Introduction - Sean Gawne

GAWNE, SEAN (gawnesm@songs.sce.com)
Tue, 01 Nov 94 13:00:53 pst

Greetings - I have just signed on to this list and will take the dangerous
step of posting an introduction before a decent period of "lurking."

I am a technical instructor at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
Actually, like many in this field, I'm not too sure what it is I do for a
living any more. Whatever needs to be done that will keep me getting paid,
I guess. These days that means less technical training and more of what
could best be called Organizational Development.

I have been somewhat interested in the Learning Organization philosophies for
a few years, although I must admit I was first put off by the jargon. This
past year changed my way of looking at this, and a lot of things. I spent
three months working full time on a reengineering project team for the
nuclear training group. Later I spent three months working part time on a
corporate cross-functional team whose mission was to come up with a strategy
to turn our 16,000-employee electric company into a "learning organization."
(When asked to imagine a 'learning organization,' the company of the future,
do you visualize the electric company?) Both of these projects were very
exciting, but at the same time draining. I learned a lot about my business,
and finally feel like I understand all the talk about "learning
organizations." The Fieldbook was very helpful for me, and I also must thank
Joyce and Rick Ross, who talked to me on the phone.

Although I am no longer directly involved in either of these projects I keep
in touch with what's happening. I want to learn all I can, and to share
ideas and information with co-workers who can use them.

I hope to learn about the learning organization ideas, and how they are
being put into practice, from this discussion group. I pray that I will be
able to contribute something useful from time to time. Along those lines, I
thought the people on this group might be interested in a thread on a
different list, the Training and Development List <TRDEV-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU>.
Someone asked a question about Argyris' Double-Loop Learning Theory, and it
has become somewhat interesting. I hope it goes further, I too would like
to know more about real-world application of this theory. I was thinking
(hoping, really) someone from this group could add something to that
thread.

Sean Gawne
Southern California Edison
San Clemente, CA 92674-0128
(714) 368-8498; fax (714) 368-8106