Re: Shared Vision Tough Spots LO707

GAWNE, SEAN (gawnesm@songs.sce.com)
Fri, 07 Apr 95 10:51:18 PST

Replying to LO704 --

Mike -- please don't let the conversation die because it seems that some
of us have different ideas about the meaning of "vision." To me this is
what makes the whole matter so challenging, and this discussion is helping
to clarify the issues, at least to me. Visions, missions, mission
statements, goals, plans -- these are some of the unchallengable dogma of
modern management theory, but in my experience they are all quite limited.
Under certain conditions they can be very useful, and that's as far as it
goes.

Doesn't the newly popular theory of "vision" come from the school of Human
Resource Management? Surely one can see the limits to theories built from
the assumption that people are a resource, a commodity to be "developed,"
an investment whose return to the investor must be measured.

My personal understanding of vision has far more relevance to freely
emergent communities than an existing, hierarchical organization. I'd hope
we continue to explore this area of inquiry. I have always found your
comments to be interesting and you have given me a great deal of new
insights.

Sean Gawne, gawnesm@songs.sce.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike McMaster wrote:
"There are distinctions and operational definitions missing from this
conversation which are fatal to its success, I predict. My use of
vision is that it is the expressions - constantly interative and
changing - which is the first tentative speaking about what is
desireable and might be possible in a world where many possibilities
are attractive and none of which will be realised in any but the most
general of ways - and by unpredictable actions and means. "