Keith, it's a wonderful beginning. In particular because it IS a
beginning. To escpae the dilemma you point at - organisation as
having something to do with charts, boxes, etc - we are going to have
to see organisation as something far outside of the representations
we are used to.
I don't think the characteristics you mention go
very far toward suggesting organisation - although I do think that
some organisation will be more consistent with those characteristics
than others.
What organises (ie. coordinates, relates, maintains patterns) human
action between independent agents? What is the organisation of a
marketplace? What is the organisation of a community? What is the
organisation of a flower, an ant colony, a rain forest? These are
are similar questions that are aiming at the general area of my
question, "What is the organisation of a learning organisation?"
You say "many organisations function effectively in spite of their
organisation charts." Absolutely. In fact, nothing functions
because of, or as a result of, its organisation "chart". Understanding
the organisation of something helps to work with it. It does not
"make it work" in any sense.
What is the organisation of action, communication, whatever you would
say is being organised that has it work "in spite of its organisation
chart."
Michael McMaster : Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk
book cafe site : http://www.vision-nest.com/BTBookCafe
Intelligence is the underlying organisational principle
of the universe. Heraclitus
--Michael McMaster <Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>