Rating: 
Summary: The Book that began a fad
Review: This book was written quite a long time ago (in 1990) and shifted the boundaries of management from concentrating on silos (marketing, HR, finance, production) to looking at organizations as open systems which interact with outside systems and put into motion forces that may not be easily understood using traditional systems to assessment. This ability of Systems Thinking Senge called the "Fifth Discipline" , the other four being:
1) Building Shared Vision.
2) Mental models .
3) Team Learning.
4) Personal Mastery The field of Systems Thinking was developed in MIT under Prof Jay W. Forrester, but Senge gae it the 'managerial' flavour, cross-fertilising it with folk beliefs , spirituality and scientific thought from around the world. The belief being, once an organization has mastery of all the five disciplines, the organization can become 'a learning organization'. This book, therefore triggered the craze and fad on part of organizations to become 'learning organizations' and the rise of the 'knowledge economy' was perfect timing for it. Now when the hoopla has settled, it is time again to revisit the true essence of Senge's work and what he REALLY means. Being a consultant who works in the areas of creativity and knowledge creation, Senge's work is like an ocean , which I visit time after time. And come up with an occasional nugget and pearl. It's not an easy book to read, but well worth the effort.
Rating:
Summary: An inspiration...
Review: The Learning Organization remains one of the most talked-of management concepts in today's business world, and nobody is as capable of explaining exactly what is a Learning Organization or what are the requirements for such an elusive concept than Peter Senge. Senge's main thesis is that for an organization to become a Learning organization, it must embrace five disciplines:
1) Building Shared Vision so that the organization may build a common commitment to long term results and achievement.
2) Mental models are a technique that can be used to foster creativity as well as readiness and openness to change and the unexpected.
3) Team Learning is needed so that the learning is passed on from the individuals to teams (i.e. the organization as a whole).
4) Personal Mastery is the individual's motivation to learn and become better (hence the term Mastery).
and Finally
5) The fifth discipline is that of Systems Thinking which allows to see a holistic systemic view of the organization as a function of its environment. However, this is not simply a book about management practice.. though it was written primarily for the use managers. This is a book about growth, improvement and continuous development. If you wish to achieve these results for yourself, your home, or your organization, then you MUST read this book. Senge introduces his ideas and concepts smoothly and in an absorbing style. He is able to explain difficult concepts simply and by the end, you find that you have whole-heartedly embraced his belief in the Learning Organization, in fact, you find yourself yearning for it!
Rating:
Summary: positively excellent
Review: All too often, I find myself acting cynically about my field and ready to dismiss just about anything as mediocre, no matter how popular or praised. Well, this is one book that I think is really excellent - for content, for clarity, for sincerity, for the stories reported in it. When I plow through a business book, I try to see if I can remember the central ideas, the essence of what the author has to say from the mass of details and stories that make up every business book. Most often, they are appalingly banal and pathetically over-applied, touted as able to solve just about every problem, in particular if a fee is paid to the authors to come and talk about it in person. I was preparted to treat this book the same way, and was simply delighted to find a truly excellent and useful book. And gee, I am glad that I can get inspired by a book in my chosen field rather than bored! As I see it, this book has three principle ideas. First, we must think of organizations and their missions as complex systems rather than as congloerations of isolated problems. It is pitch for the development of a holistic view - how everything interacts and what factors act upon what other factors. This is an analytical tool that can pinpoint what should be done, breaking mental habits of looking only at the bottom line of sales revenues, for example, rather than the need to provide better service or delivery times. Second, employees must be empowered to make their own decisions locally, requiring honesty and openness throughout the organization as standard practice. This enables them to learn, not just individually but as part of a unified team, hence the subtitle of a learning organization. Mistakes are part of this process and should be allowed as valid experiments. Third, the task of a leader is to design an organizational system within which this can all be done. Rather than control all decisions in a centralized manner in accordance with a rigid plan, the leader must develop a vision of where they organization should go and then allow his employees to pursue that vision as a team. I have wanted to read this book for almost ten years. It was first pointed out to me by a remarkable business leader in mainland China, Zhang Ruimin, the founder of the Haier Group. He said that he had built a learning organization, and after so many years, I see that indeed he did. What this book did for me was to give me a better idea of Zhang's mind and what went on in it. But it has also given me a clearer idea of many other remarkable entrepreneurs whom I have had the pleasure and honor to meet over the years in my work. As Senge explained, these men had a vision, but used the gap that existed between their vision and current reality to inspire their workers to achieve remarkable things. And they created self-reinforcing systems to do so. Another fascinating aspect of this book is that, in spite of being nearly 15 years old, it felt fresh and its examples did not feel stale and in need of updates. Many books that old extoll Japan as the model to emulate and explain why that country does everything better than everyone else. While this book has some examples from Japan, it does not fall into that trap - for me, that means its analyses have stood the test of time. This is one of the best business books I ever read - and I have read way way too many of them! Warmly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Useful Framework
Review: Systems theory is an analytical tool that enables one to see an organization holistically including such invisible components as relationships. Senge uses systems thinking to describe how organizations maintain their effectiveness by learning and responding appropriately to changes in the environment. On page 12 he is explicit, "systems thinking is the fifth discipline." As the manager or even a middle manager of a learning organization, win/win is essential to the well-being of the whole structure because "in many systems, in order for you to succeed others must succeed as well" (p. 50).
Individual achievement is the necessary prerequisite to a learning organization. As individuals grow and change in a positive manner, the organization collectively becomes more effective. Approaching one's life from a creative, growth paradigm enhances the culture of learning throughout the organization. He discusses this matter in detail in chapter 9. In his chapter on mental models, he points out that two people see different things from the same set of facts based on their individual perceptions. A contrast is made between two people in the same organization. One professional might never grow intellectually after completing graduate school, while a colleague might challenge his own assumptions regularly. Senge gives some thoughts to ponder that have practical implications for an organzation's bottom line
Rating: 
Summary: Very Useful- On Another Planet
Review: Senge is a demigod to many people. I spent in excess of $50.00 on this book and The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook. Having read them both, I have no doubt that Senge in a smart guy. But there are some deeply problematic issues here. Let's take a look at one of his pearls of wisdom. One of his central points is "today's solutions are tomorrow's problems." Few people can find disagreement with that statement. He makes an important point that people must learn to see patterns over time, to understand systemic structures. Again, no problem. So what is the problem? People within an organization may realize that today's problem is rooted in the past. They will not agree about what point in the past the problem started. One of his most important examples is the Cold War between the U.S. and Russia. His conclusion? That the constant escalation in arms led to high deficits for the U.S., and an economic collapse for the Soviet Union. He then claims that a deeper understanding of systemic structures could have avoided this. As we all know, the Cold War is a contreversy to this day. There will never be unanimoty about the meaning, causes, and outcome of it. This is a fact that Senge carefully avoids. Moreover, he insists that authoritarian leadership should be replaced with "team learning." One might ask the question, how can you have team learning in a country that values individualism (the U.S.)? Such implementation would require an "authoritarian" approach. The world Senge writes about is a nursery school playground, rather than a vicious jungle. This book has good ideas- GREAT ideas. Too great for this blue ball we call the planet Earth.
Rating:
Summary: Not Just For Business People
Review: If I had to choose one book to teach people what organizations are supposed to be all about, this would be it. The Fifth Discipline is one of those rare, classic points of reference...It's to business what A Pattern Language is to architecture. Peter Senge gets to the core of what people working in groups can achieve, and what stops them from getting there. I have to admit, however, that when I first heard about this book, I didn't really want to read it. I'd just started getting into sustainability, and I'd heard the name of this book thrown around in the subject more than once. But to me it seemed like just another dry business book. It wasn't till years later when someone recommended I read it as an introduction to systems thinking that I went out and borrowed a copy from the library. After reading only a few chapters, I knew this was one of those books I had to have for myself. And yes, it IS filled with a lot of business talk, but it's also packed with concepts and principles that are applicable to ANYONE trying to be more effective in his or her life. In fact, my favorite chapter in this book was the one on personal mastery. I've read my fair share of both business and self-help books, and this chapter alone is by far the clearest description I've ever read of individual success. I bought myself a copy of this book based solely on the merit of this one chapter. So the rest, for me, was like a bonus. When I finally finished reading it, I felt like I got a lot more than I paid for. For one thing, I came away with a solid understanding of systems thinking, or the "fifth discipline" that the book is named after. This book is PACKED with examples and stories to help readers understand a handful of eye-opening, timeless principles. While some of the business-based illustrations are SO in-depth that I couldn't help but skip over them, it's nice having them there for future reference. Even if you have very little tolerance for business jargon, then get a copy from the library and read it for the concepts, especially Chapters 1, 4, and 9. While The Fifth Discipline might seem like it caters to business people who want to achieve this thing called a "learning organization," don't be fooled. Peter Senge has succeeded in writing a book is useful for anyone who wants to change things, and ESSENTIAL for those of us who seek to do it through business.
Rating:
Summary: The Next Step
Review: After reading The Fifth Discipline, I was inspired to build up my organizations systems thinking skills. I found a product called, The Next Step, which is a multimedia learning environment, that picks up where The Fifth Discipline left off. Instead of just reading about systems thinking, the software enables you to experience the paradigm as applied in real-world case study examples. I'd highly recommend it. You can learn more about it at high performance systems website.
Rating:
Summary: Emphasis On Learning Organizations
Review: A systems approach enables one to see the overall view of an organization. Senge accepts as a given that culture, markets, and organizations are changing. A learning organization is one that anticipates the changes and positions itself for optimal advantage. From a systems perspective, he advocates learning as an ongoing responsibility of every member of the organization. His logic makes sense. He devotes part of his discussion to the need of meditation and reflection. The vital role of interpersonal relationships is also addressed.
Concerning vision, Senge writes "visions are exhilarating. They create the spark, the excitement that lifts an organization out of the mundane" (p. 208). I'm sure a lot of his readers have experienced what he says about the lack of vision: "In the presence of greatness, pettiness disappears. In the absence of a great dream, pettiness prevails" (p. 209). He credits Robert Fritz with the first part of that observation. From the systems approach, he argues that the only vision people will pursue is their own. For that reason it is essential for the leader to "sell" the vision so others own it psychologically. Two people participating in dialogue help reveal insights that neither could attain independently he says. It is through enlightened dialogue that a person observes his own thinking. Senge makes a solid case that a manager who simply manages by the numbers may be deceived, thinking he is doing an effective job, when in actuality he has disgruntled employees, zero customer loyalty, and poor relationships with suppliers. This book helps a manager gain insight into the complexities of organizational realities. I recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: The Foggy Disciplne
Review: Its clear to me that Senge has a firm grasp of the concepts he is trying to relay and after reading the book I am clearer on the idea of systems thinking and building learning organizations. I am also planning to buy some of his other work to gain additional clarification where I still feel foggy. The style is interesting and holds your attention and you would not need a Masters in Organization & Management to use this book to improve your own management mindset or that of your organization.
Rating: 
Summary: For the gullible only.
Review: Managers and execs who want to learn the "art" of "team building" might be better off reading something else first -- perhaps some Wallace Stevens or Elizabeth Bishop? -- something which reminds them that in fact they are human beings first, and agents of "wealth creation" a distant second or more. Or perhaps take a crack at Herbert Marcuse's "One-Dimensional Man." I'm afraid of this book. It contains paragraph after paragraph of useless jargon; it does great violence to the soul; Senger absolutely butchers the English language with his specialized, technocratic style. A singularly dehumanizing experience.
| 
