First Principles of LO LO11935

DavidCLT@aol.com
Wed, 15 Jan 1997 07:24:06 -0500 (EST)

Replying to LO11832 --

In a message dated 97-01-12 23:10:55 EST, Marilyn Darling writes:

" So we come back to an important question: what IS organizational learning
and how would we know if we saw it happening? "

Dear LO group:

Perhaps the Learning Organization (LO) can be understood as comparable to
all living organisms. Cellular life is biologically defined by six
fundamental characteristics:

Organization, Growth, Movement, Irritability, Metabolism, and Reproduction

When applied to the LO, we can see the fundamental requirements as:

Organization: LOs must have a functional structure
Growth: LOs must grow, or they die
Movement: LOs must be in constant motion
Irritability: LOs must respond to changing market conditions
Reproduction:LOs must replicate efforts and may even create new sub-LOs
Metabolism: LOs must take in raw material or data and create value added
outputs
(and find ways to discharge waste)

In short, just as all six factors must be present for the living cell to
exist and continue, perhaps these are also the requirements for a
successful LO. At a higher multi-cellular level, the LO has a
reinforcement history (early memories), a current operating consciousness
(makes choices), and strives with purpose toward self created goals
(fictive ideals). Just a thought.

Warm regards and have a cellular day! David

David L. Hanson, Ph.D.
Synergistic Psychology Associates, P.A.
Suite 204 Cameron-Brown Building
310 South McDowell Street
Charlotte, NC 28204
DavidCLT@aol.com
Author of the GEMA-Leadership Development 360 Degree instrument
"Contribution Beyond Self-interest"

-- 

DavidCLT@aol.com

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>