Saturday, October 16, 2010
Focus Question 3 Part 2
How can transnational leaders work collaboratively with others of differing world views? One way to achieve this goal would be to adopt a systems thinking viewpoint. Vaill (1996) said "Systems thinking immerses the thinker in a process of ongoing inquiry. Systems thinking, therfore, is continual learning. Because of the very nature of systems, it cannot be anything else." Adopting a systems view gives the transnational leadership an advantage. If the systems thinker is continually learning and asking questions, he will not be caught in the antiquated thinking of "my way is the best way" or "this is the way we have always done it." The transnational systems thinking leader will be able to adapt foreign models as needed and change American models as needed in order to accomodate other cultures. In addition, the systems thinker takes an integrative point of view. The transnational systems thinker will be able to integrate appropriate foreign policy with American policy to make a policy better than either policy alone. Michal Fullan refers to this integrative thinking as "opposable learning," a term adopted from Roger Martin's (2007) book The Opposable Mind. Therefore, the transnational systems thinker will be able to work collaboratively with others of different world views.
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Joanna, I especially gravitated to this quote in your blog:"If the systems thinker is continually learning and asking questions, he will not be caught in the antiquated thinking of 'my way is the best way' or 'this is the way we have always done it.'"
ReplyDeleteI'm really working to becoming better at wondering. So often, people look to the principal to have the answers. That's part of my responsibility, but I want to model the skill of frequently asking questions. In education we "tell" so much. Besides supporting systems thinking, asking questions of the learner promotes critical thinking and ownership of learning by the learner.
I've been reading a lot today about Professional Learning Communities. In response to your comments about working collaboratively with others of differing world views (question 3 part 2), I think professional learning communities can benefit from creating norms for working together. When collaborative teams come together to work on a common goal, there is the potential for conflict over differing world views or even teaching philosophy. The DuFours have been writing about PLCs since the 1990s, but we have been slow as educators to transform our way of work. During this 21st century we will have the opportunity to make that change.