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Every business has problems. That is why the average life span of a large industrial company is 40 years. Some are learning disabilities where companies are not prepared to learn from their mistakes. They insist on doing the same thing every time. Even when problems occur no one examines the cause of the problem. The problem is an embarrassment that should be swept under the rug and forgotten rather than be used as an opportunity to learn. Handling these dilemmas and disabilities is the Management Team. Below is a quote from Peter Senge’s book “The Fifth Discipline – the Art & Practice of the Learning Organization.” Does this sound like your company? If it does start worrying! The Myth of the Management Team Standing forward to do battle with these dilemmas and disabilities is “the management team,” the collection of savvy, experienced managers who represent the organization’s different functions and areas of expertise. Together, they are supposed to sort out the complex cross-functional issues that are critical to the organization. What confidence do we have, really, that typical management teams can surmount these learning disabilities? All too often, teams in business tend to spend their time fighting for turf, avoiding anything that will make them look bad personally, and pretending that everyone is behind the team’s collective strategy – maintaining the appearance of a cohesive team. To keep up the image, they seek to squelch disagreement; people with serious reservations avoid stating them publicly, and joint decisions are watered-down compromises reflecting what everyone can live with, or else reflecting one person’s view foisted on the group. If there is disagreement, it’s usually expressed in a manner that lays blame, polarizes opinion, and fails to reveal the underlying differences in assumptions and experience in a way that the team as a whole could learn. “Most management teams break down under pressure,” writes Harvard’s Chris Argyris – a long time student of learning in management teams. “The team may function quite well with routine issues. But when they confront complex issues that may be embarrassing or threatening, the ‘teamness’ seems to go to pot.” Argyris argues that most managers find collective inquiry inherently threatening. School trains us never to admit that we do not know the answer, and most corporations reinforce that lesson by rewarding the people who excel in advocating their views, not inquiring into complex issues. (When was the last time someone was rewarded in your organization for raising difficult questions about the company’s current policies rather than solving urgent problems?) Even if we feel uncertain or ignorant, we learn to protect ourselves from the pain of appearing uncertain or ignorant. That very process blocks out any new understandings which might threaten us. The consequence is what Argyris calls “skilled incompetence” – teams full of people who are incredibly proficient at keeping themselves from learning. So how does your company stack up? If your company is what Senge describes as a ‘Learning Organization’ then there is no need to protect your turf, no need to accept compromise, no need for management to know everything. In a Learning Organization the knowledge that employees have is used and each member of the management team is there to support the other. They realize that everyone wins if the team does well and they also know that a failure is just another term for a learning opportunity. Wouldn’t you like to work in an organization where your opinion counts and where you CAN make a difference in the companies success? Where you don’t have to pretend to be busy, or pretend to know everything. So how do you create a learning organization? It starts with creating learning individuals in learning teams which then cascade into a learning organization. Through an effective facilitated process team members learn to work collaboratively, learn from their mistakes and continually challenge their assumptions about reality. Above all they work together as a team to solve problems and improve results. A Learning Organization is possible! Restaurant Templates And Forms. - Restaurant management forms, restaurant software, business plan templates, marketing & promotions to help grow your profit. Page Zero - Enlightened Search Marketing. - Google AdWords and paid search campaign management consulting & eBooks.
To listen to the interview, click on this MP3 file link DISCUSSION: Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic Eileen, you have a promising history of significant impact and contribution to society, the community, education, research and the ICT industry as an undergraduate. Thank you for sharing your experiences and insights with our audience. :00:43: :01:40: :02:20: :04:02: :05:27: :06:08: :07:34: :08:27: :09:09: :09:41: :10:54: :11:45: :12:11: :14:12: :14:45: :15:38: :16:12: :17:07: :20:21: :20:53: Eileen’s Profile:Eileen Chen is a junior studying within the College of Information Sciences and Technology at the Pennsylvania State University at University Park Main Campus. She is also in the Schreyer Honors College. She expects to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in May of 2013 with a major in the option of Integration and Application in Information Sciences and Technology and a minor in Supply Chain and Information Sciences and Technology. She received the David Suarez Memorial Scholarship (a remembrance from his colleagues at Deloitte Consulting/Deloitte & Touche), the Dipple Trustee Scholarship, the Raytheon IST Scholarship, and the Delta Gamma Lamp of Knowledge as well as achieved Deans List all semesters. Eileen worked as a teaching intern for an introductory Java course during the Fall 2011 semester and a computer lab consultant for Penn State ITS Lab Consulting. She recently joined Dr. Brian H. Cameron, the Executive Director for the Center of Enterprise Architecture in the College of Information Sciences and Technology and the founding president of the Federation for Enterprise Architecture Professional Organizations (FEAPO), as a research assistant. She is currently working with FEAPO and the Communications Committee. She also assisted Dr. Cameron in preparing for the Center for EA at Penn State Meeting, which she attended in October 2011. While learning about the innovative subject of enterprise architecture, she is also gathering research for her honors thesis. Learning in the classroom and work environment is important to Eileen, but she also values the knowledge she gains outside her coursework. She is passionate about giving back to the community, and her main focus is bettering the quality of life for children. She currently serves as a Technology Captain for the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, affectionately referred to as THON. As the largest student-run philanthropy, THON raised $9.56 million in 2011 benefitting the fight against pediatric cancer. Eileen also serves as Administrator and Website Chair for Bee House, a special interest organization with the sole purpose of fundraising for THON. Her sorority, Delta Gamma, in which she serves as the Director for Electronic Communications, also fundraises for THON and other philanthropies. In addition to THON, she has participated in the LeaderShape Institute, the General Electric Student Leadership Conference, Role of a Resident Assistant Course, the National Collegiate Honor Society, Be Engaged House (a leadership and service special living option), and intramural volleyball. Article Index: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 |
More Articles:1. Unveiling the Value of Your Expertise By Kevin Eikenberry All of us have knowledge, expertise, and experience that others can benefit from. This is one of the reasons we play some of the roles in life that we play: leader, trainer, teacher, coach, mentor, and more. We all can contribute to other’s success with our expertise. Unfortunately, some things keep us from doing this as successfully as we could.This article will outline several of the things that get in our way and suggest ways to improve our ability to succeed in having our expertise used… Business Gifts 2. People Are Our Most Important Asset! By David Meyer How many times have you heard or uttered this phrase in the last 5 years or so. As a "reformed accountant" this phrase makes me cringe more than any other business euphemism being espoused today.What exactly is an asset? The dictionary defines an asset as "A valuable item that is owned". From an accounting standpoint an asset might be a desk, building, computer, or a truck. The one thing almost all assets have in common is that they are depreciated, or used up by the company until they are wor… 3. Problem Solving: This Simple Process helps Identify Creative Solutions to Difficult Problems By Doug Staneart Five years ago, a couple of instructors that I was working with and I were brainstorming about different ways to promote our training programs more easily. Up to that point, I had spent my entire career in training focused primarily on helping individuals become more successful by helping them strengthen certain skill sets such as public speaking, management skills, and selling skills. We noticed that out of our classes, about 80% of participants were individuals, about 15% came with a friend,… 4. Structure + Boundaries = Freedom By Joanne Victoria Workplace boundaries will prevent you from reacting to others' interference and getting angry at their disturbances.No matter what size your business is, you need to set boundaries and provide structure to your workday. You determine your schedule, not your clients or vendors. If you decide your day starts at 9:30 AM, then don't answer the phone or turn on the computer until then.Start the day with a good breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Break-the-fast like a king or… |
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