The Learning Community: Strategies for Bridging Organizational Learning Concepts with Communities

Miller JP¹*, Hogue TA²* and Hays CE³*

1. Innovative Leadership Solutions, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
2. Oregon State University, Bend, Oregon, USA
3. Strategic Collaboration Group, Philo, Illinois, USA

When The Fifth Discipline was published almost 15 years ago, it unleashed a wave of transformation changing how many organizations function. As conditions within communities become more complex, the ideas in the Fifth Discipline and its array of secondary publications, present new ways of looking at communities. It also provides insights into how programs can be developed to more adequately and successfully address this complexity.

In this session we will teach the core concepts of “systems thinking” with practical exercises and small group dialogue directly related to complex community issues. Tools that can be used in assessing and (where appropriate) redesigning local efforts both for short and long term will be included.

Learning Objectives

• Develop a basic understanding of the five disciplines involved in systems thinking
• Provide frameworks within which layers of complex factors in communities can be managed
• Transfer systems thinking concepts to how community and programs are viewed and operated
• Learn new tools/techniques that aid participants in looking and working more holistically
• Learn methods of implementing holistic systems approaches into existing efforts

The ideas presented here allow a community to bring more resources to bear on a problem by reframing how capacity and assets are defined. Actual tools and techniques helpful for incorporation into existing work will be shared. This is intellectually challenging material that will provoke some discomfort as many assumptions about leadership, community, program design, and engagement could be tested.

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