学习型组织英文论文摘要_

Fromaveryearlyage,wearetaughttopeakapartproblems,tofragmenttheworld.Thisaarentlymakescomplextasksandsubjectsmoremanageable,butwepayahidden,enormousprice.Wecannolongerseethecoequencesofouractioweloseourintriicseeofcoectiontoalargerwhole.Whenwethentryto"seethebigpicture",wetrytoreaemblethefragmentsinourminds,tolistandorganizeallthepieces.But,asphysicistDavidBohmsays,thetaskisfutile--similartotryingtoreaemblethefragmentsofapokenmirrortoseeatruereflection.Thus,afterawhilewegiveuptryingtoseethewholealtogether.

Thetoolsandideaspresentedinthisbookarefordestroyingtheillusionthattheworldiscreatedofseparate,unrelatedforces.Whenwegiveupthisillusion--wecanthenbuild

"learningorganizatio",organizatiowherepeoplecontinuallyexpandtheircapacitytocreatetheresultstheytrulydesire,wherenewandexpaivepatterofthinkingarenurtured,wherecollectiveairationissetfree,andwherepeoplearecontinuallylearninghowtolearntogether.

AsFortunemagazinerecentlysaid,"forgetyourtiredoldideasaboutleadership.Themostsuccefulcorporationofthe1990swillbesomethingcalledaLearningOrganization."

"Theabilitytolearnfasterthanyourcompetitors,"saidArieDeGeus,headofplaingforRoyalDutch/Shell,"maybetheonlysustainablecompetitiveadvantage."

Astheworldbecomesmoreintercoectedandbusinebecomesmorecomplexanddynamic,workmustbecomemore"learningful."Itisnolongersufficienttohaveonepersonlearningfortheorganization.It"sjustnotpoibleanylongerto"figureitout"fromthetop,andhaveeveryoneelsefollowingtheordersofthe"grandstrategist."Theorganizatiothatwilltrulyexcelinthefuturewillbetheorganizatiothatdiscoverhowtotappeople"scommitmentandcapacitytolearnatalllevelsinanorganization.

（收到时间-1998年十一月10日星期二18:14:8）

PeterSenge对DISCIPLINE的说明

Ifalearningorganizationwasanengineeringiovation,suchastheairplaneorthepersonalcomputer,thecomponentswouldbecalled"technologies".Foraniovationinhumanbehavior,thecomponentsneedtobeseenasDISCIPLINES.By"discipline",Idonotmeanan"enforcedorder"or"meaofpunishment",butABODYOFTHEORYANDTECHN

评注：discipline在这里的用法，大概最接近的是“学问”或“学科”。上面说道：“一门学问是一个拓展的途径，从中获得实在的技巧与资历”，这是从一种“动态”的角度去看待它，非常具启发性。

（ty,98-11-24）

不论古今中外，很多人都发出过如PETERSENGE一般的呼唤：

“你认识越多，便越醒觉自己的无知！”

Topracticeadisciplineistobealifelonglearner.You"neverarrive";youendyourlifemasteringdisciplines.Youcanneversay,"wearealearningorganization,"anymorethanyoucansay"Iananenlightenedperson."Themoreyoulearn,themoreacutelyawareyoubecomeofyourignoranc.Thus,acorporationcaotbe"excellent"intheseeofhavingarrivedatapermanentexcellence;itisalwaysinthestateofpracticingthedisciplinesoflearningofbecomingbetterorworse.

Practicingadisciplineisdifferentfromemulating"amodel".Alltoooften,newmanagementiovatioaredescribedintermsofthe"bestpractices"ofso-calledleadingfirms.Whileinteresting,Ibelievesuchdescriptiocanoftendomoreharmthangood,leadingtopiecemealcopyingandplaying

catch-up.Idonotbelievegreatorganizatiohaveeverbeenbuiltbytryingtoemulateanother,anymorethaninpidualgreatneisachievedbytryingtocopyanother"greatperson".

（收到时间-1998年十一月17日星期二8:8:10）

5disciplinesoftheLEARNINGORGANISATION

DISCIPLINESOFALEARNINGORGANIZATION

Thereare5disciplinesoftheLEARNINGORGANISATION

PersonalMastery自我超越

MentalModels改善心智模式

BuildingSharedVision建立共同愿景

TeamLearning团队学习

SystemsThinking系统性思考

PERSONALMASTERY

Masterymightsuggestgainingdominanceoverpeopleorthings.Butmasterycanalsomeanaeciallevelofproficiency.Amastercraftsmandoe"tdominatepotteryorweaving.Peoplewithahighlevelofpersonalmasteryareabletocoistentlyrealizetheresultsthatmattermostdeeplytothem-ineffect,theyaroachtheirlifeasanartistwouldaroachaworkofart.Theydothatbybecomingcommittedtotheirownlifelonglearning.

Personalmasteryisthedisciplineofcontinuallyclarifyinganddeepeningourpersonalvision,offocusingourenergies,ofdevelopingpatience,andofseeingrealityobjectively.

Assuch,itisaneentialcornerstoneofthelearningorganisation-thelearningorganisation"siritualfoundation.Anorganisation"scommitmenttoandcapacityfor

learningcanbenogreaterthanthatofitsmembers.TherootsofthisdisciplinelieinbothEasternandWesterniritualtraditio,andinseculartraditioaswell.

Butsurprisinglyfeworganisatioencouragethegrowthoftheirpeopleinthismaer.Thisresultsinvastuntaedresources:"Peopleenterbusineaspight,well-educated,

high-energypeople,fullofenergyanddesiretomakeadifference,"saysHanover"sO"Brien."Bythetimetheyare30,afewareonthe"fasttrack"andtherest"putintheirtime"todowhatmatterstothemontheweekend.Theylothecommitment,theseeofmiion,andtheexcitementwithwhichtheystartedtheircareers.Wegetdamnlittleoftheirenergyandalmostnoneoftheiririt."

Andsurprisinglyfewadultsworktorigorouslydeveloptheirownpersonalmastery.Whenyouaskmostadultswhattheywantfromtheirlives,theyoftentalkfirstaboutwhatthey"dlike

togetridof:"I"dlikemymother-in-lawtomoveout,"theysay,or"I"dlikemybackproblemstoclearup."Thedisciplineofpersonalmastery,bycontrast,startswithclarifyingthethingsthatreallymattertous,oflivingourlivesintheserviceofourhighestairatio.

Here,Iammostinterestedinthecoectiobetweenpersonallearningandorganisationallearning,inthereciprocalcommitmentsbetweeninpidualandorganisation,andintheecialiritofanenterprisemadeupoflearners.

MENTALMODELS

"Mentalmodels"aredeeplyingrainedaumptio,generalisatio,orevenpicturesorimagesthatinfluencehowweunderstandtheworldandhowwetakeaction.Veryoften,wearenotcociouslyawareofourmentalmodelsortheeffectstheyhaveonourbehaviour.Forexample,wemaynoticethataco-workerdreeselegantly,andsaytoourselves,"she"sacountryclubperson."Aboutsomeonewhodreesshaily,wemayfeel,"hedoe"tcareaboutwhatothersthink."Mentalmodelsofwhatcanorcaotbedoneindifferentmanagementsettingsarenoledeeplyentrenched.Manyiightsintonewmarketsoroutmodedorganisationalpracticesfailtogetputintopracticebecausetheyconflictwithpowerful,tacitmentalmodels.

RoyalDutch/Shell,oneofthefirstlargeorganisatiotounderstandtheadvantagesofacceleratingorganisationallearningcametothisrealisationwhentheydiscoveredhow

pervasivewastheinfluenceofhiddenmentalmodels,eeciallythosethatbecomewidelyshared.Shell"sextraordinarysucceinmanagingthroughthedramaticchangesanduredictabilityoftheworldoilbusineinthe1970sand1980scameinlargemeasurefromlearninghowtosurfaceandchallengemanager"smentalmodels.(Intheearly1970s

Shellwastheweakestofthebig7oilcompaniebythelate1980sitwasthestrongest.)AriedeGeus,Shell"srecentlyretiredCoordinatorofGroupPlaing,saysthatcontinuous

adaptationandgrowthinachangingbusineenvironmentdependson"ititutionallearning,whichistheprocewherebymanagementteamschangetheirsharedmentalmodelsofthecompany,theirmarkets,andtheircompetitors.forthisreason,wethinkofplaingaslearningandofcorporateplaingasititutionallearning.

Thedisciplineofworkingwithmentalmodelsstartswithturningthemirrorinward;learningtounearthourinternalpicturesoftheworld,topingthemtothesurfaceandholdthemrigorouslytoscrutiny.Italsoincludestheabilitytocarryon"learningful"conversatiothatbalanceinquiryandadvocacy,wherepeopleexposetheirownthinkingeffectivelyandmakethatthinkingopentotheinfluenceofothers.

（收到时间-1998年十一月20日星期五18:45:29）

BUILDINGSHAREDVISION

Ifanyoneideaaboutleadershiphasiiredorganisatioforthousandsofyears,it"sthecapacitytoholdasharedpictureofthefutureweseektocreate.Oneishardpreedtothinkofanyorganisationthathassustainedsomemeasureofgreatneintheaenceofgoals,values,andmiiothatbecomedeeplysharedthroughouttheorganisation.IBMhad

"service";Polaroidhaditantphotography;FordhadpublictraortationforthemaesandAlehadcomputingpowerforthemaes.Thoughradicallydifferentincontentandkind,alltheseorganisatiomanagedtobindpeopletogetheraroundacommonidentityandseeofdestiny.

Whenthereisagenuinevision(asoosedtotheall-too-familiar"visionstatement"),peopleexcelandlearn,notbecausetheyaretoldto,butbecausetheywantto.Butmanyleadershavepersonalvisiothatnevergettralatedintosharedvisiothatgalvanizeanorganisation.Alltoooften,acompany"ssharedvisionhasrevolvedaroundthecharismsofaleader,oraroundacrisisthatgalvanizeseveryonetemporarily.But,givenachoice,mostpeopleoptfor

pursuingaloftygoal,notonlyintimesofcrisisbutatalltimes.Whathasbeenlackingisadisciplinefortralatinginpidualvisionintosharedvision--nota"cook-book"butasetofprinciplesandguidingpractices.

Thepracticeofsharedvisioninvolvestheskillsofunearthingshared"picturesofthefuture"thatfostergenuinecommitmentandenrollmentratherthancompliance.Inmasteringthisdiscipline,leaderslearnthecounterproductiveneoftryingtodictateavision,nomatterhowheartfelt.

TEAMLEARNING

HowcanateamofcommittedmanagerswithinpidualIQsabove120haveacollectiveIQof63?Thedisciplineofteamlearningconfrontsthisparadox.Weknowthatteamscanlearinorts,intheperformingarts,inscience,andevenoccasionally,inbusine,therearestrikingexampleswheretheintelligenceoftheteamexceedstheintelligenceoftheinpidualsintheteam,andwhereteamsdevelopextraordinarycapacitiesforcoordinatedaction.Whenteamsaretrulylearning,notonlyaretheyproducingextraordinaryresultsbuttheinpidualmembersaregrowingmorerapidlythancouldhaveoccurredotherwise.

Thedisciplineofteamlearningstartswith"dialogue",thecapacityofmembersofateamtosuendaumptioandenterintoagenuine"thinkingtogether".TotheGreeksdia-logos

meantafree-flowingofmeaningthroughagroup,allowingthegrouptodiscoveriightsnotattainableinpidually.Interestingly,thepracticeofdialoguehasbeenpreservedinmany"primitive"cultures,suchasthatoftheAmericanIndian,butithasbeenalmostcompletelylosttomodernsociety.Today,theprinciplesandpracticesofdialoguearebeingrediscoveredandputintoacontemporarycontext.(Dialoguediffersfromthemorecommon"discuion",whichhasitsrootswith"percuion"and"concuion",literallyaheavingofideasbackandforthinawier-takes-allcompetition.)

Thedisciplineofdialoguealsoinvolveslearninghowtorecognizethepatterofinteractioninteamsthatunderminelearning.Thepatterofdefeiveneareoftendeeplyengrainedinhowateamoperates.Ifunrecognized,theyunderminelearning.Ifrecognizedandsurfacedcreatively,theycanactuallyacceleratelearning.

Teamlearningisvitalbecauseteams,notinpiduals,arethefundamentallearningunitinmodernorganisatio.Thiswhere"theruermeetstheroad";unleteamscanlearn,the

organisationcaotlearn.

SYSTEMSTHINKING

Acloudmaes,theskydarke,leavestwistupward,andweknowthatitwillrain.Wealsoknowthatafterthestorm,therunoffwillfeedintogroundwatermilesaway,andtheskywill

growclearbytomorrow.Alltheseeventsaredistantintimeandace,andyettheyareallcoectedwithinthesamepattern.Eachhasaninfluenceontherest,aninfluencethatisusuallyhiddenfromview.Youcanonlyunderstandthesystemofaraitormbycontemplatingthewhole,notanyinpidualpartofthepattern.

Busineandotherhumanendeavorsarealsosystems.They,too,areboundbyinvisiblefapicsofinterrelatedactio,whichoftentakeyearstofullyplayouttheireffectsoneach

other.Sincewearepartofthatlaceworkourselves,it"sdoublyhardtoseethewholepatternofchange.Itead,wetendtofocusonahotsofisolatedpartsofthesystem,andwonderwhyourdeepestproblemsneverseemtogetsolved.Systemsthinkingisaconceptualframework,abodyofknowledgeandtoolsthathasbeendevelopedoverthepastfiftyyears,tomakethefullpatterclearer,andtohelpusseehowtochangethemeffectively.

Thoughthetoolsarenew,theunderlyingworldviewisextremelyintuitive;experimentswithyoungchildrenshowthattheylearnsystemsthinkingveryquickly.

Itisvitalthatthefivedisciplinesdevelopasaneemble.Thisischallengingbecauseitismuchhardertointegratenewtoolsthansimplyalythemseparately.Butthepayoffsare

immee.

ThisiswhySYSTEMSTHINKINGisthefifthdiscipline.Itisthedisciplinethatintegratesthedisciplines,fusingthemintoacoherentbodyoftheoryandpractice.Itkeethemfrombeingseparategimmicksorthelatestorganisationchangefads.Withoutasystemicorientation,thereisnomotivationtolookathowthedisciplinesinterrelate.Byenhancingeachoftheotherdisciplines,itcontinuallyremindsusthatthewholecanexceedthesumofitsparts.

下一次，我们看看甚麽是组织学习智障(OrganisatioLearningDisability)

（收到时间：1998-11-26，byMC&amXM）

LEARNINGDISABILITY

Chapter2

DOESYOURORGANISATIONHAVEALEARNINGDISABILITY?

(TY在这儿介绍了企业的生命周期，PeterSenge在第二章的开头，提及了企业的寿命。)

大企业的寿命很少超过人类寿命的一半。1983年RoyalDutch/Shell的调查发现，1970年列名"Fortune500"排行榜的公司，有三分之一已经消声匿迹。依RoyalDutch/Shell的估计，大型企业的平均寿命不及四十年，约为人类寿命的一半！

大部份失败的企业，事先都会有许多的徵兆显示它们已出了问题，然而即使有少数管理者已微略察觉这些现象，也不会太留意。整体而言，组织往往无法辨清逼近的危机，无法体认这些危机的后果，或提出正确的对策。

也许在适者生存的法则下，如此汰旧换新对社会是好的，可把经济土壤重新翻过，重新把生产资源分配给新的企业和新的文化。然而对於员工及企业主，这是很痛苦的事。但如果高死亡率并非那些问题企业才会面临的威胁，而是所有企业都会面临的问题时，要怎办？如果即使是目前最成功的企业，其实还是很差劲的学习者，那怎办？

Learningdisabilitiesaretragicinchildren,eeciallywhentheygoundetected.Theyarenoletragicinorganisatio,wheretheyalsogolargelyundetected.Thefirststepincuringthemistobegintoidentifythesevenlearningdisabilities:

1.IAMMYPOSITION(思考局限)

Wearetrainedtobeloyaltoourjo--somuchsothatweconfusethemwithourownidentities.WhenalargeAmericansteelcompanybeganclosingplantsintheearly1980s,itofferedtotrainthedilacedsteelworkersfornewjo.Butthetrainingnever"took";theworkersdriftedintounemploymentandoddjoitead.ychologistscameintofindoutwhy,andfoundthesteelworkerssufferingfromacuteidentitycrises."HowcouldIdoanythingelse?"askedtheworkers."Iamalatheoperator."

Whenaskedwhattheydoforaliving,mostpeopledescribethetaskstheyperformeveryday,notthepurposeofthegreaterenterpriseinwhichtheytakepart.Mostseethemselveswithina"system"overwhichtheyhavelittleornoinfluence.They"dotheirjob",putintheirtime,andtrytocopewiththeforcesoutsideoftheircontrol.Coequently,theytendtoseetheirreoibilitiesaslimitedtotheboundariesoftheirposition.

Recently,managersfromaDetroitautomakertoldmeofstriingdownaJapaneseimporttounderstandwhytheJapanesewereabletoachieveextraordinaryprecisionandreliabilityatlowercostonaparticularaemblyproce.Theyfoundthesamestandardtypeofboltusedthreetimesontheengineblock.Eachtimeitmountedadifferenttypeofcomponent.OntheAmerciancar,thesameaemblyrequiredthreedifferentbolts,whichrequiredthreedifferentwrenchesandthreedifferentinventoriesofbolts--makingthecarmuchslowerandmorecostlytoaemble.WhydidtheAmericausethreeseparatebolts?BecausethedesignorganisationinDetroithadthreegrouofengineers,eachreoiblefor"theircomponentonly".TheJapanesehadonedesignerreoiblefortheentireenginemounting,andprobablymuchmore.TheironyisthateachofthethreegrouofAmericanengineerscoideredtheirworksuccefulbecausetheirboltandaemblyworkedjustfine.

Whenpeopleinorganisatiofocusonlyontheirposition,theyhavelittleseeofreoibilityfortheresultsproducedwhenallpositiointeract.Moreover,whenresultsaredisaointing,itcanbeverydifficulttoknowwhy.Allyoucandoisaumethat"someonescrewedup."

2.THEENEMYISOUTTHERE(归罪於外)

AfriendoncetoldthestoryofaboyhecoachedinLittleleague,whoafterdroingthreeflyballsintherightfield,threwdownhisgloveandmarchedintothedugout."Noonecancatchaballinthatdarnfield,"hesaid.

Thereisineachofusapropeitytofindsomeoneorsomethingoutsideourselvestoblamewhenthingsgowrong.Someorganisatioelevatethispropeitytoacommandment:"Thoushaltalwaysfindanexternalagenttoblame."Marketingblamesmanufacturing:"Thereasonwekeepmiingsalestargetsisthatourqualityisnotcompetitive."Manufacturingblamesengineering.Engineeringblamesmarketing:"Ifthey"donlyquitscrewingupourdesigandletusdesigntheproductswearecapableof,we"dbeanindustryleader."

The"enemyisoutthere"syndromeisactuallyaby-productof"Iaminmyposition",andthenon-systemicwaysoflookingattheworldthatitfosters.Whenwefocusonlyonourposition,wedonotseehowourownactioextendbeyondtheboundaryofthatposition.Whenthoseactiohavecoequencesthatcomebacktohurtus,wemierceivethesenewproblemsasexternallycaused.Likethepersonbeingchasedbyhisownshadow,wecaotseemtoshakethem.

The"enemyisoutthere"syndromeisnotlimitedtoaigningblamewithintheorganisation.Duringitslastyearsofoperation,theoncehighlysuccefulPeopleExpreAirlinesslashedprices,boostedmarketing,andboughtFrontierAirlines--allinafranticattempttofightbackagaittheperceivedcauseofitsdemise:increasinglyaggreivecompetitors.Yet,noneofthesemovesarrestedthecompany"smountinggloesorcorrecteditscoreproblem,servicequalitythathaddeclinedsofarthatlowfareswereitsonlyremainingpulloncustomers.

FormanyAmericancompanies,"theenemy"hasbecomeJapanesecompetition,labourunio,governmentregulators,orcustomerswho"betrayedus"bybuyingproductsfromsomeoneelse."Theenemyisoutthere,"however,isalmostalwaysanincompletestory."Outthere"and"inthere"areusuallypartofasinglesystem.Thislearningdisabilitymakesitalmostimpoibleto

detecttheleveragewhichwecanuse"inthere"onproblemsthatstraddletheboundarybetweenusand"outthere".

3.THEILLUSIONOFTAKINGCHARGE

(缺乏整体思考的主动积极)

Being"proactive"isinvogue.Managersfrequentlyproclaimtheneedfortakingchargeinfacingdifficultproblems.Whatistypicallymeantbythisisthatweshouldfaceuptodifficultiues,stopwaitingforsomeoneelsetodosomething,andsolveproblemsbeforetheygrowintocrises.In

particular,beingproactiveisfrequentlyseenasanantidotetobeing"reactive"--waitinguntilasituationgetsoutofhandbeforetakingastep.Butistakingaggreiveactionagaitanexternalenemyreallysynonymouswithbeingproactive?

Nottoolongago,amanagementteaminaleadingpropertyandliabilityiurancecompanywithwhomwewereworkinggotbittenbytheproactivenebug.Theheadoftheteam,atalentedvicepresidentforclaims,wasabouttogiveaeechproclaimingthatthecompanywa"tgoingtogetpushedaroundanymorebylawyerslitigatingmoreandmoreclaimssettlements.Thefirmwouldbeefupitsownlegalstaffsothatitcouldtakemorecasesthroughtotrialbyverdict,iteadofsettlingthemoutofcourt.

Thenweandsomemembersoftheteambegantolookmoresystemicallyattheprobableeffectsoftheidea:thelikelyfractionofcasesthatmightbewonincourt,thelikelysizeofcaseslost,themonthlydirectandoverheadcostsregardleofwhowonorlost,andhowlongcaseswouldprobablystayinlitigation.(Thetoolweusedis"microworlds")Interestingly,theteam"sscenariospointedtoincreasingtotalcostsbecause,giventhequalityofinvestigationdoneinitiallyonmostclaims,thefirmsimplycouldnotwinenoughofitscasestooffsetthecostsofincreasedlitigation.Thevicepresidenttoreuphiseech.

Alltoooften,"proactivene"isreactiveneindisguise.Ifwesimplybecomemoreaggreivefightingthe"enemyoutthem",wearereacting--regardleofwhatwecallit.Trueproactivenecomesfromseeinghowwecontributetoourownproblems.Itisaproductofourwayofthinking,notouremotionalstate.