Being new to the list I have been asked to introduce myself - I am not
very familiar with the concept learning organisations (I hear about it
everywhere) but coincidently today I bought the Fifth Discipline Fieldbook
(looks incredible) and tonight I came across the subscibe info for this
mailing-list!
I am a self-employed OD practitioner (ie. I find it difficult to define
what I actually do), living in Cape Town, South Africa, specialising in
the design, facilitation and organisation of participative processes and
events, particularly those which are catalysts for organisational
transformation. My experience has been in high school teaching and then
working, since 1985, in a variety of roles (more recently in staff
development and OD) within the Adult Education Non-Governmental
Organisation sector in South Africa, linked to the anti-Apartheid
struggle.
I have a particular interest in the design of processes that do not
require expert facilitators (like Open Space Technology) and to this end I
have recently been engaging with the concept of "dialogue" and a pathology
of organisational events, through a very rough paper I have just completed
entitled: "Exploring the elements and essences of participative processes
in organisations - opening personal and collective spaces and the mystery
of facilitation." If anyone is interested I will gladly send a copy and
hope that I receive some good feedback. (I will be away for 2 weeks - but
will respond promptly on return)
I am presently involved in designing and organising a 3-day "Summer
School" for 80 teacher-leaders from 12 schools in the Southern Cape as a
transformational leadership experience and in an attempt to synergise them
all into a learning network for staff and organisational development - the
schools range from black rural township (90 to 130 children in each class)
to coloured (40 in a class) to white afrikaans (30 in a class). We are
using the concept "Whole School Development" which is partly based on
Systems Theory (Thinking?) as the framework for development. We are also
hoping to develop a model process for developing learning networks (is
Ivan Illich still alive?) and for bringing together schools that used to
be in different, racial Education Departments - ie trying to build a
single Department from below to complement the efforts from above. I
would dearly appreciate advice or accounts of similar experiences.
I am looking forward to deep dialogue...warm regards
Doug Reeler
Doug Reeler - dreeler@iaccess.za