Change Notes | Issue #5 - April 28, 2020
In this current pandemic we’re being forced to finally face how organizations learn. Way back in 1990 Peter Senge challenged companies to become learning organizations. In his book The Fifth Discipline he quoted Arie De Geus, then head of planning for Royal Dutch/Shell. De Geus proposed that “the ability to learn faster than [an organization’s] competitors may be the only sustainable competitive advantage.” Senge made a compelling case for changing how organizations learn and it is still largely unrealized. Conrad Gottfredson (@ConGott) explores how today’s events are forcing us to change and move towards becoming true learning organizations.
#WorkTrends: Culture That Counts Right Now
Are you a podcast listener? If so here is one to add to your playlist. If not, this is a good one to get started with. In this episode of the #WorkTrends podcast, Meghan M. Biro (@MeghanMBiro) and Organizational Culture Strategist Josh Levine (@akajoshlevine) get into the power — and the importance — of work cultures today. As companies have transitioned their workplaces to remote, grappling with new policies and tough decisions, it’s the leaders who have the power to transform and unify. Leaders turn micro moves into macro shifts — and if they convey true intentions, mission, and expectations, employees will make the connection.
Survive + Thrive
In this article, John Kotter (@johnpkotter) looks at the human elements involved with realizing superior performance in general and, more specifically, leading complex change. This is a fascinating look at how humans are hardwired for handling survival and moving beyond that to the ability to thrive.
He says that it’s a matter of calming and focusing overheated our survival mode and better activating our “Thrive” mode. That will require any number of adjustments to the business norms today. But these adjustments are possible and we have in hand today a new way of thinking about the problem—which offers us many exciting possibilities.
learning in the time of corona
![smarter-leadership[1].png](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/596fff8ccd0f68a2701bb631/1588081336651-R7IGQJPXT5T7WEKXWLT1/smarter-leadership%5B1%5D.png)
Harold Jarche (@hjarche) poses two important questions for us to ask ourselves as we work remotely and connect digitally.
Where do we go for trusted information on matters important to us?
Who do we talk to when we have to make difficult decisions?
Research shows that what distinguishes high performers in every field is that they have larger and more diversified personal networks. We should all be seeking people and knowledge that can help us make sense of our work and the world. The more diverse ideas and opinions we have access to, then the more informed we are in order to take action. The best leaders are constant learners. Leadership today is helping make our networks smarter.
From the International Space Station to Your Kitchen Table: What Change Leaders Can learn from NASA’s Expeditionary Behaviors
In this super fun and insightful post, Sarah La Asmar shares some valuable advice for leading in our current environment that she gleaned from NASA’s “Expeditionary Behaviors”. If you think about, who knows better about being socially isolated than astronauts!
Click below to subscribe for free and get “Change Notes” delivered straight to your inbox.