Workshops
Workshops are specifically designed for group needs. All workshops are available (both
onsite and offsite) as part of the Institute's advanced thinking curriculum. Click on the
linked title to view a more detailed description of each workshop and a baseline agenda.
Introduction to the Intelligent Complex Adaptive Organization: A New Theory of the Firm
In this highly participative, introductory workshop attendees will learn the basic
concepts, language, and practices needed to achieve sustainable high performing
organizations in a rapidly changing, uncertain and increasingly complex world. See
A Tale of Two Firms (PDF)
for a short story depicting the challenges facing today's
firms as we move into the early part of the 21st century. A new theory of organizations is
presented, together with its key success factors. Participants will not only understand the
new principles of organization, leadership and operation, they will also consider how to
apply those principles to their own organizations.
The ICAS emphasizes the role of people in determining the creativity, responsiveness,
resilience and adaptability needed by the organization to survive. Based on complexity
theory and knowledge management, the workshop demonstrates the need for
collaboration, worker empowerment, flexibility and organizational cohesion. New
Knowledge Capacities and competencies such as complexity thinking, relationship
network management and knowing are also explored. New ideas like dynamic balancing,
optimum complexity and flow are presented. The workshop combines theory and
practical applications to ensure that many of the concepts can be transferred to current
organizations to make them more responsive and adaptable. For a brief description of
what ICAS leaders do see the Leadership area under Publications. See also
the ICAS research area.
Managing Systems and Complexity: From Individuals to Organizations
In this highly participative, introductory workshop attendees will learn the basic
concepts, language, knowledge and practices needed to understand and begin to deal
with our increasingly complex world and its organizations. This workshop combines
theory and practical applications to help attendees get a feel for working in the
increasingly fast-paced, uncertain and complex environment of industry and government.
Three complex adaptive systems are considered in detail: the individual, the group and
the organization. As our knowledge of complexity and complex organizations grows, we
begin to think and act differently, and see our organizations from a new perspective. This
new perspective is the foundation for continuous learning, being creative, and more
effective problem solving and decision-making. Emphasizing the role of knowledge and
learning in achieving high performance, participants are also led to consider alternate
approaches to management and leadership. See the Complexity area of the Publications
section of this website.
Personal Knowledge Management (PKM): Managing Knowledge for Career ` Success
The explosion of information and birth of large complex systems have challenged everyone to
keep up with the ability to live and be productive while facing a dynamic, turbulent and
unpredictable future. One approach to prepare for the future is called personal knowledge
management. The only way any of us can make credible decisions and take control of our
welfare and that of our families is to carefully observe our environment, be able to make
sense of it and work with others to make the best decisions and take the best actions
possible. To do this we must understand what information, learning, knowledge and
intelligence mean. In other words we must study knowledge and learn how to create, find,
share, process and apply it.
One of the few things that we have control over in this world is the information and
knowledge in our own heads. Research in personal knowledge management seeks to identify
ways of learning and ways to recognize, share and leverage knowledge. A focus of this
workshop is development of Knowledge Capacities, learning patterns that help decision-makers at all levels prepare for an unknown future. PKM provides a set of principles,
guidelines and methodologies that facilitate knowledge workers taking control over their
learning and over the management of their personal knowledge needs and applications. See
the ICAP area and Learning area in the Publications section of this website.
Lifelong Learning Part I
This workshop is based on the Institute's current research in adult learning. As our
environment continues to accelerate and become more complex, the necessity and
importance of lifelong learning will have a critical impact on career professionals and
their organizations. A language for communicating key learning concepts, such as
information, knowledge, meaning, etc. is developed. Current learning theories and
models are reviewed to find ways of helping each of us learn more effectively. The MQI
theory and model are explored and applications used to practice and facilitate learning.
Much of the workshop is spent learning how to learn, discussing why we want to learn
and what learning is most important to each of us. Special techniques such as lucid
dreaming, use of the unconscious, critical thinking, etc. are discussed. Part I lays the
foundation upon which individuals can begin building an efficient and effective lifelong
learning program for themselves.
Leading in a Complex World: The New Role of Leadership
The new reality of continuous change, uncertainty, complexity and anxiety (CUCA) has
brought with it a demand for new perspectives, new ways of thinking, more effective
collaboration and the leveraging of knowledge, and the need for worker autonomy. To
achieve success will also require new approaches to leadership.
Leading knowledge workers is very different than leading laborers. The old
authoritative approach will no longer work. Although leaders will always need to set the
broad direction and purpose of the organization they must be highly collaborative,
working with employees as colleagues. Leaders will be found at all levels of the
organization, ensuring the cohesion of the work throughout the system and helping
workers get the resources they need. The job of the new, collaborative leaders will be to
inspire, support, be a role model, and stay connected with the organizations direction.
They also serve as change agents, orchestrating networks, moving people and resources
around and staying in touch with the development of their people. This workshop
specifically addresses Dynamic Balancing and a the Correlation of Forces as new
leadership tools. See the Leadership area of the Publications section.
The Intelligent Complex Adaptive Team: Knowledge, Complexity and High
Performance
As the world grows smaller, there has never been a greater need to understand and
apply the power of community and team in solving problems and building our future.
New ideas from networking and complexity theory help us create the knowledge we need
to better understand our environment.
This workshop addresses the questions of how, when, can this be applied to real life
situations, and how can we use what we know to make our teams more effective and our
communities more collaborative? These important questions are explored through
dialogue, scenario building, and networking. Relationship Network Management is
introduced, and attendees will work through focused exercises to identify their networks
and create a personal approach to improving and sustaining their networks. See the
Social Knowledge area of the Publications section.
Change Agent Strategies for a Complex World: Creating, Leading and
Implementing
Continuous internal change is key to growth in the new world. Successful organizations
can both influence and adapt to their external threats and opportunities. Organizational
change—an emergent process—cannot be driven from the top. What will work is a
culture of change driven by learning, empowerment, leadership, vision and knowledge
management. This workshop introduces a new individual change model and addresses
what social capital, competencies and structure are needed and how to develop them, a
major challenge for organizations living at the edge of the future. See the Change area
of the Publications Section.
Contact Dr. David Bennet directly at 304-799-7267 or email Dr. Alex Bennet at
alex@mountainquestinstitute.com for more information. Workshops can also be arranged
through Cindy Taylor (Event Manager) or Andrew Dean (Inn and Retreat Center Manager) at
304-799-7267 or cindy@mountainquestinstitute.com
