Tunnel Vision is an inability to see oneself and a situation from a systems point of view. People are often aware of their own perspective but not the complexity of the entire system. At Coopers and Lybrand, the HR advisory group consulting practice is using outdoor learning camps as a path to becoming a learning organization. The camps initiate dialogue about risk taking as a first step toward change. Another key aspect is reflection on how organizational structures and values shape the responses of individuals to events.
Rigid structures allow little room for experimentation.
To overcome systemic faults, the organization must see the interdependence of these organization-wide structures, norms, and policies. The camp experiences allowed people to observe how everyone behaved when faced with an unknown problem and an unknown solution. They were challenged at the end of the two days to reflect on what structures drove their behaviors. They looked at the organizational structures and assumptions that would have to be created to encourage and support new behaviors. These experiences created a powerful metaphor to use back at the workplace.