Among the most common learning difficulties in organizations, “The enemy is out there” is a profound one highlighted by Peter Senge in “The Fifth Discipline”. This incapacity reflects a culture of blaming external entities or people for the organization’s problems, rather than looking for the causes within oneself, one’s department or the organization.
Understanding disability
External enemy syndrome occurs when individuals or teams within an organization are in the habit of blaming external factors or other departments for the difficulties they encounter. This attitude fosters a culture of finger-pointing, lack of accountability and avoidance of the introspection necessary for organizational growth.
Recognizing disability
This disability can be recognized by :
- Frequent blaming: A common tendency to blame external factors or other departments whenever a problem arises.
- Lack of responsibility: Significant lack of ownership and responsibility for problems.
- Reactive rather than proactive approach: Reacting often to problems rather than proactively identifying and dealing with potential problems.
While it can be comforting to protect one’s integrity by blaming someone else, this inability stifles learning and inhibits the organization’s ability to adapt and improve.
Why does this handicap exist?
Several factors contribute to this handicap:
- Fear of failure: Fear of reprimand or failure fosters a blame culture, as individuals seek to avoid repercussions.
- Lack of open communication: In the absence of open communication channels, misunderstandings and reproaches can easily develop.
- Competitive rather than collaborative environment: A highly competitive environment can foster a blame culture, with individuals or teams keen to protect their own interests.
Mitigating disability
Two of the five disciplines of learning organizations can make a significant contribution to overcoming this handicap:
- Systems thinking: By adopting a systems approach, organizations can move from a blame culture to a learning culture. Understanding the interconnectedness of different functions and departments helps to identify the root causes of problems and promote a more holistic vision.
- Team learning: Promoting a team learning culture encourages open communication, shared visions and collective problem-solving, which are antidotes to the “enemy is out there” syndrome.
This incapacity reflects a culture of blaming external entities or people for the organization’s problems, rather than looking for the causes within oneself, one’s department or the organization. Our series will continue to dissect the other learning difficulties identified by Peter Senge, each highlighting the obstacles to organizational learning.
Stay tuned for the next article in this enlightening series, and don’t forget to mark your calendar for the Pyxis conference on learning organizations, to be held at the Montreal Agile Tour in November. To foster the emergence of a learning organization, it is essential to understand these fundamental handicaps and to remedy them.
