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Learning organizations: A primer for group facilitators
Group Facilitation, Spring 2002 by Larsen, Kai R T, McInerney, Claire, Nyquist, Corinne, Silsbee, Donna L, Zagonel, Aldo A
Abstract
Learning organizations are able to grow and successfully adapt to changing environments, and group facilitators have a key role as change agents in the process. This paper draws heavily from the work of Peter M. Senge (1990a, 1990b, 1994, 1999), who describes learning organizations as consisting of four core disciplines: personal mastery, mental models, team learning and shared vision. In addition, Senge introduced a fifth concept of systems thinking. The work of several other management scientists is discussed in relation to the learning organization attributes identified by Senge, and the role of facilitators in creating organizational change is highlighted.
Keywords
learning organizations, organizational change, change strategies, organizational development, personal mastery, mental models, team building, teamwork, team learning, systems thinking, systems thinking, system dynamics, group dynamics, group model building, decision conferences.
Introduction
The last decade has seen the emergence of the learning organization, a new mode of organizational functioning (Senge, 1990a; Senge 1990b, Senge, Kleiner, Roberts, Ross & Smith, 1994; Senge, Kleiner, Roberts, Ross, Roth & Smith, 1999). With many traditional organizations striving to become learning organizations, top managers were left searching for ways to change employee perceptions as well as approaches to task completion. This paper builds on the belief that not only do facilitators possess exactly the values and intrinsic skills required to help facilitate the transformation needed for organizations to become learning organizations, but that most successful transformations will indeed be conducted by external facilitators (Sandelands, 1999).
We highlight Heron's (1999) definition of a facilitator as "a person who has the role of empowering participants to learn in an experimental group" (p. 1). Heron goes on to explain that an experimental group is one where learning takes place through an active and aware involvement of the whole person. As will become clear, the transformation needed in organizational members to create the learning organization involves the development and learning of the whole person with skills in accordance with Senge's (1990a) vision. We also concur with Schwarz (1994) when he specifies group facilitation as "the process by which a person who is acceptable to all members of the group, substantively neutral, and has no decision-making authority intervenes to help a group improve the way it identifies and solves problems and makes decisions, in order to increase the group's effectiveness" (p. 18).
Organizational learning involves individual learning, and those who make the shift from traditional organizational thinking to learning organizations develop the ability to think critically and creatively (Schon, 1975).' Organizational learning is about people and how they work together to achieve personal and organizational goals. Many times achieving goals means making changes that require creative thinking and problem solving. As previously stated, we believe these skills are in agreement with the values and assumptions embedded in group facilitation. Values held by practitioners include "wanting to create change, to positively impact people and organizations, enhance the effectiveness and profitability of organizations, [to] learn and grow, and exercise power and influence" (French & Bell, 1995, p. 77).
As with other change processes, becoming a learning organization can be aided by coaching, guidance, and consultation. In order to learn as a team, to practice systems thinking, and to develop shared vision, people in the organization must meet, share information, develop goals, and plan together. In other words, a learning organization depends on effective meetings. A group facilitator can play an important role in helping the group overcome learning barriers and move toward becoming a creative organization and a competent one where high standards, principled leadership, and a collaborative climate are a way of life.
Group facilitation is often the necessary process that allows organizations to learn how to learn and to learn how to change. Ross and Roberts (1999) recommend using external facilitators paired with internal facilitators to effect change through group work in learning organizations. As Ross and Roberts note, "External facilitators are more comfortable helping people work with unfamiliar techniques, and more apt to ask the dumb questions that reveal contradictions or difficult issues. They provide outside perspective" (p.90).
Tim Savino of Harley-Davidson says that his company uses outside facilitators with the learning teams because "these people bring technical expertise and process skills" (Senge et al, 1999, p. 92). Of course, internal facilitators are critical as well when learning teams get together because they bring an understanding of the organization and its culture and politics to the process.
In order to be effective in the role of change-agent coach, it can be helpful for the group facilitator to understand the building of a learning organization. This paper presents a primer for facilitators to use as an introduction to learning organizations. It is organized according to the five disciplines that Peter Senge (1990a) says are the core disciplines in building the learning organization: personal mastery, mental models, team learning, shared vision, and systems thinking.2 Even though the paper makes liberal use of Senge's pervasive ideas, it also refers to the work of others such as Chris Argyris (1991, 1993, 1999, 2000), Juanita Brown (1994), Charles Handy (1994, 1995, 1998), Jon Katzenbach, and Douglas Smith (1993). What these writers have in common is a belief in the ability of people and organizations to change and become more effective, and that change requires open communication and empowerment of community members as well as a culture of collaboration. Those also happen to be the characteristics of a learning organization.
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