Personal and Organizational Growth

Read this article about personal and organizational learning. Do you believe McCall's statement that "leaders are made, not born, through the trial and error learning that occurs through actual work: adversity, challenge, frustration, and struggle lead to change"? Does your organization provide those kinds of learning opportunities? Or does it punish mistakes? Does it embrace other kinds of learning? Do you agree that "too many organizations focus on learning the wrong things"? Have you had this experience? How do you think an organization can be sure that its learning offerings or plans align with its strategic priorities? Do you have a mentor? If not, where and how can you find one? Does this person have the life experience to teach you what you need to learn? Are they approachable and ready to listen when you need them?

Introduction

An organization's ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage. (Slater 1998, 12)

Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric, 1981-2001



Objectives

After reading this lesson, you will be able to

  • Discuss the role of learning in personal and organizational transformation
  • Explain issues related to project management maturity models
  • Distinguish between thin and thick sustainability
  • List ways to facilitate personal project management maturity
  • List ways to facilitate organizational project management maturity


The Big Ideas in this Lesson

  • All organizational and personal change starts with learning. The kind of evolution associated with living order project management is a natural result of taking in new ideas and information. Don't persevere in a particular approach or methodology simply because it's the one you know.
  • A focus on project management maturity, and the organizational learning that goes along with it, are essential components of any continuous improvement effort.
  • An important element of your personal project management maturity is figuring out where you and your organization stand on questions of sustainability.
  • You need to commit to your own personal development.

Source: Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, https://wisc.pb.unizin.org/technicalpm/chapter/personal-and-organizational-project-management-growth/
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