COGNITIVE TOOLS FOR UNDERSTANDING AND ACTION … · COGNITIVE TOOLS FOR UNDERSTANDING AND ACTION...
Transcript of COGNITIVE TOOLS FOR UNDERSTANDING AND ACTION … · COGNITIVE TOOLS FOR UNDERSTANDING AND ACTION...
COGNITIVE TOOLS FOR UNDERSTANDING AND ACTION STRATEGIES
FOR IMPROVING ORGANIZATIONS – A SOCIOCYBERNETIC APPROACH IN
ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Jason Jixuan Hu, Ph.D.WINTOP Organizational Learning LaboratoryWashington DC – [email protected]
Relevance
Theme of this conference Theme of this paper
▪ Complex Social Systems
▪ Interdisciplinarity
▪ Concerns for the World Futures
▪ Business Organizations
▪ Cyb., ST, OD, Mgt. , Group facilitation methods and skills
▪ Change the world, one organization a time.
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Main Concepts
▪ A “building” of System Thinking, with multiple floors
▪ Each floor focus on a particular feature of the system being observed
▪ The higher the floor, the more complexity is handled (more cognitively demanding)
▪ The students can decide on which floor to work for their particular purpose/project
▪ System Intervention Through “Roundtable Leadership” In-house Training Program provided to business organizations
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▪ Entry point: Establishing Scientific Causality Links. Tool: typical /traditional scientific research methodology;
▪ First floor: the Laundry List Thinking – counting with one’s fingers. Tools: check lists, multiple variable functions, such as those used in quantitative economics, other-point-of-view;
▪ Second floor: the Tree of Causalities Links – which can be expressed by spreadsheets and mind-maps. Tools: Multiple variable equations, chart graphics, software such as EXCEL;
▪ Third floor: the Net of Causality Loops – which contains feedback and/or feedforward, positive and/or negative, relationship diagrams, flow-charts that containing loops. Tools: Engineering Cybernetics (automatic control theory), The Law of Requisite Variety, System Dynamics Modeling (software: iThink/Stella);
▪ Fourth floor: Self-Organization – through which macro order emerges from micro behavioral patterns. Tools: Recursive Functions in Math, Chaos Theories, Gene Algorithms, Agent Based Modeling;
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▪ Fitfh floor: Non-trivial System - the emergence of memory and learning phenomena within a system being observed. Tools: memory theories, theories of learning, developmental psychology, historical studies, interaction-determinism;
▪ Sixth floor: Purposeful System - systems with purpose, desire, dream, and creativity. Tools: Viable System Modeling, Pask-Pangaro Conversational Modeling, organizational learning tools, shared vision building, consensus workshop, strategic planning, brainstorming for creativity, organizational purpose-setting techniques, facilitation skills, participatory management;
▪ Seventh floor: Reflexive System - systems that are able to observe its own observing and cognition (sub)systems. Tools: Facilitation Skills, Soft System Methodology, Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing, Interactive Planning, Action Learning, Second-Order Cybernetics; double loop learning, learning organization, knowledge management;
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▪ Eighth floor: Four-Dimensional System Thinking (4DST): An integrative model combining elements of the lower floors that provides unified insights to guide organizational change and development practices. Tools: Organizational Structural Optimization technologies (IT-based ERP, BPR, CRM, SCM), Organizational Procedural Optimization technologies(TQM, ISO9000, 6 Sigma), Organizational Cultural Optimization technologies, Facilitative Leadership Skills and Participatory Management Skills.
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Emer-gence
Skeleton, hardware
FunctionsAt micro level
(program routines)
Medium
EnvironmentOperating system
Structure
ProcedureCulture
4-DST – A New Tool for Observing
Any Complex System
4-DST – A New Tool for Observing
Any Complex System
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A Business Organization Viewed with “Jason’s Building of ST”
▪ 1st: List of Departments, Name lists of staffs, List of Clients/accounts, List of Suppliers; (no time involved)
▪ 2nd: Relationship Diagrams, Organizational Charts, Simple Work Steps, Financial Reports; (implicit time)
▪ 3rd: Detailed Work Process Flowcharts, Interaction Diagrams (for all elements of the system), SD Models; (explicit time)
▪ 4th: Informal Groups, “GuangXi” networks, Inner-organizational Politics, Policy-Effect Projections; (irreversible time)
▪ 5th: Experiences, History, Core Competency, Strengths and Weaknesses, (time as historical assets)
▪ 6th: D-V-M-V-D: Dream, Values, Mission, Vision, Decisions
▪ 7th: Action Learning Plans, Learning Organization Implementations
▪ 8th: Total Systemic Intervention for Improvement 11:12:26 8
Human IndividualsViewed with “Jason’s Building of ST”
▪ biological: Floors 1 – 4: list of organs and facial characters, deterministic variable tree, interactive biological causal loops, self-organizing biological processes;
▪ psychological: Floors 1-6: category of personalities, developmental path, interactive relationships, habits or addictions, memories and experiences, dreams and hopes;
▪ social: All floors 1-8: ... … group dynamics, politics, team learning capacities, 4-D representations , analysis, and development strategies
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Cybernetic/system thinking ideas Practitioner terms and methods
Multiple (systematic) causes of results in a complicated system
Fishbone diagram analysis in quality management
Feedback PDCA circle, QC circle, single looplearning
Positive feedforward, self-fulfilling prophesy
Appreciative inquiry
Self-organization, dynamics of emergence, eigen-state
Participatory management, consensus
building, GE workout, Technology of Participation
Non-trivial system Learning organization,
Reflexivity Double-loop learning, action learning
Purposeful system Vision building, mission defining,
Four Dimension System Thinking (4DST)
Corporate cultural building, organizational
change, structural optimization(BPR), all
process improvement methods (ERP, CRM, SCM, 6 sigma, etc.)
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Cybernetic and System Principles Used in WINTOP Roundtable Leadership Curriculum
RL Courses (14 hrs each) CS PrinciplesI. Building Team Attitude Positive feedback, self-awareness,
organization-awareness, ST flr 1-3
II. Learning Facilitation Basics Purposeful system, participatory
group dynamics, PDCA procedures
III. Powerful Communication Skills All communication related principles,
ST flr 2-7
IV. Consensus Workshop Method Self-organization principles, ST flr 4-8,
focus on “group mind”
V. Quality Improving and
Action Planning
ST flr 2-8, application of IV
VI. Participatory Strategic Planning ST flr 2-8, vision building, application
of IV
VII. Igniting Action Learning Double-loop learning, second-order
cybernetics, reflexivity, ST flr 811:12:26 11
Discussion
▪ Urgent need of “Cybernetics 101” for wider audience/young students
▪ A large part of Sociocybernetics should be organizational cybernetics
▪ More links are needed between Cybernetics and Organizational Development
▪ WINTOP Roundtable Leadership Training Curriculum needs to be tested in a university platform, beyond corporate training
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