The Fifth Discipline : The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization
by Peter M. Senge
Book Description
Draws on science, spiritual wisdom, psychology, the cutting edge of management
thought, and on Senge's work with top corporations that employ fifth discipline methods.
Paper. DLC: Organizational effectiveness.
Synopsis
Finally in paperback, Senge's national bestseller The Fifth Discipline, which has
turned the principles of the learning organization into a movement of snowballing size and
strength. The ability to respond to change is the crucial issue of the '90s, but
management tools such as "reengineering" and "total quality" simply
treat the symptoms. Adopted by Ford, AT&T, and others, here is a cure for the disease
Senge calls "learning disabilities."
Senge's path breaking book draws on science, spiritual wisdom, psychology, and the
cutting edge of management thought to show how businesses can overcome their
"learning disabilities" and beat the odds of failure. The book provides a
searching personal experience and a dramatic professional shift of mind.
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Paperback Edition ix
Some Tips for First-Time Readers xxi
PART I
HOW OUR ACTIONS CREATE OUR REALITY... AND HOW WE CAN CHANGE IT
1 "Give Me a Lever Long Enough . . . and Single-Handed I Can
Move the World" 3
2 Does Your Organization Have a Learning Disability? 17
3 Prisoners of the System, or Prisoners of Our Own Thinking? 27
PART II
THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE: THE CORNERSTONE OF THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION
4 The Laws of the Fifth Discipline 57
5 A Shift of Mind 68
6 Nature's Templates: Identifying the Patterns That Control Events 93
7 The Principle of Leverage 114
8 The Art of Seeing the Forest and the Trees 127
PART III
THE CORE DISCIPLINES: BUILDING THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION
9 Personal Mastery 139
10 Mental Models 174
11 Shared Vision 205
12 Team Learning 233
PART IV
PROTOTYPES
13 Openness 273
14 Localness 287
15 A Manager's Time 302
16 Ending the War Between Work and Family 306
17 Microworlds: The Technology of the Learning Organization 313
18 The Leader's New Work 339
PART V
CODA
19 A Sixth Discipline? 363
20 Rewriting the Code 364
21 The Indivisible Whole 368
Appendix l: The Learning Disciplines 373
Appendix 2: Systems Archetypes 378
Notes 391
Acknowledgments 411
Index 414
Reviews
Amazon.com
Peter Senge, founder of the Center for Organizational Learning at MIT's Sloan School
of Management, experienced an epiphany while meditating one morning back in the fall of
1987. That was the day he first saw the possibilities of a "learning
organization" that used "systems thinking" as the primary tenet of a
revolutionary management philosophy. He advanced the concept into this primer, originally
released in 1990, written for those interested in integrating his philosophy into their
corporate culture.
The Fifth Discipline has turned many readers into true believers; it remains the
ideal introduction to Senge's carefully integrated corporate framework, which is
structured around "personal mastery," "mental models," "shared
vision," and "team learning." Using ideas that originate in fields from
science to spirituality, Senge explains why the learning organization matters, provides an
unvarnished summary of his management principals, offers some basic tools for practicing
it, and shows what it's like to operate under this system. The book's concepts remain
stimulating and relevant as ever. --Howard Rothman
A
reader from West Virginia , September 25, 1999
Combine your learning methods
To read the 5thD straight and apply it immediately is daunting - I suggest combining the
books on tape with the book itself. (No I don't work for the publisher) The auditory
explanation of many of the examples gives the reader a good foundation for attacking and
using the book effectively.
Working in the software industry we have found many of the principles important in
overcoming communication problems across the different types of people in the
organization.
A
reader from Minneapolis , August 16, 1999
An in-depth look into systems thinking.
This book isn't meant for light reading but for gaining a deeper knowledge and
understanding of systems thinking. The section on mental models is fantastic...check out
some of the mental models in your organization. Also, don't overlook the field manual that
came after this book...take advantage of the ideas of those who have already been there.
A reader from Salt Lake City, Utah,
USA , March 26, 1999
Worth Reading
With more than 400 pages of pretty dense material, the Fifth Disciple is a tough read.
Stay with it. If you do, you may find yourself wanting to be part of a "learning
organization". The discussions on change and resistance are particularly good. Peter
Senge is one of the best systems thinkers around.
A
reader from San Diego , March 1, 1999
Unsure This Emperor Wears Clothes
I wonder if this book often is held in high regard because it is supposed to be; because
it sounds serious and informed; because it seems to be addressing a subject with gravity;
because Senge must be saying something important because he's from MIT. I know no one who
has remembered any of its lessons, much less applied them, , except its discussion of
systems thinking---about which Senge says nothing new and takes pages to say it. This
seems one of "important books" which, like the Emperor, lacks clothes.
Granted, Fifth Discipline does looks impressive on my office bookshelf. But does anyone
believe it has any other value?
A
reader from NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK , February 18, 1999
A GOOD BASIC BUSINESS BOOK
THIS IS A GOOD BASIC BUSINESS BOOK. WE ARE A MID SIZED DISTRIBUTION COMPANY AND FOUND THAT
WE COULD LEARN SOME GOOD BASIC IDEAS FROM THIS BOOK. YOU CAN APPLY TO YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE
BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE OFFICE. ANOTHER MUST READ IS THE 2000 PERCENT SOLUTION, WHICH CAN
TAKE YOU TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND HELP YOU PLOW EVEN FURTHER EVERYDAY TO REACH YOUR GOALS..
GET THEM BOTH AND YOU'LL KEEP THEM ON YOUR DESK TO REFER TO.
A
reader from Massachusetts business author , February 11, 1999
This book is the backbone of the changing organization.
The five disciplines of the learning organization bring together the individual, the team
and the systems in which we live and work to allow learning and then progress to occur.
This book is about adapting to change through continuous learning. The focus is on
"change", encouraged by experimentation. In simple form, this is a book that
everyone can understand. The Fifth Discipline should be "required reading" for
today's executives, and is a pivotal work in the era of the knowledge movement.
A
business book author from the Boston area , January 28, 1999
Great for Introducing Systems Thinking to Business People
Thinking about how one thing affects another either comes naturally to you or it doesn't.
For most people it is the latter. For these people, The Fifth Discipline is a wonderful
gift. Our emotions tell us to do one thing, and that one thing is usually not in our own
best interest. I had heard clients of mine talk about the beer game, and I was delighted
to see it described in this book. For the average reader, this book will make you expert
enough in systems thinking to be much more successful with your decisions. If you feel
that you would like more help in this area, please read The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook. It
is a very helpful companion book that will give you practical advice for implementing what
you learn in this book. If you have colleagues or friends who often make decisions that do
not turn out well, it may be because they do not understand how to think about business as
a system. Give them this book, and you will have done the person a great favor. Follow-up
by discussing what they have learned, and help them with an exercise or two from the
Fieldbook. You'll be glad you did.
