Bookshelved Wiki: TheFifthDiscipline

Just finished off the last few chapters in my summer lodge this week and I must say that I was very impressed. This one is a classic and as such it most definitely stands the test of time. It´s published in 1990 and the subject matter is relevant at any time whether the reader wants to use it to start a learning organization or just learn more about the way the human brain, and the collaboration of those, works.

The subtitle is "The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization" and PeterSenge illustrates his vision of how one, a person or team or company, can maximize one´s potential for learning. The art of Learning, as Senge points out, does not mean what it has typically come to mean, that is "taking in information". As he says "taking in information is only distantly related to real learning. It would be nonsensical to say, 'I just read a great book about bicycle riding-I´ve now learned that'". Yet we tend to equate going to a seminar on XML to substantial "learning" of XML even if we have never worked with it (I confess, I did go to an XML seminar and now lots of people at work think I´m an XML guru!).

Senge also contends that grasping "...the meaning of metanoia, ie. shift of mind, is to grasp the deeper meaning of "learning," for learning also involves a fundamental shift of mind or movement of mind." This is, I think, a particularly poignant issue in this book; the shifting of one´s mind. Senge proposes that we shift our minds in order to learn. He also proposes five specific practices to achieve this shift:

  1. Systems thinking
  2. Personal mastery
  3. Mental models
  4. Shared vision
  5. Team learning

Each of these practices he goes into great detail about and his coverage of them is very illuminating. Using lots of case studies and interviews with people from diverse industries who have applied the practices in their companies Senge really does know how to present his ideas in an entertaining way. His case studies are particularly revealing and shows the disciplines' practical value.

Highly recommended.

-- DadiIngolfsson August, 2003

Following TheFifthDiscipline came TheFifthDisciplineFieldbook?. The fieldbook is more of a sourcebook, but in either case a necessary supplement - actual techniques, exercises, and examples of using the five disciplines.

There was a very interesting, lengthy discussion of TheFifthDiscipline on Compu$erve CaseForum?, shortly after the book came out. CaseForum? was more like a software engineering forum (the SE forum had an unfortunate signial / noise ratio then) and we ended up talking about things that help software engineering happen. We asked whether five was all the disciplines there were, and whether the five were sufficient. That discussion ended up with a plurality claiming that there was / is a necessary sixth discipline:

The scientific method.

Iterating from model to data and data from model is necessry if you're going to learn anything. Having mental models helps, but can also be a great way to go way, way wrong. Phlogisteron, anyone?

Still a wonderful book. Pretty much triggered a popular field.

A BookOnTheBookshelf including SeeingSystems in business.