CRH'S own learning

Some of the best development of an organisation takes place from within the organisation. In January of 2006, full time staff at CRH agreed to embark upon a collective process to re-define the organisation's identity , as well as improve staff's cohesion as a team. A number of imperatives underpinned this decision:
• It was felt that the launch of the Learning Complex Project — quite possibly the largest ever CRH project — necessitated a much clearer organisational starting point from which to proceed.
• The arrival of a number of new staff to CRH, as well as to the Learning Complex Project team, called for a new look at who we are and what we do.
• Neutral observations from new staff to the organisation indicated that CRH did not seem to be entirely clear as to its identity and focus as an organisation.
• The aim of trying to facilitate a Learning Complex 'out there' in three districts necessitated that this be rooted in a similar process within CRH itself.

A series of facilitated dialogue sessions were held — often off-site from the CRH offices — and these proved to be new ground, challenging and rigorous. The primary outcome of this process is that CRH now has — on paper — a much clearer understanding of its role and identity as an organisation (read Identity Statement). The interrogation of this identity in practice is the current challenge of the organisation's development process.

A number of secondary outcomes were also catalysed through the dialogue process:
• An increased ability to work together and understand each other as a team.
• A recognition that there is a need within CRH for growing skills in the areas of dialogue and working with conflict.
• The implementation of bi-monthly "learning sessions" - the rationale being that there is a wealth of knowledge, expertise and skill within CRH as an organisation, but very often this is not shared among the group. The learning sessions are a space in which to do this, and different people take turns to facilitate them, including experts from outside of the organisation.
• The implementation of two day organisational retreats three times a year. These maintain the momentum of the staff dialogue sessions and the ethos of self-reflection. Staff go away to reflect upon their work and their cohesion as a team, and to receive input which requires more than a few hours!
• Organisational policy was refined and clarified.

This project forms part of the KZN Health Learning Complex.