Transcript Team 2001 - A Learning Organization Beginning

Team 2001 - Becoming a
Learning Organization
AGC of Washington
Annual Meeting
January 25, 2001
What is a learning organization?
It is a label describing an organization
with certain critical capabilities to more
effectively achieve meaningful results
by adapting to changes in its
environment.
“In the long run, the only sustainable
source of competitive advantage is your
organization’s ability to learn faster
than the competition.”
Arie De Gues, CEO, Royal Dutch Shell
Why is it important to be one?
 Construction has the second highest failure rate of
all businesses in the world.
 After 15 years of studying Fortune 500 companies,
Royal Dutch Shell concluded that most large,
successful companies don’t live very long.
 Shell conducted in-depth studies of 20 companies
that had lived 200 years or longer.
 Those who do live long, develop the capability to
adapt - TO LEARN.
What are the essential disciplines
of these learning organizations?
Shared Vision
Team Learning
Mental Models
Personal Mastery
Systems Thinking
Shared Vision
 “The discipline of shared vision builds a sense of
commitment in a group by developing the core images
of the future its members seek to create, and the
principles and guiding practices by which they hope
to get there.”
Peter Senge
 It is created through interaction of the individuals.
 Focuses efforts.
 Encourages collaboration.
 This is where AGC is today!!
Team Learning
 “The discipline of team learning enables the
development of collective intelligence beyond the
reach of any individual.”
Peter Senge
 It emphasizes learning together on the job, not
individual learning.
 It enhances the competitive position of the company.
 Empowered individuals, in a team learning
environment, create better results.
 This is what we are doing today.
Mental Models
“In this discipline we examine the
deeply embedded assumptions we make
about how the world is, and notice how
they shape our actions and decisions.”
Peter Senge
AGC works the way it does because of
how we interact and how we think.
Ladder of inference & mental models.
The Ladder of Inference
I take action based
on my beliefs
I adopt beliefs
about the world
I draw conclusions
I make assumptions
based on the meanings
I add personal and
cultural meaning
I select data from
my observations
I observe data and have
experiences
Personal Mastery
 “This is the discipline of continually clarifying and
deepening our personal aspiration, our ability to
create the results we most desire, while
simultaneously increasing our awareness of the
current reality of our situation in order to learn how
our actions affect the world around us.” Peter Senge
 It is usually an individual, lifelong pursuit.
 AGC’s ethics classes are a good example of how we
are currently dabbling with this discipline.
Systems Thinking
 This is what ties all the disciplines together.
 “It is a way of thinking that seeks to find structures
underlying complex situations, enabling us to see the
relationships, the patterns of change and action
required for sustainable improvement.” Peter Senge
 In systems thinking, we resist the tendency to treat
the symptom without looking at how the fix will
impact relationships in the whole system.
 As Task Force 21 finalized its work, systems thinking
is what led us to adopt a community focus to our
central mission and vision.
In summary, so far...
To the extent we can improve our
competency in these five disciplines we
come closer to:
AGC becoming a learning organization, and
Members who participate do the same.
This is important because...
Associations are moving…
From a political model of decision
making,
to a more rational model based on
information and insight.
This is the very foundation of
Knowledge-Based Strategic Governance.
Glenn Tecker, Tecker Consultants, LLC
With Knowledge-based
Strategic Governance...
Who makes the decision is far less
important than
the quality of information
and the insight
on which the decision is made.
Glenn Tecker, Tecker Consultants, LLC
“Strategic thinking is the pursuit of the
right questions; it is not about finding one
answer or many answers; it is about having
sufficient thought to see the realm of the
possibilities and then choosing a path that
we can never know with certainty is the
right answer!!”
Glenn Tecker, Tecker Consultants, LLC
Mega issues and strategic thinking
Issues of strategic importance - cut
across multiple goal areas (systems) or
desired outcomes.
Frame the really large choices and/or
challenges we face as we move (through team
learning) to our (shared) visioned future.
Glenn Tecker, Tecker Consultants, LLC
A few examples:
How will AGC manage and satisfy the
needs of a culturally, geographically and
generationally diverse membership?
How will the industry be structured,
and what will AGC’s niche be?
How will AGC finance its future?
How can we develop effective
partnerships with other organizations?
Four “illuminating” questions when
dealing with mega issues:
 What do we know about our customers’ needs, wants
and preferences that is relevant to this issue?
 What do we know about the capacity and the
strategic position of AGC that is relevant to this
issue?
 What do we know about the current realities and
evolving dynamics of our industry that is relevant to
this issue?
 What are the ethical implications of our choices?
Glenn Tecker, Tecker Consultants, LLC
Skillful Discussion
A method of making decisions - mindfully.
Proper examination of mega issues requires
new skills in group work.
The four “illuminating” questions require
exploration of ideas and assumptions on the
way to making decisions.
Traditional debate and discussion don’t
usually lead to knowledge-based decisions.
The continuum of group
discussion.
 The primary difference between dialogue and skillful
discussion involves intent.
 Dialogue: Explore, discover, gain insight or
understanding.
 Skillful discussion: Closure, agreement, decision, etc.
Raw
Debate
Polite
Discussion
Skillful
Discussion
Dialogue
The five protocols of skillful
discussion.
Pay attention to your intentions.
What do I want from this conversation?
Am I willing to be influenced?
Balance advocacy with inquiry.
What led you to that view?
What do you mean by that?
Build shared meaning.
When we use the term ___ what do we mean?
The five protocols of skillful
discussion.
Use self-awareness as a resource.
What am I thinking?
What am I feeling?
What do I want at this moment?
Explore impasses.
What do we agree on and what do we
disagree on?
Today’s mega questions:
How will AGC maintain relevancy, loyalty and
commitment in the face of unclear,
inconsistent member value perceptions?
How can the AGC effectively recruit and
sustain continuous membership growth?
How will AGC support recommendations
developed by the Blue Ribbon Commission on
Transportation?
Today’s assignment:
Practicing skillful discussion and using the
four “illuminating” questions, examine
today’s mega questions.
Come to some agreement or conclusions
that we can actually use - even if it is
simply agreement on research.
You have until 4:00 p.m.
Room assignments:
Group 1: Bill Alexander, Room 430
Group 2: Ellen Alexander, Aspen Room
Group 3: Philo Hall, Room 418
Group 4: Lauren Gubbe, Aspen Room
Group 5: Bob Adams, Room 428
Group 6: Jerry Dinndorf, Room 420
Return to Aspen promptly at 4:00 p.m.
Where we go from here:
March 12 - Working in teams;
Knowledge-Based Strategic Governance.
May 14 - Mental models.
June ? - Personal mastery and systems
thinking. Full day retreat.
Who: Board of Trustees, Committee
Chairs and Department Heads.
Mega question:
How will AGC maintain
relevancy, loyalty and
commitment in the face of
unclear, inconsistent member
value perceptions?
Mega question:
How can the AGC
effectively recruit and
sustain continuous
membership growth?
Mega question:
How will the AGC support
recommendations
developed by the blue
Ribbon Commission on
Transportation?