320 BEST PRACTICES IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIZATION CHANGE processes, demanding clients, rapidly increasing technologically sophisticated systems, and increasingly stringent regulations. Members of the MIT commu- nity and MIT’s physical assets, its buildings and grounds, benefit from highly skilled facilities personnel. The Learning and Performance Center is imple- menting more technical skills training along with many courses in diversity, management, computers, leadership, and safety. • How does Facilities measure the value of its service in terms of the inter- nal and external customer? At the completion of every service request by Repair and Maintenance, the functional unit responsible for all of the repairs to existing building structures and systems, and Design and Construction Ser- vices, the functional unit responsible for all renovations, the internal or exter- nal customer is asked to provide feedback on the quality of the service. Returned evaluations are reviewed and changes implemented if necessary. Learning and Performance measures the value of its training in the workplace with an evaluation form that is distributed at the conclusion of every course and by way of dialogue sessions one to two months following the conclusion of select courses. The form asks questions about the specific course and for suggestions regarding new courses, and the dialogue focuses on the applica- tion of new skills and knowledge. Very few historical statistical data are avail- able; therefore, longitudinal studies are not possible at this time. Facilities is beginning to collect data and expand measurement capabilities to other func- tional units. At this early stage of its development, Facilities’ learning organization effort is fragile and requires unflagging vigilance, much maintenance, and continu- ous, consistent, and strong leadership. The primary elements for growth are already in place: the realization by many employees that to be successful in the long-term, Facilities must become a learning organization; a visionary chief facil- ities officer; a few enlightened leaders; and a cadre of informal leaders to sus- tain this growth and lead, influence, and motivate the rest of the organization throughout the many changes and transformations that will be occurring. Facilities’ journey is clearly under way. The journey of a thousand miles starts from beneath your feet. —Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Book Two, Chapter 64 REFERENCES Burke, W. W. (2001). Competency Model. OD Practitioner, 33(3), 15. Cashman, K. (1998). Leadership from the Inside Out. Provo, Utah: Executive Excellence Publishing. cart_14399_ch13.qxd 10/19/04 1:15 PM Page 320 MIT 321 Dannemiller, K. (Oct. 2001). “Whole Scale Change.” Paper presented at Linkage Organization Development Summit, Chicago, Ill. Lao Tzu (4th century B.C./1963). Tao Te Ching, D. C. Lau (trans.). Baltimore, Md.: Penguin. Senge, P. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. New York: Doubleday. Ulrich, D., Zenger, J., and Smallwood, N. (1999). Results-Based Leadership. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press. cart_14399_ch13.qxd 10/19/04 1:15 PM Page 321 322 BEST PRACTICES IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIZATION CHANGE Exhibit 13.1. Status of Strategic Plan Action Items, 1999 and 2002 Number of Action Items 1999 2002 Complete 29 45 Partially complete 16 10 In progress 5 1 No action 6 0 Note: “Partially complete” refers to an action item with several deliverables where at least one but not all of the deliverables are complete; whereas, “in progress” refers to an action item with several deliverables where none are complete. Prior to Strategic Plan Following Strategic Plan Training centrally documented for 27 percent of employees Fourteen courses were offered annually to unionized service staff Thirty computers plus thirty terminals were in use Only select individuals received computer training Training was generally focused on technical issues Annual performance reviews for administrative staff were conducted informally and inconsistently Administrative assistants did not receive annual performance reviews Training documented for all employees Forty-five individual courses were offered to all employees in 1998, one year fol- lowing the formation of the Learning and Performance Team. Currently Learning and Performance offers a similar number of courses; however, many of the original courses have been updated or replaced with those addressing current needs. Four hundred computers are in use All employees receive training in elec- tronic mail and web fundamentals Learning is aligned to strategic goals The annual performance review process for administrative staff is formal and consistently applied Administrative assistants receive annual performance evaluations cart_14399_ch13.qxd 10/19/04 1:15 PM Page 322 MIT 323 Exhibit 13.1. (Continued) Unionized service staff did not receive annual performance reviews Recognition for good work was dependent upon a customer sending praise to the employee by the way of a letter. The letter would be placed in the employee’s file No customer involvement in strategic decisions The receipt of a repair request is not acknowledged Select employees communicate with customers Unionized service staff participate in an annual performance feedback session with their coach Employees recognize each other for doing good work. All cash rewards are tied to strategic goals. Praise from customers is welcome, but most recognition originates from within Facilities. Customers participate in the decisions that could affect the strategic direction of Facilities An acknowledgment for the receipt and completion of each repair request is sent to the customer automatically All employees communicate with customers cart_14399_ch13.qxd 10/19/04 1:15 PM Page 323 324 BEST PRACTICES IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIZATION CHANGE Exhibit 13.2. Systems Diagram To read the systems diagram: The strong, respected leadership consistently demonstrated by the chief facilities officer, Vicky Sirianni, has influenced informal leaders to take the initiative to implement new processes and practices, which then leads up to the intervention: having the organizational learning disciplines directly linked to the strategic goals of the department. This is not a one-time intervention. On-going initiatives have been and currently are being developed. Over time, the objectives of these initiatives are to lead to (a) changes in culture by having new practices and ways of interacting and (b) employees continually learning and striving for the next levels of growth. Start here Intervention s s Over time Over time s s s R Informal leaders willing to take new initiatives Next level of growth and development Strong, respected leadership (from director) Organizational learning disciplines linked directly to strategic goals Changes in culture Note: The “s” indicates increases in growth or the direction of influence in a positive direction. cart_14399_ch13.qxd 10/19/04 1:15 PM Page 324 MIT 325 Exhibit 13.3. Model I: Organizational Learning Capabilities Personal Mastery is the discipline of personal growth and learning. It is the ability to create the results in your life that you truly seek. Shared Vision binds people together by their common aspirations. Shared vision is vital for the learning organization because it provides the focus and energy for learning (Senge, 1990, p. 206). Systems Thinking allows us to see the interconnectedness and interdependencies in any given situation. It is a holistic way of thinking and looking at the world. Mental Models are the pictures we have in our minds of how the world works. They are our assumptions and belief systems. Team Learning is about alignment of goals, roles, learning together for the greater good. It is a collective discipline. Aspiration • Personal Mastery • Shared Vision Understanding Complexity • Systems Thinking Generative Conversation • Mental Models • Team Learning Organizational learning capabilities Source: P. Senge (1990). Reprinted with permission. cart_14399_ch13.qxd 10/19/04 1:15 PM Page 325 326 BEST PRACTICES IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIZATION CHANGE Exhibit 13.4. Model II: Competency Model Operationalizing Organizational Learning Key Competencies Link to Organizational Learning Develops the Ability to: Capabilities: Tolerate ambiguity Influence Confront difficult issues (through inquiry)* Support and nurture others Listen well and empathize Recognize one’s own feelings, intuitions quickly Conceptualize Discover and mobilize human energy Create learning opportunities Sense of mission (and vision) * Maintain sense of humor Systems thinking Team learning Team learning Team learning Team learning, mental models Personal mastery, team learning Systems thinking Team learning, personal mastery Entirety of organizational learning Personal mastery, shared vision Result of environment that honors and supports fun and learning together *Model adapted by Consulting Partner, 2001–2002. Source: Copyright © 1982 W. Burke. Reprinted with permission. cart_14399_ch13.qxd 10/19/04 1:15 PM Page 326 MIT 327 Exhibit 13.5. Agenda for Session I The Development of Leadership Capabilities: Its Link to Individual and Organizational Capabilities I. Successful Change Exercise • Two Purposes: 1. Link this morning’s session on strategic goals to individual and organizational growth 2. Provide a basis for our focus on organizational learning and effectiveness II. Discussion: Leadership, Learning, Performance • Capacity to Grow → Learn → Transform Our Systems • Organizational Learning Capabilities • Learning and Performance III. The Influence of Systems and Systemic Change • Four Response Modes • Identifying the Interconnecting Influences—Discussion and Small-Group Application IV. Leadership Dialogue: Key Learnings and Leadership Story Exhibit 13.6. Agenda for Session II Developing Personal Mastery and Vision I. The Foundational Premises for This Session II. Persona and Character Models of Personal and Leadership Development III. Qualities Guiding Character and Persona IV. Personal Mastery V. The Inner Journey Itself A. Conscious Beliefs B. Shadow Beliefs VI. Two Forces of Personal Mastery VII. The Linkage of Personal Mastery to the Other Disciplines VIII. Developing Personal Vision IX. Personal Mastery Exercise X. Your Organizational Vision XI. Ongoing Personal Mastery Exercise: Do Differently cart_14399_ch13.qxd 10/19/04 1:15 PM Page 327 328 BEST PRACTICES IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIZATION CHANGE Exhibit 13.7. Session Follow-up Questionnaire Developing Personal Mastery and Vision: Follow-up questions from our session on July 11, 2002 We wanted to check in to see how our session has had an influence on your interactions and reflections as a leader. Thank you for taking the time to think about these questions. 1. How have you seen your view of leadership change since our session? Have you had any shifts in thought, action, or how you perceive things? (For example, think of persona-character, conscious-shadow beliefs that we talked about.) 2. Have you started to think about developing a personal or organizational vision? Please elaborate . . . 3. What did you learn in our session that you would be able (or have already been able) to use? 4. Was there an “aha” for you? If so, what was it? 5. Have you been able to do a “Do Differently?” What changes did you or others experience as a result of the “Do Differently?” 6. What would you like to see as the focus for any subsequent sessions? cart_14399_ch13.qxd 10/19/04 1:15 PM Page 328 MIT 329 Exhibit 13.8. Training Content: Exercises Used in Organizational Learning Sessions Session I The Development of Leadership Capabilities: Its Link to Individual and Organizational Capabilities Exercise I—Successful Change Exercise Understanding and Managing Change 1. We have all experienced a successful change, whether with an organization, a community, a church, or even in our family. Describe an experience you’ve been a part of that achieved a powerful change in a productive way. What happened? What made it successful? 2. Take yourself forward in time. It is 2005 and your organization/department is operating in a healthy, productive, and sustainable way. What is going on? How is it different? What was it you and others did back in 2001 to achieve this remarkable transformation? Exercise II—Application Exercise: Your Own Specific Example In teams, choose an example from your own environment that you’d like to dia- gram using the systems thinking tools. With your team members, have one person be the owner of the problem. The other team members will act as facilitators and consultants in helping the “client” diagram the problem. Use the following steps and diagrams as tools to guide you. Systems Thinking Template Completed Step 1: Stating the Problem Yes No Step 2: Telling the Story Yes No Step 3: Identifying the Key Variables Yes No Step 4: Visualizing the Problem Yes No Step 5: Creating the Loops Yes No Step 6: Evaluating the Whole Process Yes No Step 1: State the problem. Step 2: Tell it as a story. Step 3: Identify the key variables. Step 4: Visualize the problem using a behavior over time (BOT) graph. Step 5: Create the loop. Step 6: Evaluate the whole process, key insights. (Continued) cart_14399_ch13.qxd 10/19/04 1:15 PM Page 329 . Training Content: Exercises Used in Organizational Learning Sessions Session I The Development of Leadership Capabilities: Its Link to Individual and Organizational. learning opportunities Sense of mission (and vision) * Maintain sense of humor Systems thinking Team learning Team learning Team learning Team learning,