I think my self and my company have had a couple successes in using
technology to enable the learning organization. Our use in strategic
business design includes computer modeling with I-think and Extend. Those
tools have produced good team learnings but, little organizational
learnings.
However, In work over the past 12 months, I help architecte and impliment a
set of tools within U S WEST Communications that drastically increase the
ability to build community. These tools allow the informal network to
thrive and grow within a company. These tools are the Internet tools.
With the use of Mosaic, News servers and e-mail, we helped U S WEST create
what they call their Global Village. This grass roots project has a staff
of four people, no real budget and is sponsored by corporate strategy.
This project's purpose is to help people help themselves. We promisse no
miracles, but deliver 21st century communication tools to anyone who asks.
Due to a clear hypothesis on how the systemic structure works inside U S
WEST, our project has achieved expodential growth rates. By the end of 12
months, we expect to have 20,000 users on their internal internet.
The result of this type of communcation enabler is providing tremendous
support to U S WEST's massive change efforts. I think this area of
computer mediated communication is the way in which technology can be a
positive enabler in the creation of learning organizations and communities
of commitment. At least our imperical sample size of two is telling us
this.
Also note, by using public domain software, the end-user software cost of
implementing this solution has been $0 to U S WEST and my company.
I would love to hear if anyone else is experminenting with these tools and
this use of technology in creating a learing organization.
Ryan Martens
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<No Theory, No Learn>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Ryan Martens rmartens@ria.com (BinHex, MIME, Uuencode)
303.292.2495 X-3300 Resource Integration Associates, Inc.
Boulder, CO USA "Strategic Business Architects"