excellence (EFQM) etc etc. It is also used with a vengeance by the present government. In their commendable desire to modernise Britain it is flooding the public sector with regulation, standards, targets etc. But is this a sound system? What if it is detrimental to progress and our investment in these standards for the past 20 years has been a digression and a massive waste of time and money? Do we have to think again? - Learning in the Context of the Organisation by David McAra, Tony Miller and Gordon Hall We look at learning under three headings:
Organisations move forward only when all three aspects of learning are addressed. Resistance to Change By David Kerridge David's paper proposes that our resistance to change is rooted in how we see the world. He identifies three scientific approaches .
These three views of science correspond to different stages of our development. If our thinking is still Logical/Mathematical then we find predictive thinking uncomfortable The proposition is that there are four levels of learning/improvement:
These four levels are interdependent. The high level considerations of culture determine the systems which determine the processes which influence the scope for individual learning. And, of course, each element influences the others - learning is holistic. What is This Thing Called Science by Dr Tony Miller From the work of A F Chalmers, Tony summarises various perceptions of science and the pursuit of Knowledge.
by John Raven John's article follows the G8 conference on the summer of 2005 and also the "Alternative Summit"activities in Edinburgh. He expresses disappoint at the progress in thinking evident at these events and then goes on to discuss the challenges that face us in context of creating a learning society. A society that learns without anyone involved having to know very much. A thought provoking article.
by Barry Mapp Barry differentiates between compliance and creation companies. Compliance companies restrict development by the maintenance of the status quo and its emphasis on supervision "control." Creation companies have their thinking more in sympathy with the actual positive commitment and motivation of the vast majority of employees. This article opens the door to a comparison between old and new psychological thought. The old behaviorist models developed from studying stressed out starving animals to modern psychology which has evolved from the study of healthy and positive humans. A very interesting read
Back to the Future at Ford by Larry Smith Larry recounts that at Ford after Deming's involvement in the 1980s they "moved on" into such areas as The Global Economy and the development of Niche Markets/Acquisitions. They now find themselves having to go back to the thinking that Deming espoused such as people and knowledge, teamwork, processes and systems thinking plus variation reduction. - and achieving significant improvements including a 27% reduction in warranty expenses How is your Leadership Changing by Margaret Wheatley Margaret's opening paragraph is - I'm sad to report that in the past few years, ever since uncertainty became our insistent 21st century companion, leadership has taken a great leap backwards to the familiar territory of command and control. Some of this was to be expected, because humans usually default to the known when confronted with the unknown. Some of it was a surprise, because so many organizations had focused on innovation, quality, learning organizations, and human motivation. How did they fail to learn that whenever you impose control on people and situations, you only succeed in turning people into non-creative, shut-down and cynical workers? This paper is an extract from her latest book Finding Our Way - Leadership in an uncertain time - an excellent read
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