Rick interjected the following comment, with which I agree for I debated
sending the post.
[Host's Note: I debated whether to distribute this msg in which Bill
debates the value of trying to understand the US defense acquisition
system. I am distributing it because I've heard these same arguments about
whether we should try to understand *any* of our complex systems. I
encourage you to read it with an eye for general applicability, not just
about the specific case. ... Rick Karash]
I have some concern about many of the threads on the list because we tend
to discuss LOs, relationships and systemic problems. There is a whole
world of what are LOs to learn about? If learning is simply acquiring
knowledge what is the value? How does an organization accumulate
knowledge and make it useful? If we are a LO to be more effective as an
organization how do we target the learning toward subjects that make us
more effective?
I think that John Warfield's original post discussed some of these
questions. What I suggested (as I was reminded off line) was to establish
a "microworld" in which people from all levels and disciplines in an
organization can learn together about the "system."
It appears to me that one of the consistent themes of this list as we
discuss some of the problems (For instance, state of the schools) is that
its not the individual's or the organizations fault -- its the *system*!
Well, how does a LO tackle learning about the system and the leverage
points by which the system can be changed to a more friendly system?
Building the LO environment is certainly a first step in such a system
study because we have to have representatives from all of the system in
dialog. But it is only a first step. I think that John Warfield was
reaching beyond this first step and wish to hear more extension in these
directions.
By the way, my volunteering to become a member of a microworld, though
said with tongue in cheek, was serious. I think that challenge would be
hard work but fun. Any takers?
Thanks Rick, I'll get off the soap box for a while.
--bhobler@worldnet.att.net Bill Hobler
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>