Dear LOPN member and workshop graduands,

    "How is everyone?  Hope everyone is well.

    Systemically things work in mysterious ways.  If we tried to track change the way reality "really" happens, we
    would probably fail miserably.  This is the product of a mind that has become accustomed to systematic ways of
    thinking.  I have always wondered with amazement at the millions of dollars we pump into process re-engineering
    or in performance measurement systems thinking that we have finally managed to hoodwink reality and taken a
    firm grip on it.  Boy are we kidding ourselves (and the consultant often has no idea they have 'kidded' everyone!)

    But there are few cardinal principles one can respect and when applied persistently (check out the story on
    "The Healing Poison" within the hyperlink) one can learn to anticipate the reality that is most likely to unfold.  
    This now presents a way to turn realties around with a systemic (seeing the process/movie of change over
    space and time) awareness of change and hows, whens, and the whats of change that are most likely to happen.

    One of my favourite stories of change is an organization that had typically relied on 'its high fliers' to rake in the
    money.  However as they learned to understand the principles of Learning Organization, the leverage they
    realized was in helping to create results for the whole organization and not just a part of it.  They began the
    process of building conversations, relations and helping the team as a whole to learn from each other.   

    Suddenly, the organization realized its high-fliers were leaving them.  Guess what happens, when they had left,
    the organization had not noticed a dent in its performance!  The rest of the team had by then pulled itself
    together (through persistent actions of its leaders in nurturing the above), that they find themselves now better
    off then they had ever been.  This surprised them.  Then again think ... imagine the potential  when everyone
    was in (high-fliers and all else) it together.  It is twice the bacon to go around!

    That's the opportunity cost of not seeing things systemically.  Systemically things work in mysterious ways ...

    Did you like the story?  Well so did I!  Love to hear your reactions to what you see here on the eGroup.

    Do feel free to pass this on to anyone you think would like to hear about these.

    To all our Muslim members  / graduands, Selamat Hari Raya!

    Warmly,

    Sheila Damodaran
    http://www.lopn.net

    Interesting Links:
 

2008 LOPN NEWS!

    Check out the network's programmes in the coming months here.
 

2008 COMMUNITY EVENTS AND CONFERENCES:

    Singapore Facilitator Conference (joint conference between LOPN, FNS and ODG) scheduled on Nov 11-14,
    2008 (Tues-Fri).  More details later.

    Employment connections, click here.
 

2008 GLOBAL SOCIETY FOR ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING (SoL) AND RELATED GROUPS


SOCIETY FOR ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING (SoL Global) DATES:

    "For a long time I had felt like a mouse on a corporate treadmill and I was curious to find out how the programmes
    was going to provide me with some new insights and fresh perspectives. As the days unfolded, I thought the
    program was pleasant, relaxing and a good opportunity to recharge the battery.  It wasn't until I came home,
    however, when it suddenly dawned on me that I had subtly changed. It was as if in this moment of stillness in
    Vermont, I had changed a lens on my mental camera and was looking at the world in a different way. As if in a
    moment of connection with life and the universe, I finally understood that our greatest power to change the world
    lies in our power to see beyond the veil."
    - Recent Participant

ACTION DESIGN INSTITUTE DATES:

    "Enhancing our capacity for generative conversation, especially in dealing with highly contentious issues, is vital in
    building learning organizations.  The work of Action Design is an essential foundation in building this capacity."
    - Peter Senge, Society for Organizational Learning.

    "The Action Design Institute is among the most powerful developmental experiences I've had in my career.  I now
    have tools and approaches to help me understand dilemmas, appreciate the perspective of others and know how
    to help when the conversation appears stuck. - Global Quality Manager, BP Solar. .... "I really enjoyed the Action
    Design workshops when I took them but I also noticed that they had a 'time release' quality in my life.  It's been a
    gradual process but I have actually caught myself seeing things very differently."  - An Organizational Development
    Director.

PEGASUS SYSTEMS THINKING IN ACTION ANNUAL CONFERENCE
    Synergy at Work:  Gathering Momentum for Meaningful Performance, Nov 17-19, 2008 (Mon-Wed)
    Keynote Speakers
    Betty Sue Flowers, Adam Kahane, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Atul Gawande, Peter Senge

    From launching a new operations center in record time to eliminating polio worldwide, how can groups come
    together to create new realities rather than replicate the status quo? Join Pegauss at this year's conference to
    explore what distinguishes a transcendent performance from a merely excellent one—and how we can work
    together to produce an outcome greater than the sum of our individual contributions.

    Download the conference flyer for more details.
October 1, 2008 (Fri)

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