Collaborative class discussion on Dixon's first three chapters of the Organizational Learning Cycle and Common Knowledge, September 2, 2011

1. Class Contributions to Understanding Organizational Learning Concepts Expressed by Dixon Creating collective Meaning

2. Chapter 1: What is OL OL -> Intentional -> Org goals (stakeholders) Many right answers Not a stagnate process L ≥ C Fluid Evolving Reframing Reconceptualization

3. Chapter 1: Changing Nature of Work Continuous learning (keep learning) Not just technical skills More collaborative Less top down (less directive) Not just a combination of facts Integrate -> Feedback -> Action ->Transformation

4. Chapter 2 Differences, changes, movement, absence/presence, are noticed, while consistency is unnoticed Paradoxically, it is these differences which threaten our current knowledgebase (interpretations) Contradiction or discrepancies lead to a reconstruction of meaning (learning), @ both a personal and organizational level The cognitive map includes both tacit awareness and explicit knowledge Humans are a “learning species” in that it is both a matter of survival (evolution, development, etc.) and serves an immediate reward (by relieving confusion, etc.)

5. Chapter 2 Fail to test our inferences for four reasons Consider our inferences as fact Embarrassed to talk about the inference Presume defensiveness concerning the accuracy of our inference Unable to see a non-threatening way to test the inference Meta-cognition Self-questioning Persistence Relating data sets Purposefully seeking new information…etc

6. Chapter 3 – Organizational meaning Structures Private Individual learning Not shared with the group Of little help to the group “The Office” Collective History of the organization Culture Tacit –understood “just the way it is” “The storeroom”

7. Accessible-”The Hallways” Collective meaning Exchange of ideas Sharing True organizational learning Critical Elements Dialogue-not speech Egalitarian-free flow Multiple perceptions Non-expert based Participant generated database Shared experience – not necessarily training

8. Common Knowledge (Chapters 1-3) 3 Myths: Build it and they will come Technology can replace face-to-face First you have to create a learning culture Defined: common knowledge, information, knowledge Sharing information: people WANT to Creating vs. leveraging common knowledge What makes the transfer work? 5 types of transfer

9. Common Knowledge (Chapters 1-3) Serial transfer: moves knowledge that each individual has constructed into a group or public space so that the knowledge can be integrated and made sense of by the whole team; know the business driver (outcome measures) Transfer: is it reactive or proactive AAR How to do a Transfer meeting