2 March 2008, Phnom Penh City, Cambodia
A Fifth Discipline Resource: The Dance of ChangeBy Peter Senge, et. al. A Book Review by Derfus
SUMMARY IN BRIEF
Growth requires adjusting to some changes and change is constant. The best way for organizations to persist is adopting to the changes transpiring before them, solving the challenges at its core and sustaining growth initiatives over time.
In view of sustaining growth initiatives, this book discussed the importance of realizing the forces and challenges that impede growth and dealing with them properly as opportunities to progress. This is important so that change initiatives of organizations would yield better results and positive direction.
The Dance of Change refers to the processes that reinforce change and those that limit change which come into contact and conflict. The three fundamental reinforcing processes required to sustain profound change are:
1) enhancing personal results; 2) developing networks of committed people; and 3) improving business results.
In The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge outlined the five learning disciplines essential for developing the capacity to learn. This involves 1) personal mastery; 2) mental models; 3) shared vision; 4) team learning; and 5) systems thinking. The three reinforcing processes for change and the 10 limiting processes that impede change, are grounded in the fifth discipline: systems thinking. This discipline requires you and your group to understand interdependency and change, and to learn how to change systems more effectively.
PERSONAL REFLECTION
This book provides a very practical and useful insights for any striving organization especially now that we are becoming globally competitive. Any organization cannot afford to remain in its traditional and unconventional structure because time and circumstances always requires dynamism, flexibility and realistic approach to continuity. Organizations must understand that to sustain change, they must treat the problem at its core or origin not on onetime solution only. There is more to work on than meets the eye and what seems to be obvious. More often than not, the real problem is something profound and beyond superficial. It is therefore crucial that the analysis of the problem must begin at the root and take time to touch the “undiscussable” issues concerning not only the involved but as well as the others to prevent the problem from recurring in another incarnation.
BOTTOMLINE MESSAGE
Challenges of growth are inevitable and to survive, organizations must learn how to dance with change, figuratively speaking. To sustain change initiatives, challenges should be treated methodically. Everyone should be involved, create timely but realistic growth initiatives and make an unprecedented effort and effective approach to overcome the challenges of the dance of change.
Programs of change requires more than just good ideas. Above all else, everyone in the organization must be committed in the building processes of change initiatives. Invest in each other and learn to change systems interdependently. Great ideas combined with effective people are the prerequisites for success.
Tags: Strategic Management Review
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