Study groups are a good way to build your skills with people of similar interests in your area. You can find the article "Creating and Managing a Study Group" on page 128 of The Dance of Change (the chapter on "No Help"). You can also read an email thread prompted by one visitor's request for advice about how to get started.

If you would like to find or join up with other people in your area, email us and we will post your request

How to form a study group: email thread
Fieldbook Project editor and author Art Kleiner posted the query "How does one go about starting a study group from ground zero?" on the Fieldbook.com web site, and received these replies. If you have comments you'd like to add to this page, email us.

Subject: Forming a Study Team

The Kon-Tiki Team was formed by a group of five EMBA students at Ga. State University. We studied Organizational Behavior our first term. The course required the preparation of a 100 page paper relating the theories of organization behavior to the formation of our study team. We took the name Kon-Tiki to honor our Norwegian teammate, Marit Berling. The executive team at our business, Burch-Lowe, studied The Fifth Discipline, and experienced Leadership and Personal Mastery training from Innovation Associates. I suggested to the team early in the term that the true purpose of the project was to ensure strong team formation. The paper was a means, not an end. I further suggested we explore Systems Theory, and not be bound by the range of theory taught in the class.

We took time at each of our weekly team meetings for one of us to teach a segment on one of the five discuplines of the learning organization. The process of creating this project, and studying learning disciplines, helped us build a strong team. In fact, I have remarked several times to my colleagues at Burch-Lowe that I have never been in as effective a team at the company as I had encountered on the Kon-Tiki. At the end of the term, we made a presentation, graded by our peers, in which we described the voyage of the Kon-Tiki. Using nautical terms, we described our voyage through Islands of Knowledge and how we found the "map" when we discovered Systems Theory and the learning disciplines. We were able to introduce the entire class to material which was not covered in the syllabus. We started our second and final year in September. We continue to function as one of the most effective in the class. The dynamics of our interactions create real synergy. We really add value as a group. I am envious of that environment, and am trying to replicate it at work. I hope this was helpful. Thanks for asking.

Gregg Burch
GreggBurch@classic.msn.com

Subject: Re: How to Establish a Study Group - Request

Your question is really good; I would like to have a good answer for it; it seems to be, from my point of view, a matter of the right moment; I started to work in Spain with the subject of fifth discipline two years ago; my first seminar about it was satisfactory for attendants but I did not perceive further interest; only a few months ago, people have started to be interested and I frequently receive calls from people wanting to know about this. Perhaps, the matter is very easy; we have been outsiders in these last years but we start to enter, for good or not, the mainstream; I do not know where is the person who asks you from but, probably, he/she is going to have less problems to start than we all had a few years ago.

Yours.
Jose S·nchez-Alarcos
JoseAlarcos@eoi.es

Subject: Re: How to Establish a Study Group - Request

Thanks for the note. I remain very interested in a study group connected to The 5th Discipline. A study group would meet my needs if it consisted of people working on similar projects with similar experience levels. For example, my background is education and I do a fair amount of work in corporate America helping companies use 'learning' as tool to drive continual change. I am interested in speaking to anyone else doing similar things.

Perhaps one way to make this match is for people to list a variety of projects they are working on and next to the project, list their level of experience (perhaps on a 1 - 5 scale). The projects would have to be somewhat general to attract a broad enough audience; for example, one project might be on how to use intranets to enhance team learning. People could cluster around projects and form groups based on experience. I would greatly prefer for people to be local but if I could find the right group I would do it across the net.

Some other brainstorms... Perhaps interested people could fill out a survey that gets posted to the web so we can see who has experience that might be relevant? Any conferences on learning orgs coming up? If so we could meet as a group and try to work something out. Or perhaps we could have a moderated 'chat' session. The key for me is that the group form around a defined problem. Hope these ramblings are of some value. I'll look forward to hearing more!

Eric Cohen Funderstanding
Eric@Funderstanding.com
http://www.Funderstanding.com

Subject: Re: How to Establish a Study Group - Request for Insight

As is my lot in life, I have lots of great ideas that other people, with more patience than I have, figure out how to implement. The "group" we have started is focused on system dynamics and modeling, though it's hard to not address other disciplines when we get together.

It began with my casual remark on the system-dynamics list (after a particularly interesting thread) that there seemed to be quite a few list subscribers in the Washington DC area ... I wondered if anyone had ever tried to get together a group ... I got a flurry of interest, but nothing really firm. At the System Dynamics Conference in 1996 I ran into a fellow I had list-corresponded with, Fred Affeldt from GDSS, Inc. (it seemed we had a mutual acquaintance or two). I again suggested that we look into a group, and he volunteered to help. I posted a notice on the conference bulletin board to contact one of us via e-mail about getting together in the DC area.

After a month's worth of replies (probably 20-30) Fred GENEROUSLY offered to host a "gathering" one evening, and--voila--we have met 6-7 times since (usually hosted by Fred, but he's trying to get others involved! If I can figure out how to the get the Coast Guard to help me host a meeting in our facility, I'll try to relieve Fred of the sole burden). The meetings have been diverse, but usually involve some sort of presentation or dog and pony show by one "member" followed by discussion and mingling. I have made some valuable contacts already, and hope to continue to do so. So, in summary, the mechanics of starting a group were notice on an electronic list(serv) and posting a note at a conference of like minded folks. Sustaining this effort has proved much more challenging than merely posting notices, though, for which I must give tremendous credit to Fred Affeldt. By copying him on this message I encourage him to contact you with his view of these events.

Steve -- Stephen B. Wehrenberg, Ph.D.
wstephen@erols.com

Subject: Re: How to Establish a Study Group - Request for Insight

I wish I had a good answer. In our work with the Midwest Organizational Learning Network (MOLN), we have experimented with a variety of learning events; not just study groups. My first reaction is to say that some have been successful and others have not. But then I would have to define success...and all my definitions would be based on traditional thinking. Measures such as how many people came are less useful than did the event enable people to question their thinking. I have not found a way to measure the latter as yet.

MOLN is perhaps not what Dena is looking to start. I'm really not at all sure what MOLN is, but it is more than a single study group. In MOLN we try to allow "learning to emerge however learning wants to emerge." I believe that if people are truly passionate about a topic, others will be drawn to their passion. What that means is that members are always experimenting with learning events. We have a book club that draws between 5 and 15 people quarterly. We had, for a while, a Saturday night gathering which we began to call a "Cocktail Party With An Attitude"! We have a couple of ongoing groups which practice dialogue as proposed by David Bohm. We connect with other organizations (ODN, ASTD, AQP, the Crossroads Center and Old St. Pat's Church, the Institute of Noetic Sciences, etc.) to let MOLN members know of learning events being created by others in the Chicago area.

In addition, we create single events, such as the evening we spent with you in the spring of last year. How you connect with people is perhaps the hardest part. MOLN grew simply by a group of us networking. We are always looking for "kindred spirits". Interestingly enough, I no longer promote MOLN. If I did, it would grow beyond my ability to keep up. It has grown to over 350 people just by word of mouth. I act as the hub of the network; I let members know of learning events that become known to - or are created by - other members. I have e-mail addresses for about 2/3 of the members and I use that list to "announce" learning events that I discover. I also publish a quarterly newsletter, Entre Nous, in which I create a calendar of learning events. Because of this role I tend to get a lot of calls and e-mails about up-coming events in the area. I don't know if this helps. MOLN is still evolving. I just believe that learning happens in unpredictable, unknowable and often chaotic ways. I view MOLN as a vehicle to add to the mix.

Warm regards,
Roger
REBreisch@aol.com

Subject: Re: How to Establish a Study Group - Request for Insight

I have had only a few bites of interested people from my request to form a study group in Atlanta so have yet to form one. I think it's tough in today's world with people being so busy, even if they are interested. It takes commitment for a study group to pay off and it's hard to find committed people. In order for the study group to sustain itself, it needs to be a powerful offer for the people in it. "What value will it produce for me" is the question people will ask. To get the initial momentum is the tough part. Also, I think it's chemistry of the people. I recommend people be authentic, and live in the inquiry for a long enough time to assess the value. There are other people online on the Org-Learning list that might be worth contacting who have had more response than I to the invitation to form learning communities, aka study groups. Happy to dialogue more on this if it's appropriate!

Margaret McIntyre
MargMcI@aol.com

Subject: Re: How to Establish a Study Group - Request for Insight

We began a study group at the University of Florida College of Education by inviting graduate students and faculty who might be interested to a opening session. Our first discussion was about the groups inclusiveness and focus on the Fifth Dicipline issues which many of us were interested in. We meet once a week and there are presently 6 active participants. We do not make an agenda but use checking in as a means to focus on a topic. We have been sharing our understanding of systems thinking as it can be applied to educational organizations. One of our main objectives is to practice dialogue and develop the skills we need to apply the five disciplines.

LInda Gonzales
palameta@edu15.coe.ufl.edu

Subject: Re: How to Establish a Study Group - Request for Insight

I have moved to Tucson. The group I started in Stevens Point, WI, has run it's course. I started it by inviting a variety of folks from two adjoining organizations, along with a limited number of other individuals in the community with peripheral healthcare interests. It was run initially as a study group and one of my stated goals was to work toward achieving some proficiency in diaogue.

The group served some valuable functions during some fairly intense contract negotiations, keeping the "sides" from playing the blame game and we they game. I think it died because the two top administrators "don't see it as time efficient". There are two hospital VP's and some clinic administrative and MD players that probably won't keep it going though they recognize the value given the resistance.

David Rupley
spirit1@azstarnet.com

Subject: Re: How to Establish a Study Group - Request for Insight

I appreciate your including me on the list. I have been very interested and active in a number of learning groups of various genre over the years (predating OLC, etc.) In reflecting on those experiences to prepare a presentation for the March 1996 MIT/OLC conf, SUSTAINING TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE, I developed the following bullets which I spoke to in more detail.

I've thought about trying to expand this into an article as continue to believe there's some wisdom in it, at least as I reflect on the groups I've convened and/or participated in time. In some cases, the original intent was to create something with longevity. In others, the commitment to continuation of the group evolved over time and was recognized/
appreciated only in hindsight. And there were many others that started, sputtered and died. SO the following points are my take on what some of the characteristics, dilemmas and questions are/have been - from my own experience only, not from any scientific study of the "field". I use the terms LEARNING COLLABORATIVES or LEARNING CONSORTIA. Your questioner may or may not have had the same things in mind. This points are, in general, not self-explanatory. Feel free to share my EMail address for people who might like to talk further with me about my observations and thoughts: ruthannp@erols.com Peace!

CHARACTERISTICS OF LEARNING COLLABORATIVES OR CONSORTIA

• Voluntary membership of those with passiion and energy
  
• Shared purpose emergent from energy
  
• Structure(s) emergent from purpose
  
• Shared ground before action
  
• Group work conceptual and concrete, short term and long term
  
• Pooled resources
  
• Appropriate links to formal institutional structures
  
• Individual humility, group pride
  
• Bragging and bleeding --safe space
  
• Experimentation with commitment to learning from results
  
• Awareness of and respect for multiple boundaries
  
• Diversity and equality at many levels
  
• Reflection and celebration
  
• Valuing the power of stories (telling and witnessing individual stories, discovering collective stories, creating new stories, choosing where and how to tell the new stories)

POTENTIAL DILEMMAS FOR COLLABORATIVE GROUPS -Working for or working against?

• Represent self or represent "other" e.g. an organization?
  
• No credit to the invisible -Wisdom AND tension of diversity
  
• Different and proud of it
  
• Exist to learn or exist to produce?
  
• Me IN the group, we AS the group
  
• If WE do it, how can I get credit?
  
• Oh no, we're learning something, ignorance WAS bliss!

Ruthann Prange
ruthannp@erols.com

I appreciate the opportunity to add my small contribution to the excellent comments you've already received on this subject. As Steve Wehrenberg noted, it was his idea to find out if there might be interest in the DC area for an SD Interest Group that would provide an opportunity for practitioners, interested parties, and anyone else who would like to explore SD, to come together on a frequent basis to discuss the discipline.

Given that impetus, we posted a note at a conference in Boston in the summer of '96 announcing our desire to find anyone interested. Lots of replies came, and the first meeting was held here at GDSS last Fall with about 15 attendees. We quickly discovered that the folks who attended had a very wide range of interests in ST/SD, and a wide range of experience as well. We now have 51 people on the mailing list. Our meetings are informal gatherings designed to foster knowledge in the discipline, share our learnings, and discuss problems that the people in the community are experiencing. Members of the group have come forward over the past year and made presentations to the group on current projects or areas of particular interest. We've even had one of our members present his doctoral dissertation to us because it included the use of an SD simulator.

Since our membership is very mixed in terms of government, non-government, for profit, and not, the one hard and fast rule of the group has been that there will be no overt marketing during our meetings. We have found that providing an informal forum and interesting speakers who bring material from across the spectrum of ST/SD has given each of us a very rich experience. Networks have formed, along with new friendships. We have met about every other month since the inception of the group, with new members added each month through word of mouth advertising. In all, our experience has been extremely positive. Meetings have been held at a couple of sites, and we will have meetings in the coming year at even more of our member's organizations. In November we will meet at the Army National Guard Headquarters and receive a demonstration of their new Learning Center and some of its learning technology. I'd be happy to answer any specific questions people have regarding our experience.

Again, thanks for including us in the discussion.
Fred Affeldt, GDSS