9/28 thoughts before 9/29 Class

One thought.
I must offer complements where due. And I’m pleased to admit that my current company does a good job at intentionally setting forth learning opportunities for its associates – one of the many qualities of a developing learning organization:

• Have budget and staff devoted to structured learning models (i.e. curriculum tracks for different role categories)
• Executive Mgmt talks to share knowledge and connect the top with the bottom
• An official info retention policy – where approved documents must be logged and placed in specified storage sites on a shared server
• Encourage cross-pollenization of staffers to switch over from one department to another to learn more levels of the company

This is a good start. There is much to do to improve on these activities and bring about more – but it is a good start. I look forward to diving further into my company’s learning organization qualities for the class project further in the semester.

Another thought.
And as a training class junky, I sign up for anything I can get into. This past week I was one of about only 100 staffers who was fortunate enough to listen to a very talented, intelligent and entertaining executive present for 2.5 hours. He offered a rather simple banking 101 ideas, and then explained how they relate to the goals of the company. The most fascinating subject he touched on is cultural integration. He was adamant that integration is correct and assimilation is not when dealing with diverse company cultures.

As he talked about the different wings of the company through merger/acquisitions – we’re a bit disjointed. No one would argue. No one was surprised to hear him say this. But what I found interesting was his stressing that assimilation is not the best way to achieve this. He defined assimilation as allowing each diverse group to maintain its ways – to assimilate into the new whole. Integration he defined as intelligently evaluating each group’s ways and deciding together which is the best, then having all groups adopt that way as the new way for all.

In the era of corporate mergers and acquisitions, the buying company wants to respect the staff of the acquired company and appropriately should work hard to maintain all the learning and knowledge of the acquired company. In doing so, its easy to fall into the idea that assimilation is the best option. If the buying company can find a way to open up the discussion, make the claim that one way must be established but that the decision for which path that is should be a group decision, I agree would be the best way.

And another thought.
As I listened to him discuss the challenges, multi-perspectives, and rewards that will follow a thorough cultural integration, I realized it would definitely be something that would interest me to help drive. As I’m sure tomorrow’s class discussion will surface, cultural integration must be a part of the intentional structures established by a true learning organization. I wouldn’t argue culture is as important as actual business knowledge, but I’d say its important and should be included.

ADLT 623 - Reflections from Class #3

I’m truly enjoying reading the Nancy Dixon text – The Organizational Learning Cycle (1999). Its surprising if I read an entire page without wanting to highlight or comment on something in the margins. As such, I thought I’d pull a few of these sections out and try to reflect upon them. Here goes:

Regarding external information collection – Dixon comments that “its not the difference itself but the resolution of differences through self-confrontation that is at the heart of learning” (p95). Then further down this same page, summarizes “Difference, as uncomfortable as it often makes us, leads to learning.” Then several instances later on, she spends time focusing on the idea that the dissonance that arises from confrontation in dialogue is where organizational learning occur.

I’m surprised at this idea. I’ve always known diversity is a good thing. But acknowledging that diversity of ideas/thoughts is something essential to organizational learning is an idea that seems foreign to me. Large organizations are institutions in my mind. They are slow to move. They need status quo. Or so I thought.

I like the idea that contempory research and philosophies are putting this forth. Now I acknowledge for quite a while, corporations have “officially” recruited diversity for the influx of different ideas. In my mind however, this was more a PR stunt than an acknowledgement that these different ideas are essential to helping that organization continue to move forward, to adapt, to grow, to learn.

I was very pleased to read Dixon’s example about the innovative hospital who pays its employees to visit other hospitals while on vacation. I’m hoping this type of benchmarking research at the ground level will catch on and become mainstream.

I wonder how I could work to help that evolve. Seems like a huge undertaking when thinking about some of the larger corporations I’ve come to know. But like in grassroots social causes, which I’d bank are more difficult to mold due to budget pressures, one step at a time. I need to think more about this. Maybe my paper investigating a corporate culture, I could position to some of the above.

ADLT 623 - Reflections from Class #2

I continue to be incredibly comfortable in this adult education class room discussion. While this is only my 2nd course, and my 2nd session of this Organizational Learning course, it just feels right. Still need to ponder what to do about it - how to turn this interest, curiosity of mine, into a type of paying job, but I figure learning more structurally and theory is a good continued way to go.

And not surprisingly, as the subject of the course is essentially discussion on how organizations can learn, can maintain knowledge, and the struggles it can take, I felt my irritation at 'Corporate America' rise in my head, and in my commentary. Even after 3 years in corporate america, and 10 years in an advertising agency (aka professional business work environment) I'm surprised at my consistent surprise at finding large businesses inefficient, absurd, un-nice, wasteful.

I greatly appreciated Dr Carter's comment to several of the students working in the business world - that if our environments are not as they should be, we would be served best to work to change them to the better or to leave. There are so many things wrong with Company X, but I don't want to have this course turn into a rationalization of that fact. Rather, I'd like to use it as a grindstone or wall perhaps to bounce ideas and possibilities for my making improvements.

While I know I don't feel helping a company make more money is a nobel profession and definitely not something than can give me value, I want to avoid becoming so negative at the business world that i fail to remember/appreciate the benefits it does for society/economy. I want to look at Company X as a opportunity ripe for improvements. See the half full side.

To my mirror classmates reading this first shared post - please forgive my stream of consiousness thougths above. This reflection thing was new to me last semester and I'm still learning the difference between journaling and intelligent reflection. Would appreciate any suggestions/advice at perspective you can provde. Also apologize for my tardiness in posting this until Monday afternoon - I had planned to write & post Friday afternoon once I arrived at my weekend in the mountains, but realized to late that I wouldn't have internet service. If you don't have time to comment before class Tuesday, its completely my responsibility. THanks anyways and see you tomorrow afternoon!

Amanda

Starting a new Fall '09 blog for my Organizational Learning class ADLT 623 @ VCU - my 2nd of 3 MBA electives helping me focus my MBA on corporate training/education.

Need to figure out how to send this blog to someone else - so will try that now.