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Senge's best-selling The Fifth Discipline led Business Week to dub him the "new guru" of the corporate world; here he offers executives a step-by-step guide to building "learning organizations" of their own.
Incl. strategies for developing personal mastery/systems thinking in an organization/organizations as communities/etc
Senge promoted the learning organization and introduced systems-thinking in The Fifth Discipline (Doubleday, 1990). This sequel is a quantum leap, treating management as an empirical science. Designed as a workbook, a companion, and a source of exercises and techniques for the continuing education of its readers, this collection of notes, reflections, and exercises "from the field" comprises 146 pieces of writing by 70 authors. The offerings can be read in any order; browsing is aided by handy margin icons. Libraries may purchase copies for their business collection shelves, but one gets the impression that this work is primarily targeted to a defined audience, namely, the devotees of Senge's previous work. Recommended for public libraries with substantial business holdings.-Randy Abbott, Univ. of Evansville Libs., Ind.
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April 16, 2009: Senge's second serving of the Learning Organization is filled with practical tips and real-life examples from companies and organizations that have embraced the teachings of the Learning Organization successfully.
The Book is a collaboration of several writers who do a superb job of unraveling the web that is the learning organization. At times, it may seem to the reader that the book is a labyrinth of disjointed concepts and ideas. However, if you have read `The Fifth Discipline' you will find no problems following the concepts introduced. In fact, you will even understand why the writers have chosen to introduce them in that fashion. If you have not read "The Fifth Discipline', do not despair, it will take a little longer to get `the whole picture'.The Book is divided into 8 main sections:1) Getting Started addresses the basic concepts and ideas of the Learning Organization.2) Systems Thinking (the fifth discipline) - Many people have argued that Senge should have delegated the fifth discipline until the end, however, without Systems Thinking, your vision is disjointed and incomplete.3) Personal Mastery covers the area of individual development and learning. The chapters here are among the most valuable in the area of self-growth and self-improvement.4) Mental Models - These are the pictures that you have in your head which represent reality.5) Shared Vision - You've seen the whole picture, you've developed and you understand how you see the world. Now you need to find a common cause with the rest of the people in your organization, something that you all work for.6) Team Learning - As you work with other people in teams or groups, you need to pass the stuff that you have learnt and the wisdom you've acquired to others. At this stage, the learning is no longer that of the individual, but the group.7) Arenas of Practice - (Self explanatory)8) Frontiers - Where do we go from here.If you are interested in development, learning, growth, leadership, gaining a competitive edge whether at an organizational or personal level, then this book is for you. In fact, I'd venture to say that this is book is for everyone.