Learn by Design

Board Management Articles

by Frank Martinelli

This is the fifth in a series of articles by Frank Martinelli on systems thinking tools for Outdoor Ministry leaders.

Systems thinking is a way to see beyond isolated events to the deeper patterns, connections and root causes that explain many of the problems that confront us in our organizations and communities. The systems approach to management is a highly effective method for helping leaders understand the relationships that shape the environment in which their organization operates. It provides Outdoor Ministry leaders with an fresh understanding of relationships between our underlying assumptions about the world, the actions we take based on these assumptions and the consequences of these actions - both intended and unintended. Furthermore, systems thinking provides a range of tools and techniques for leaders who want to try out the approach.

In the systems thinking training, we have attempted to link the practice of thinking systemically with the concept of the "learning organization" popularized by Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. The important point is that if we are going to tap the full power of systems thinking, we have to be committed to developing our organizations into what Senge calls learning organizations. Systems thinking doesn’t exist in a vacuum or as an isolated skill; rather it thrives in learning organizations.

The best way to begin to grasp the concept of a learning organization is to imagine an organization in which it is easy for people to learn together. Further, imagine that in this organization, people are able to apply their learning in ways that strengthen the organization, making it easier to achieve desired results together. Imagine an organization that has embedded practices into its structure and daily way of being that promote individual and group learning.

Another way to think about learning organizations is to contrast an organization in which learning occurs by chance with an organization in which learning occurs by design or on purpose. In the first scenario - when learning occurs by chance - something happens, maybe we reflect on what happened, and just maybe we learn something from our experience together. In the second scenario -- the learning organization -- we plan to learn, we share experiences, and we learn by intentionally reflecting together on these experiences.

One way to promote development of your outdoor ministry organization into a learning organization is to encourage the intentional learning of individuals. In this article we will examine some techniques and practices to support individual learning that can be applied to board, staff and volunteers.

The first practice is the use of "personal development plans" or "learning contracts". The idea is simple. Each of us is in a process of development as a person, an employee and/or a volunteer. We can become aware of this process and, to some extent, direct ourselves toward desired ends -- toward becoming the person, and the employee and the volunteer we want to be. These personal development plans are important building block in creating the right sort of learning climate in the organization and for providing self-development opportunities for individuals. These personal development plans become part of the infrastructure of a learning organization. People think about the work they are responsible for and the learning and development that will be required of them if they are to achieve agreed-upon goals.

Each person should have a personal development plan in some format. In some organizations, learning and personal development is such a part of the natural order of things that these plans are agreements between individuals with no formal documentation. In other organizations that have adopted the idea, the personal development plans are written and integrated into performance reviews. Here is one example of personal development plan that can be adapted to suit your needs. It can be applied to staff, board members and other key volunteers.

This learning contract represents an agreed commitment to personal development between __________ (participant) and ___________ (the organization).

Part 1 – Preparation (a set of questions to help the person think through their needs and goals)

• Current job/position: What are your key skills and areas of strength? Which tasks you find the most difficult? What talents are not being used in your current job/position? What skills/knowledge you think you lack?
• Career interests: What alternative career paths are open to you? What work areas are tasks would lead to these? How is the work/home balance for you right now? Where do you see yourself being three-five years from now?
• Development: What education, training or development do you need? What's happening in your out of work life? What talents and abilities you want to developed more?

Part 2 – Development Plan (A list of goals with target dates, resources needed, etc.)

What kind of experience, special assignments, personal improvements, education and training would be helpful in the next months? (List all resources available in the organization and community that could support this individual’s efforts to address stated needs - projects, assignments, people willing to coach on certain skills, sources of information, seminars and courses, career counseling, etc.)

Example: spend time with chair of Technology Task Force who is skilled in the use of PowerPoint.

Part 3 - Action Plan (What Can I Do? Who Can Help? Would Be Helpful to Contact Others? Who Anyway?)

The second practice is development of committee or project learning objectives. This incorporates intentional learning into the work of a group. For a committee, after developing its work plan for the coming year, members would identify skills and information that would be required to accomplish the objectives they have set for themselves. They would then list specific actions to take to meet these needs. Such a practice can be useful for the Board of Directors as well as the paid staff. A similar approach could be used as part of planning for any project, whether short-term or long-term. This step will be especially important if a committee or project group will be doing something new. Here is an example of a Committee Learning Objectives Worksheet for a Fund Development Committee that can be adapted for other situations:

A third practice is collaborative planning for individual learning. This approach is based on the belief that people will be more successful in meeting their individual learning objectives if the others with whom they work are well-informed about their learning needs and plans. While the specifics of this approach can vary by organization, the general features of this process include the following:

Individuals regularly take stock of themselves in terms of what they're good at, what they have the potential to be good at, what abilities they are using and not using now, what they want to learn and do in the future, how their personal plans alignment with the strategic priorities of the organization, and avenues for personal development that might serve the organization's interests as well as their own.

Individuals are then provided opportunities, both formal and informal, to talk through their thoughts regarding the points listed in the previous paragraph with other staff and board members with whom they work. In these conversations, individuals can gain knowledge of resources and opportunities that can help in accomplishing their learning objectives. These discussions provide for an exchange of information that will allow them to make better decisions regarding their personal and professional development in the future.

This collaborative approach can be more or less formal or systematized. It can also be integrated with other processes such as performance review, organizational planning and board development. Remember, it’s about learning on purpose…it’s about learning by design.