Intro -- James Bullock LO12562

James Bullock (jbullock@pipeline.com)
Sun, 09 Feb 1997 20:30:20 -0500

Greetings, to one and all.

Having waded in with some comments on Machiavelli, I probably should
introduce myself.

Bio of sorts

I've been working in the systems/software field for my entire career,
beginning with systems to support research during my college days (where I
studied Chemical Engineering, with an excess of math and music.) As an
emerging field (despite what some will say) computing practice in general
is only populated with learning organizations. At any rate the ones that
last are learning organizations.

My professional practice has taken me from the laboratory-based systems in
the beginning, designed to capture and reduce data for R & D (from which
learning can take place in a very fundamental way), through various other
kinds of operational systems to "knowledge discovery" and "data
warehousing" systems: systems that allow an organization to know and
learn. Though the trip has been full-circle, it really never left. Even
developing SW for commercial products is a learning process: what the
product needs to be, what processes work to produce the product, how the
teams form, grow, and evolve.

There is a tremendous literature within some aspects of Software
Engineering that is both "learning organization" oriented, and based on
"systems thinking."

There was a rather involved discussion of Senge's books in the CIS
CASEForum (which seldom actually discusses CASE) some two years ago, where
many of the issues were discussed by the rather distinguished group that
hangs out there, including such authors as Gerry Weinberg, Meiler
Page-Jones, among others. Within that forum it was time for the discussion
to move on to other topics.

My explorations of learning in general have thus far included:
- Systems Theory,
- Cognitive Psychology,
- Martial Arts (as Developmental Practices),
- Economic/Portfolio Modeling of Skill Sets,
- Chaos & System Dynamics,
- Radiant Learning/Mind-Mapping,
- Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences,
- Bucky Fuller's Models, and Meta-Models,
- Natural Language Processing (disappointing),
- Mnemonics,
- Software Engineering and Productivity Literature (Tom DeMarco and
Gerry Weinberg are excellent as this kind of resource.)
- Control Systems,
- System Dynamics,
- Simulation

Obviously, I'm more interested in modeling the process(es?) than the
"fluffy stuff".

The most telling question from the discussion of TFD: Are there other
disciplines of learning organizations, and if so, what are they? My
answer was:
Yes, there are: the scientific method, deductive/inductive logic, and
multi-value reasoning.

My questions revolve (for the moment) around:
- The Dynamics of Knowledge Discovery and Propagation
- The Models and Function of "Group Learning"
- Collaboration Mechanisms across Time and Space, Including Technology
Support
- Organizing a "Collaborative Culture" (or allowing such a thing to
"Self Organize")

My current job assignment includes new business development for a
high-end technical & business consultancy. Thus "learning organization"
has several implications for my work:
- How to be a learning organization, so that we continue to anticipate
technology adoption, to develop new offerings.
- How to leverage individual experience across the organization, so that
each consultant effectively "learns" from the experiences of the whole.
- How to measure and manage the knowledge base.
- How to facilitate and encourage individual learning.
- What are the dynamics of knowledge-based organizations, markets, and
practices?

As a consultancy, we are what we know: learning is the only sustainable
advantage. As individuals, similarly, the process of learning
(self-augmentation? growth?) is the basis on which we compete. (See
Weinberg's "Secrets of Consulting", or Drucker's "The New Realities")

-- 

James Bullock <jbullock@pipeline.com>

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