15 designing and leading a learning organization
TRANSCRIPT
15
Designing and Leading a Learning Organization
Chapter Objectives
Trace the evolution of leadership through four eras to the learning leadership required in many organizations today.
Recognize how leaders build learning organizations through changes in structure, tasks, systems, strategy, and culture.
Know when and how horizontally organized structures provide advantages over vertical, functionally organized ones.
Distinguish between tasks and roles and how each impacts employee satisfaction and organizational performance.
Meet the dual challenge of supporting both efficiency and learning by using ambidextrous organization design elements, embracing technology, and using after-action reviews.
Leadership Evolution
Matrix (next slide) along dimensions of Environment
Stable – remains the same over few years Chaotic – environment shifts abruptly/unpredictably;
leaders support risk/learning
Scope Micro – on individual basis & concerned with
specific tasks and situations Macro - on community basis & looks at concerned
with purpose, strategy & culture
Ex. 15.1 Leadership Evolution
Era 2Rational Management
•Behavior theories•Contingency theoriesSetting:•Vertical hierarchy, bureaucracy•Management functions
Era 1Great Man Leadership
•Trait theoriesSetting:•Pre-bureaucratic organization•Administrative principles
Era 3Team Leadership
•Confusion•Empowerment•QualitySetting:•Horizontal organization•Cross-functional teams•DownsizingEra 4
Learning Leadership
•Shared vision, alignment, relationships•Facilitate change and adaptationSetting:•Learning organization•E-Business
Scope
Macro
Micro
ENVIRONMENT
Stable Chaotic
Learning
A change in behavior or performance that occurs as a result of experience
Learning Organization
Key word: “resilience” Each person in the organization
involved in identifying/solving problems
Organization continues to grow/change to meet new challenges
Adaptive Learning Cycle
A cycle of action, feedback, and synthesis that all living organisms share
Ex. 15.2 The Adaptive Learning Cycle
Synthesis Feedback
ActionD
ecid
ing
Learning
Sensing
Learning Organization
•One in which everyone is engaged in identifying and solving problems
Learning Organization
Leaders encourage experimentation, taking risks, making mistakes, changing
Can lead to new products/services and better ways of doing business
Average lifespan of a Fortune 500 Company only 50 years because focus is on profit, not learning/change
Learning organization based on equality, open info, little hierarchy, culture that promotes learning, empowerment, collaboration with other departments and firms
As Opposed to traditional efficient organizations
Ex. 15.3 Two Models of Organization
Routine tasks
Efficient Performance(Hard, rational model)
Vertical Structure
Formal systems
Competitive strategy
Rigid culture
Ex. 15.3(contd.)
Learning Organization(Soft, intuitive model)
Horizontal structure
Empowered roles
Personal networks
Collaborative strategy
Adaptive culture
Horizontal Structure
Learning Organizations characterized by horizontal structures – Structure created around workflows
rather than departments Process-based, with people having
access (communication & info) to each other in the process-chain
Characterized by “self-directed” teams Boundaries between departments
blurred/minimized
Ex. 15.4 Evolution of Vertical to Horizontal Structure
A.Vertical functional organization
B.Functional organization with
process overlays
Ex. 15.4 (contd.)C.
Horizontal organization based on processes
Tasks Versus Roles
Task: •A narrowly defined work assignment• In stable environments, tends to be rigidly defined•OK for stable environments – old organizations•Akin to Burn & Stalker’s mechanistic organization
Role: •A part in a social system•Has discretion and responsibility•Suitable for learning organizations•Akin to Burn & Stalker’s organic organization
Networks
Systems worked well in old organizations – formal systems to manage growing complexity; however, may stop the flow of vital info
New organizations need networks for quick, complete info
Ex. 15.5 An Organizational Communication
Network (adapted):
Marketing Manufacturing Engineering
Sharon
David
Competition versus Collaboration
Traditional organizations: Strategy flows downwards Rigid culture
Learning organizations: Strategy flows from anywhere Strategy also emerges from customers,
suppliers, even competitors (such organizations have permeable boundaries)
Adaptive culture
Leadership Challenge: Ambidextrous Organizations
Flexible organizations in which leaders incorporate structures and management processes that are appropriate to innovation and learning, as well as to the efficient implementation of ideas
Ambidextrous Organizations: how?
Balance efficiency & learning Embrace new technology – builds
bridges and facilitates info exchange – consider concept of knowledge management
Using after-action reviews – debriefs, take time to see what could have been done better (reflection) – means of learning
Knowledge Management
The efforts to systematically gather knowledge, make it widely available, and foster a culture of collaboration and learning