Creating a Team Culture of Continuous Learning

About this course: There is mounting concern that organizational groups and teams often fail to learn from their past experiences. It’s pertinent to address this issue as groups and teams are often the main ways that work gets done in organizations. In this course, we examine the main reasons that groups and teams are often ineffective, which include: • The lack of organizational structures and support for teams and groups • The lack of understanding and emphasis on learning • Misaligned reward structures So, what can be done to create an enabling learning culture in teams? This course emphasizes practical and impactful ways to begin to address this state of affairs. Through the use of stories, scenarios with actors simulating different team issues, examples and dialogue, you learn how to: • Understand teams in their larger organizational context • Diagnose the learning strengths and barriers to learning on teams • Identify ways to develop a team and group that continually learns and impacts the larger organization positively • Create an organizational environment that encourages learning and innovation

Created by:  University of Pennsylvania

• Taught by:  Alan Barstow, Ph.D., Director and Senior Scholar

  Organizational Dynamics

• Taught by:  Dana Kaminstein, Ph.D., Affiliated Faculty

  Organizational Dynamics

• Taught by:  Ramya Kumar, MSOD, PGDHRM, SHRM-SCP, Senior Consultant - Organizational Learning, Development & Change

  Organizational Dynamics

• Taught by:  Amrita V. Subramanian, Executive Coach & Senior Consultant, Doctoral candidate (Ph.D. 2019)

  Organizational Dynamics

Basic Info Course 4 of 5 in the Culture-Driven Team Building Specialization Commitment 4 weeks of study, 2-4 hours/week Language English How To Pass Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. User Ratings 4.2 stars Average User Rating 4.2See what learners said Coursework

Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.

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University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (commonly referred to as Penn) is a private university, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. A member of the Ivy League, Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and considers itself to be the first university in the United States with both undergraduate and graduate studies.

Syllabus


WEEK 1


Week 1: Introduction to Framing & Systems Thinking



Thank you for joining us. In this module you will learn to step back and re-frame your point of view, and apply systems thinking in everyday situations in order to help your team to be creative and innovative. Our goal is to enable you to learn through real-life stories, practical scenarios illustrated by actors, on-going conversations, suggested readings and links rather than lectures and instructions. So, come join us at the table, bring your own experiences with you, and be part of the conversation! Check out this NY Times story before you begin: (https://www.nytimes.com/video/business/100000004807604/the-power-of-outsiders.html?smid=fb-share) This story illustrates many of the important points of this course: the importance of thinking about the whole system, the value of including different, outside perspectives (not just experts), and - even when you and your team come up with a breakthrough idea - accepting that it is a difficult challenge to spread the idea and make change happen.


9 videos, 7 readings expand

1. Reading: Syllabus for Module 1
2. Video: Meet the team and learn more about this course
3. Video: Framing, Reframing & Systems Thinking - The Story of George Washington Bridge
4. Video: Frames - Defined and Illustrated
5. Video: Scenario - Computer Manufacturing Company
6. Video: Debrief - Scenario
7. Reading: Studying Intergroup Relations Embedded in Organizations (Alderfer & Smith, 1982)
8. Video: Strength Based Approaches to Organizations
9. Discussion Prompt: Assignment 1 - Experiential Exercise
10. Video: Debrief - Experiential Activity
11. Reading: Strength Based Approaches (Asplund & Blacksmith, 2011)
12. Reading: Appreciative Inquiry in Organizational Life (Cooperrider & Srivastva, 1987)
13. Reading: The Framing of Decisions and the Psychology of Choice (Tversky & Kahneman, 1981)
14. Discussion Prompt: Assignment 2 - Observe a team meeting
15. Video: Systems Thinking Frame
16. Reading: Systems Thinking with Dr. Russell Ackoff
17. Video: Next Module - Focus on Diagnostic Learning
18. Reading: Other References|Additional Readings

Graded: Module 1 - Introduction to Framing & Systems Thinking

WEEK 2


Week 2 : Diagnosing Strengths & Barriers to Learning on Teams



Thank you for joining us in this module! You will learn to recognize the strengths and barriers - visible and invisible - that exist in teams. Quite like the George Washington Bridge story in Week 1, where you learned about Framing and Systems Thinking, here you will learn to define, frame and diagnose the problems and conflicts that can arise in teams; and you will learn to think about data gathering and creating solutions that work! Join us at the table.


11 videos, 5 readings expand

1. Reading: Syllabus for Module 2
2. Video: Diagnosing Problems in Groups and Teams
3. Video: Scenario: Healthcare, Part 1
4. Video: Debrief: Scenario, Part 1
5. Video: Scenario: Healthcare, Part 2
6. Video: Debrief: Scenario, Part 2
7. Video: Our After Action Review
8. Reading: Guide to the After Action Review
9. Reading: Skilled Incompetence (Argyris, 1986)
10. Video: BART
11. Video: Assignment 1: Let's Practice Using BART
12. Discussion Prompt: Assignment 1 - Let's Practice Using BART
13. Reading: The BART System of Group and Organizational Analysis (Green & Molenkamp, 2005)
14. Video: Focus on Culture and Conflict in Teams: Part 1 – Culture
15. Video: Focus on Culture and Conflict in Teams: Part 2 – Conflict
16. Video: Assignments and Summary
17. Discussion Prompt: Assignment 2 - Dealing with conflict
18. Reading: Other References|Additional Readings

Graded: Module 2 - Diagnosing Strengths and Barriers to Learning on Teams

WEEK 3


Week 3 : Developing Groups & Teams for Positive Organizational Impact



Thank you for joining us In Modules 1 & 2. In the previous modules you have learned about Framing, Reframing, Systems Thinking, and Taking a Diagnostic Focus on Groups and Teams. In this module you will learn about disabling and enabling group and team structures. You will also learn about diffusing innovations, and how to have productive conversations using the Ladder of Inference as a guide.


6 videos, 4 readings expand

1. Reading: Syllabus for Module 3
2. Video: Learning Objectives|What disables organizational learning?
3. Reading: Suggested Readings Part 1
4. Video: What disables organizational learning?
5. Reading: Suggested Readings - Part 2
6. Video: Scenario: Executive Team at the Bank
7. Video: Debrief Scenario, Part 1
8. Video: Debrief Scenario, Part 2
9. Reading: Suggested Readings Debrief Scenario Part 2
10. Discussion Prompt: What Enables & Disables Learning
11. Video: Diffusion of Ideas
12. Discussion Prompt: Observe Using the Ladder of Inference

Graded: Module 3 - Developing Groups & Teams for Positive Organizational Impact

WEEK 4


Week 4 : Fostering Innovation in Groups & Teams



Thank you for staying with and being a part of our emergent conversations. If you have accompanied us through weeks 1,2 and 3, we are now at the closing end of our on-going discussion around learning in teams - in this section, we'll focus on Complex Adaptive Systems and structures that foster and accelerate engagement, learning and team conversations. Come join us.


9 videos, 4 readings expand

1. Reading: Syllabus for Module 4
2. Video: Part 1- Introduction & Learning in Ambiguous and Uncertain Environments
3. Reading: Suggested Reading
4. Video: Part 2 - Conditions for Learning
5. Reading: Suggested Reading
6. Video: Part 3 - Organizing Under Uncertainty
7. Video: Scenario: Team at GURD, Part 1
8. Video: Scenario: Team at GURD, Part 2
9. Video: Debrief: Scenario
10. Video: Liberating Structures: Examples of Team Exercises
11. Reading: Suggesting Readings
12. Discussion Prompt: Try A Liberating Structure - Journal About It
13. Video: Focus of Module 4 Review
14. Video: Summing Up Continuous Learning in Teams

Graded: Module 4 - Fostering Innovation in Groups & Teams