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LLC: A Case Study of Organizational Learning at EDS
Chapter Twelve, Conclusion
The Drops That Started The Ripple
Top management at EDS describe the effect of LLC as "drops in the pond of corporate culture". It is their hope that these drops will create ripples throughout the entire organization and that LLC will initiate the metamorphosis to a learning organization. We have described LLC participants as "learning enzymes" within the EDS organization. An enzyme is the catalyst to change, but is also changed in the process.LLC was a training and education program for ten Strategic Business Units at EDS. We studied the effects at two of these units and the Leadership Development organization that was the sponsoring organization, within EDS, for LLC. We need to consistently remind ourselves, that the training approach was different. This was transformational learning. It was not the traditional, transactional learning method of passing information from the instructor to the student. It was a process of personal discovery, opening ones' mental models and finding new possibilities. One can understand why it takes time for the learning to really take hold. Change is not easy. Safety must be established for the change process to start. That one step may take a long time. We believe that the LLC values and methods must be nurtured with training, practice, support and patience. Leadership plays a critical role in creating the safety necessary within the environment and providing support and consistency.
This thesis has attempted to describe what happened, from a variety of perspectives, within EDS. Various themes were presented. The reader was given information as to the scale and scope of this endeavor and the reader was invited to learn what LLC offered EDS.
We believe that EDS was successful with the pilot program. We were told numerous stories about change in individual's management style. Employees spoke of an environment that invited new thoughts and permitted their "personal life" in the workplace. Employees not directly involved in LLC have been influenced in their actions and in their language. We observed the extensive use of this new language of "humility", "dialogue", "systems thinking" and "inquiry" etc. During our day of "meeting observation" we witnessed use of the tools. We believe that the "openness" and receptivity we experienced with the participants and others was partially the result of LLC. It appeared the employees viewed this as an opportunity to learn and were genuinely interested in exploring the change with us.
There are a few topics we would like to present, which we believe are continuing concerns. It is our opinion that consideration should be given to conducting this type of training at an off-site remote location to reduce the chance of developing an "in-group/out-group". Another consideration is the risk that exists when LLC participants are moved and replaced with individuals without this background. How will the organization respond? One must weigh the fear and uncertainty that is created in the work group with the benefits to be derived from the personnel move. As the culture modification becomes widespread and institutionalized this issue should diminish. Another people movement issue is the job changes for the participants who no longer "fit" the old job. It appears the disruption, caused by the movement of people, will result in a net improvement to EDS due to the employees increased commitment to the job and the company and the increased level of LLC exposure this movement permits within EDS.
We know that a learning organization finds new ways to operate and views challenges as opportunities. People ask for support; others in the organization respond. It is part of the sharing and caring of the group dynamics. While the workload issue looks like a negative ramification of LLC, this "overload" required people to seek help from others and/or explore new ways of accomplishing tasks, and appears to have forced more practice fields than the original program design intended. Another concern is the consequence to the organization when a participant chooses the regular job over the LLC responsibilities. The LLC program design, with its' structure of coaches and champions, should facilitate resolution of this problem should it exist. The issue of preparation was not discussed as a general lesson in Chapter Eleven. However, it is our opinion that all individuals influenced by the participants, including family members, would benefit from earlier and increased levels of exposure to the objectives of the program and what to expect from the participants.
We will remind the reader, one last time, of the LLC values, the six building blocks of humility, wonder, empathy, compassion, authenticity and love. LLC was about shared learning and the shared exploration of opportunities. We have learned that the process of learning itself is regenerative. EDS has started several learning organization initiatives targeted at different levels of the company. Top management of EDS believes this is an appropriate course of action to enable EDS to achieve its corporate objectives of remaining a successful competitive entity in their industry.
LLC is a path towards that destination. Actually, the words "learning organization" do not describe a destination, they more appropriately describe a journey. EDS has accomplished only a fraction of what is intended and has initiated other actions to propel them along their journey. A second LLC class is in process and plans for a third and a fourth exist. There is a graduate program to enable the LLC participants from the first session, to continue their collective organizational learning journey. In the words of Kofman "You can make a lot more profit if you operate in an environment of wonder and permission to not know and to learn." 52 In our interview with Kofman, he was speaking about what he thought he would be doing with LLC at EDS and said "... that something would happen... during the course of the program, in which people would re-connect with parts of themselves and would learn skills that would enable them to accomplish things that were impossible for them before. And just by being this way, by operating this way in their everyday business, they would touch and help a lot of other people around them and there would be something like a nuclear reaction ..." 53 There is not a shadow of doubt in our minds that Fred Kofman did this. Ross Perot, during his time as leader of the company, was reported to have made the following comment about talent at EDS: "Eagles do not flock, you find them one at a time". If EDS management is successful at transforming the company this quote will no longer be appropriate. We envision the company would make reference to individuals that "flock" (as teams) and soar in formation rotating the lead among the members commensurate with their various strengths and using the full range of abilities of all members to achieve distances and heights previously unattainable. We will leave you with one final comment from Clark regarding LLC and the leadership initiative, "... 1992 was the year of definition, 1993 was the year of framework and strategy, 1994 was creating the shared view of senior leaders and 1995 is the year of mass deployment. We are taking it to the world and I wouldn't miss it for the world!" And we would like to be there too!
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