Re: Defining/Describing LO LO3211

Andrew Moreno (amoreno@whidbey.whidbey.com)
Tue, 17 Oct 1995 03:50:36 -0700 (PDT)

Replying to LO3206 --

On Mon, 16 Oct 1995 GMBrady@aol.com wrote:

> the very general: "A learning organization is a collection of individuals
> who share an environment, important ideas, and patterns of action."?

Assuming that this is an accepted definition of a learning organization,
here's some questions that can help aid in clarification.

> "...a collection of individuals...(number, gender balance, inherent
> physical characteristics of members, etc.)

Collect, how?
Collection, according to whom?
Which individuals?

> "...environment...(location, physical plant, tools/equipment, resource
> base, infrastructure, etc.)

What does environment mean to you?

> "...important ideas...(about own identity, each other, time, shared goals,
> acceptable action, ownership, the future, etc.)

Which ideas?
Important to whom?

> "...patterns of action." (Patterns for work, play, communicating,
> socializing, decision making, controlling deviant behavior, etc.)

What patterns?
Act, how specifically?

> These four main headings, with appropriate subheads similar to those I've
> suggested, could give you a comprehensive outline for describing every
> aspect of the operation.

You've tied together a lot of things I've thought about. Thanks.

> Incidentally, if you do the above, you can then take each of the
> several-dozen individual elements in turn, identify the range of possible
> alternatives for that element, treat each alternative as a possible
> variable, and hypothesize about the systemic consequences of adoption of
> it (a particular change in physical plant configuration, a different
> pattern for decision making, a different idea about goals, whatever) on
> the total system/culture. You'll have a paradigm-breaking tool that you
> can play with creatively for just about forever.

I agree wholeheartedly. Those questions could be applied to each of the
other variables you described. I think this is a really high leverage
activity and for each of the goals I set, I identify each of the different
alternatives for each element of the goals.

Wouldn't it be great to have an Artificial Intelligence run people through
this type of process and store the information? This is the kind of thing
that I'm designing and implementing right now.

I think it would be even better if I could apply the work I'm doing on
this to a future doctoral dissertation that I'm going to have to hand in
for peer review. Anybody want to give me feedback on how review boards
determine if a doctoral dissertation is up to standard or not?

Unfortunately, I haven't even got my bachelor's degree yet so this is
wishful thinking.

--
Andrew Moreno
Andrew Moreno <amoreno@whidbey.whidbey.com>