COURSE DESCRIPTION
Organizations that promote learning as they confront intense competition,
advances in technology, and increased knowledge change have been inspired
by Peter Senge’s The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning
Organization (1990). His vision to fashion an organization made up of employees
who are skilled at creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge was founded
on research indicating that such organizations are both nimbler at adapting to
the unpredictable, and better able to quickly adjust to change. From this thinking
emerged the goal for organizations to create and sustain themselves as learning
organizations— able to acquire knowledge, and adjust and innovate rapidly to
changing business conditions.
Learning organizations encourage and support continuous employee learning and
critical thinking, and value employee contributions and risk-taking; this results
in an invigorating and exciting workplace, in which employees are engaged,
productive, and experience success.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES (CLOs)
This course aims at teaching participants to:
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Master Peter Senge’s five disciplines
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Add Kouzes and Posner’s five practices to their life
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Build trust with their employees
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Develop key management skills, including change management, time management, critical thinking, delegation, problem solving, presentation strategies, communications, strategic planning, and feedback techniques
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Use Robert Cialdini’s six influence strategies to their advantage
COURSE OUTLINE:
The Learning Organization
The idea that organizations and people should strive to continually evolve and learn has been coming into prominence over the last decade. During this session, we will explore what this means and how we can get started.
The Five Disciplines
The morning of Day One will be spent discussing Peter Senge’s five disciplines: personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, and systems thinking.
Leadership
One key tool for developing your leadership skills is the Situational Leadership Model developed by Paul Hersey. Participants will spend most of the afternoon of Day One taking this test and analyzing its results.
The Five Practices
James Kouzes and Barry Posner are two other well-known researchers who have done a tremendous amount of work on leadership, and their findings complement Peter Senge’s work. They have identified five practices they feel should be a part of every leader’s skill set. We will look at each practice closely and help you identify some ways to incorporate it into your leadership skill set.
Trust
Trust may very well be one of the most important determiners of employer-employee relationships. We will explore some ways that participants can build trust with their employees.
Change
Managing change well is a key part of being a manager. We will take a close look at William Bridges’ change cycle. Participants will also have an opportunity to apply the cycle to situations from their own lives.
The Four Room Apartment
This model is another way of looking at change. We will examine each room and we will look at ways to move people from one room to another.
Time Management
Managing your time well is another crucial leadership skill. Participants will practice this skill through a time management case study, followed by some simple organizational tips and techniques.
Managers vs. Leaders
Warren Bennis has written many books on becoming a leader. We will look at some of his insights on what makes a manager different from a leader.
Types of Thinking
There are several models that you can apply to your thinking to help you achieve maximum results. We will discuss two models and apply them to an ethical dilemma.
Influence Strategies
At the very core of leadership is the ability to influence people. There are many ways that we can influence people. This session will focus on the six methods that Robert Cialdini has identified.
Relationships
Early on in the workshop, we looked at the concept of systems thinking. This session takes that concept and applies it to relationships. We will look at the relationship system and how participants can use it to better coach a team through conflict.
Problem Solving
There are many approaches that you can use to solve a problem. We will discuss a simple eight-step method and then participants will apply that method to a personal problem.
Strategic Planning
By the end of this session, participants will understand the benefits of a SWOT analysis. They will also have an opportunity to complete a personal analysis.
Delegation
One of a manager’s biggest challenges is what to delegate, to whom, and how. We will take an in-depth look at some key delegation techniques, and then participants will practice those techniques in a role play.
Criteria for Useful Feedback
This session will look at the nine criteria for useful feedback. We will also see the value of good feedback through a group exercise.
Feedback Techniques
In this session, we will continue our work with feedback by looking at some feedback techniques. Participants will then practice those techniques through a role-play.
Body Language
Just as important as what you say is how you say it. During this session participants will learn how to make sure that their body is sending the same message as their words.
Meetings
Leaders are often asked to hold, attend, and/or facilitate meetings. We will look at each of these roles in-depth and identify some ways that leaders can make the most of their time in each role.
Skillful Speaking
Public speaking is an opportunity leaders must learn to grasp at every opportunity. During this session, participants will learn seven ways to pump up a presentation.
Course Textbook
Organizational Learning II: Theory, Method, and Practice, 2nd Edition
Chris Argyris, Harvard University
David A. Schon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Link: https://www.pearson.com/us/higher-education/program/Argyris-Organizational-Learning-II-Theory-Method-and-Practice-2nd-Edition/PGM171580.html
Feedback Given to Participants in Response to Assessed Work
- Individual written feedback on coursework
- Feedback discussed as part of a tutorial
- Individual feedback on request
- Model answers
Developmental Feedback Generated Through Teaching Activities
- Feedback is given at presentations and during tutorial sessions
- Dialogue between participants and staff in tutorials and lectures
GRADING AND SCORING
The course grade will be based on a final project presented by the participant and graded by the instructor. Participants much achieve a passing grade of 70% or more to be awarded a certificate of completion of the course.
