Complexity LO10867 -Lecture London Nov 20

Arthur Battram (apb@cityplex.demon.co.uk)
Tue, 5 Nov 1996 12:33:39 +0000

Re: A lecture in London on Complexity and teams and organisational
learning

I'm very pleased to be able to inform UK readers of the list of the
following:

"Learning from Complexity: Expanding the Possibility Space"

a presentation in the London School of Economics (LSE) 'Strategy and
Complexity' series

Wednesday November 20th 1pm-5pm

cost 115 payable to LSE

presented by Arthur Battram & Steve Trivett

Arthur Battram will explore how new insights from complexity theory can be
used to expand the possibility space for organisational learning, creating
the conditions for learning and adaptation. He will show how machine
models of organisations, based on fondly-held notions of predictability
and control, are stifling the creativity that is vital for organisation
evolution and adaptation in the face of massive change. He will apply a
wide range concepts (including: complex adaptive systems, ecosystems,
self-organisation, 'edge of chaos', evolution, autopoiesis, memetics, NK
networks, fitness landscapes and attractors) to enrich both the language
of management and our understanding of the life of complex processes in
organisations, in order to kick-start the increasing returns of team-based
learning.

Steve Trivett will explore the way that dialogue methodologies are being
used to cultivate new possibilities for team development, personal
learning, and service improvement. The question is: why is it so
difficult for teams to talk to each other? Drawing on his experience of
directing Birmingham City Council's long-running Learning from Service
Users (LSU) Project, Steve will demonstrate that teams are the vehicles
for both replicating and blocking learning in organisations. The language
that teams use holds the key to attaining the goal of a naturally
intelligent organisation.

The lessons learned are being embedded into the 'Forward Programme', a
major corporate initiative to transform the culture of the council, in the
form of the new 'TeamTalk' initiative. TeamTalk will improve team
performance by helping teams to 'talk teamwork': focussing on the dialogue
that takes place 'in and between' teams.

PRESENTERS

Arthur Battram is Tools for Learning project manager in the Training
Development team at the Local Government Management Board, the Industry
Training organisation for local authorities in England and Wales.
Previously he has been a trainer and manager in local authorities and
voluntary organisations, specialising in teamwork, community involvement
and creativity.

The Tools for Learning project focusses on assisting local authorities to
develop new methods for engaging with complex organisational learning
needs and problems. Activities include a regular series of workshops, the
'MagNet' networkshops, the forthcoming 'electroMagNet' email discussion
group and the Learning from Complexity website. He is adviser to several
local authority initiatives, including Birmingham's TeamTalk.

Copies of the new LGMB publication, 'Learning from Complexity: a personal
learning resource pack for organisational learning' which includes an LSU
case study by Steve Trivett, will be available for viewing at the seminar.
The pack has now been endorsed by the Society of Local Authority Chief
Executives [SOLACE].

Steve Trivett is a Senior Consultant with FCI, a consultancy division of
Birmingham City Council. He has worked in education and community
development for twenty years and has considerable experience of group
learning and self-organisation in both eastern and western societies. He
is currently working on a number of innovatory projects around team
dialogue and knowledge networks to help Birmingham City Council improve
its learning capacities and adapt to external conditions.

If you'd like to attend, email Eve Mitleton-Kelly [mention I told you!]
at:

e.mitleton-kelly@lse.ac.uk

Best wishes

Arthur Battram

--

from Arthur Battram, organiser of the LGMB project 'Tools for Learning': helping local authorities to apply complexity concepts to personal and organisational learning. 'Learning from Complexity' pack available December '96, likely cost 150 full price [75 -half price- for local authorities in England and Wales who finance LGMB] for details email me: apb@cityplex.demon.co.uk "complexity is in here... and simplicity is out there...if we want it to be..."

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