Building Learning Organizations in Dementia Care

December 2010Kelly Papa MSN, RN

A Leaders New Work: Building Learning

OrganizationsBy Peter Senge

Article available to you on the Alzheimer’ Resource Center

Knowledge Sharing Web Community

Definition “A learning organization is an

organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, were collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together.”

–Peter Senge

Leadership• Leaders in learning organizations

are:• Designers• Teachers• Stewards

• These roles require new skills.• The 5 Disciplines

New Skills • Leading a learning organization requires

new skills.• These skills can only be developed

through lifelong commitment.• By understanding the practices and

principles of a learning organization, a leader can develop needed skills.

• The 5 Disciplines of a Learning Organization

Personal Mastery “Personal mastery is the discipline of

continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision, of focusing our energies, of developing patience, and of seeing reality objectively.”

Creative Tension“Creative tension comes from seeing clearly

where we want to be, our “vision,” and telling the truth about where we are, our “current reality.” The gap between the

two generates a natural tension.”

Core Leadership Capacity!!!!

Mental Models “Mental models are deeply ingrained

assumptions, generalizations, or even pictures or images that influence how we understand the world and how we take action. Very often, we are not consciously aware of our mental models or the effects they have on our behavior.”

Mental Models The discipline of reflection and inquiry skills

is focused around developing awareness of the attitudes and perceptions that influence thoughts and interactions.

By continually reflecting upon, talking about and reconsidering these internal pictures of the world, people can gain more capabilities in governing their actions and decisions.

Shared Vision“When there is a genuine vision (as opposed to the all-too-familiar “vision statement”), people excel and learn, not because they are told to, but because they want to.”

“The practice of shared vision involves the skills of unearthing shared “pictures of the future” that foster genuine commitment and enrollment rather than compliance.”

Team Learning“When teams are truly learning, not only arethey producing extraordinary results, but theindividual members are growing morerapidly than could have occurred otherwise.”

“A group can discover insights notattainable individually.”

Systems Thinking“Systems thinking is a conceptual framework, a body of knowledge and tools, to make the full patterns clearer, and to help us see how to change them effectively.”

“We tend to focus on snapshots of isolated parts of the system, and wonder why our deepest problems never seem to get solved.”

Mind Mapping• In the center of the page write

Dementia Care.• Put a circle around it.• Reflect on the systems interrelating

in the work that you do. Title them.• Connect these topics with circles

and lines to dementia care.

Why become a Learning Organization?

It will empower your organization to achievedramatically higher results compared to traditional organizations and will enable you to:

• Anticipate and adapt to change• Be more responsive to needs• Generate more enthusiasm and innovation • Nurture talented professionals

Learning Organizations

“The organization that will truly excel in the future will be the organization that will truly tap people’s commitment and capacity to learn at all levels in an organization.” -Peter Senge

Leadership Challenge in Building Learning

Organizations “Significant change will require

imagination, perseverance, dialogue, deep caring, and a willingness to change.” -Peter Senge

LeadershipThe wicked leader is he who the

people despise.The good leader is he who the people

revere.The great leader is he who the people

say, “we did it ourselves.”-Lao Tsu