Creating a Learning OrganizationPractices of Team Learning

John McCann, PresidentPartners in Performancewww.partnersinperformance.us

Levels of Learning

• Level One (facts)

• Level Two (skills)

• Level Three (coping, adapting)

• Level Four (generative) learning to learn---together: The quality by which we reflect on, think about, decide, and do things…together

Learning Organizations

Organization where people continually expand

the capacity to create the results they truly

desire

New & expansive patterns of thinking are

nurtured

Collective aspirations are set free

People are continually discovering how they

create their current reality; & how they can

change it

Individuals learning to learn together

Five Learning Disciplines

Learning Organizatio

n

Systems Thinking

Team Learning

PersonalMastery

Shared Vision

Mental Models

Shared Vision

A shared and compelling

picture of the desired

future that provides

energy and focus

for learning

Personal Mastery

A focus on my own mindset & my own

behavior

My own commitment to learning

as a practice

Developing the discipline

essential to being a reflective

practitioner

Mental Models

Our assumptions that

we walk around with

Influences how we

work with others

First step is to hold

up, to suspend, our

assumptions---for

examination by others

Systems Thinking

It’s more about the whole and

less about the parts

A focus on patterns not

symptoms

For good or bad, everything

is influencing everything else

Team Learning

Putting your view forward

Listening actively to others

Framing what you’re hearing

We call this “Dialogue”

Barriers to LearningDefensive behaviors

Mistaking our views for the truth

Habits become rules

B

A

The Ladder of Inference

All The Data

Conclusions I reach.

Assumptions I make.

Meaning I attach.

Data I select.

I will keep looking for the data that validates my conclusions.

I keep taking action based on data I select and conclusions I reach.

Balancing Advocacy and Inquiry

Stating your views

Asking questions

Advocating Inquiring

All Advocacy, No Inquiry

Imposing,Controlling,

Selling

Advocating Inquiring

All Inquiry, No Advocacy

Interrogating,Leading the

Witness,Analysis paralysis

Advocating Inquiring

Balancing Advocacy and Inquiry

Strong Ideas Open to Influence

Advocating Inquiring

Conversations that support mutualdiscovery, understanding and learning

Questions

People tend to ask

A. Do you understand what I’m saying?

B. Don’t you agree?

C. Do you think that because…?

D. Why didn’t you just tell me?

E. Why can’t we just get this done?

Questions to ensure learning

A. What is your reaction to what I’m saying?

B. In what way is your view different?

C. What leads you to that conclusion?

D. What did I do to contribute to your not telling me?

E. What would it take to get this done?

Abilene

Coleman

The ParadoxThe group takes an action that contradicts what the group silently agrees they want to do.

What happens?1. They fail to surface and test

assumptions.2. They don’t communicate their beliefs.3. They don’t speak up, and each pays

the price of it.4. Decision are made with inaccurate

data.5. Results are counter-productive.

Being A Reflective Practitioner

1. I notice my own behavior and want to understand how it influences my relationship to others and the results we achieve together.

2. I choose processes that help me gain such understanding.

3. I try/experiment with new ways of working that might lead the better results.

Single Loop Learning

Actions

Results

Leads to

Which Shape Future

Double Loop Learning

Beliefs Actions Results

Leads to

Which Shape Future

Guide

Lead to More Helpful & Accurate

Six Thinking Hats

Information

Emotions

Creativity

Judgment

Generative

Process

Creating a Learning OrganizationPractices of Team Learning

John McCann, PresidentPartners in Performancewww.partnersinperformance.us