All entries for November 2008

System of Profound Knowledge an LO

After focusing these last couple of days on the System of Profound Knowledge, and trying to find ways of connecting the values illustrated in it,  with the theme of Lerning Organisation ,I have concluded that what Deming is doing is offering advice to managers in order to begin the learning process.

To cut a long story short by reading and most importantly by applying the principles presented in the System of Profound Knowledge, insightful managers are in a position to understand three critical aspects of the organisation they belong to :

1) how the system operates

2) the interactions between the components of the system (people as well as other resousres)

3)what are the outcomes? and can they be controlled? and to what extend

The meaning is that the leader needs to acquire knowledge of the way the organisation functions.

But this knowledge goes beyond just being able to deal with what is happening currently(the "adaptive" knowledge Senge analyses in The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of The Learning Organization, 1990), the aim is to focus on the future. The kind of knowledge the System of Profound Knowledge provides is closer to the "generative" knowledge Senge analyses in the same book. Because, the objective is for an organisation to understand how things work and also constantly try to detect what can be done in order to improve in the future.

And is't this exactly what Deming says about continuasly redifining and reinventing an organisation?

: 30 Nov 2008 16:04 |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Scratching the surface

For the last couple of days I have started working on my CBE PMA, i have discuded to do the third question(yes me too) about LO, EFQM model and Deming's System of Profound Knowledge.

I have to admit I knew apsolutly nothing about what an LO is, and I have to admit I find its perspective quite fascinating!

The idea of establishing an environment that encourages learning, but not just for the sake of learning, but for developing thourh the outcome and even better going beyond the object of learning and focusing on the process of learning(as i read somewhere), seems so .... ideal. In a way that cant be implemented in our unforgiving world..

According to my information, there has been a lot of analysis discussion around LO for a number of decades (!), it seems to my that somewhere along the way towards becoming one things get mudled up...I  am still trying to understand why....

About my PMA I must say that i found the team presentations extremely helpful!!!! Also, I was having a discussion about how come we didnt dedicate a seminar on this "hot" topic, it whopuld make things soooo much easier...  but  chalenges are nesseccary to evolve and therfore welcomed

Speaking of chalenges, i am having trouble connecting the three aspects (LO, EFQM model and System of Profound Knowledge) with anything else apart from people and vision....I ll see ho that goes

Will get back when have something worthy...

: 26 Nov 2008 01:21 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

CBE and GBE

As I am very close to finishing the PMA on GBE-which is one of the reasons why I havent blogged for so long- I have found a connection between the PMA content and what we leared during CBE module.

I guess we are all aware of the general fetures our PMA must have:the implications of gobalisation on trade, investment, employment and output and all these in respect of a specific sector. I have selected the clothing industry and  I have to admit it is a very unsusual sector. What is happening is that textile and clothing  firms in US and EU are facing the dillema of "adapting or dying", due to the gobal shift that is taking place and the fierce competition coming from developing countries.

One point is that western firms had settled with the market share the trading restictions had offered them in the past, but since 2005 when the restrictions were eliminated they are facing very difficult times because of powerfull competitors exporting to the EU and US market. This proves that a company must not seat back and enjoy success but must constantly try to be ahead of the market in order to be prepared for the worst. Remeber what Deming had said on that video about improvment...? That a company must think about it in advance and not in a midle of a crisis? I think this is representetive of the case  

What i think is also very intresting is the fact that certain T/C firms particulaly from Italy and France are starting to consentrate on innovation. This reminded me lot of CBE and the EFQM model.These firms have realised that they can't compete in the mass production so they are focusing on niche markets and areas wich haven't been developt yet such as design and quality.

The fact that they are investing in unconvential fields of the textile and clothing sector is giving them a competitive advantage and a characteristic that differentiates them from the rest of the market.

Overall, I think that things would be much easier for T/C firms of developed countries if they considered Deming's idea about costantly redescovering and reinveting an oragisation, never settling with what has been achieved and always setting new goals....

Uh! if only they knew...

: 11 Nov 2008 14:02 |  Tags: And Clothing Gbe Textile Industry Pma |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem