RE: The Learning Organization Structure

Rahamim (rahamim@pond.stanford.edu)
14 Nov 1994 16:25:37 -0800

What struck me after reading the earlier comments of this whole thread (a
part of it is below) is the truth to the 3 level paradigm. It shows up every
where! Just to take us off track - in systems development we have the
client, the serverf and the middle ware that connects them. Anyway I also
wanted to reference a book, "Managing Transitions" by William Bridges. His
three pieces are the ending, the neutral zone and the beginning. He draws
amny parallels (for those who are interested in the Bible) to the wanderings
of the Jews when they left Egypt, wandered in the desert for 40 years until
the new generation had new memories that didn't include the slave mentality
(the old way), and then the beginning when they crossed over into Israel.

Interesting parallels in life......

Sarah Rahamim
rahamim@pond.stanford.edu
My own opinions......
_______________________________________________________________________________
From: learning-org@world.std.com on Mon, Nov 14, 1994 9:06 AM
Subject: Re: The Learning Organization Structure
To: learning-org@world.std.com

>
> I think "unlearning" is both a process of breaking with the past,
> discarding the rituals and hymnals of the past, and creating a useful
> transition in behaviours and expectations to the new condition. Without
> such a transition and without it being successfully achieved (very rare
> in my experience) you have in organizations pockets of old practices,
> sometimes reflecting multiple previous experiences with attempts at
> change, each of which is operative influential in its own microsphere.
> Mikeg

This comment reminded me of something I once read about religion. It
seems that people often discard the religion of their youth as they become
adults. But if they don't replace it with a new set of religious
practices, when some crisis occurs, they will invariably revert to the
practices of their childhood.

I think the concentration / effort required to establish a complete set
of new rituals in the corporate environment is often underestimated.

Perhaps that is good.. for without the underestimation, maybe no one
would _try_ to change!

BTW, a bit of personal opinion. A learning organization must be made of
learning people. We know precious little about how to motivate learning
in individuals. We can lead a horse to water, but we can't make it drink.

Of course I'm willing to change my opinion... :-)

-- kcby
KC Burgess Yakemovic
Group Performance Systems Inc. phone / fax: 404-395-0282
4776 Village North Court email : kcby@netcom.com
Atlanta GA 30338 USA