Re: Intro -- James McGarrahan LO3899

Barry Mallis (bmallis@quickmail.markem.com)
27 Nov 1995 13:41:34 U

Reply to: RE>>Intro -- James McGarrahan LO3865

Thanks, Rick, for your thoughts about the untapped potential of
organizations and what it's was like being around the coast guarders.

I am reminded of a story concerning military and the concept of respect.
It's this thread of respect which is so intangible, but which no doubt
plays a role in the learning process, whether one-to-one or in a group.

Years ago I was enrolled in a seminar in graduate school. The professor
was the former editor of the then Soviet literary journal Novii Mir, and
the course subject was Solzhenitsyn's works (up to that time). My
professor had many credentials, among which was his period of Siberian
camp internment at the same time and place as Solzhenitsyn.

Our small group of eight met in an air-conditioned home to accommodate the
professor's ill health. One day the topic of conversation passed to the
subject of the military in the Soviet Union, and the military in general.
The Viet Nam war was whirling around us at the time, and my inclinations
were strongly against this country's involvement. I stated in a youthful
way that I had no respect for officers; that I could in no way salute an
American officer given the lengths to which our armed forces were going to
secure their goals in Southeast Asia.

To my surprise and eternal mortification, this former Siberian camp
political prisoner expressed in anger his disdain for my attitude. He
made it clear that into a salute is built the sense of respect, without
which organizations could not function. My attitude, he stated
unequivocally, was misguided, misinformed, superficial. Granted, he went
on, there were reasons enough to suspect poor judgment in the affairs of
the war. But the matter or respect was in another sphere which I was
confusing with blind trust.

I will always remember that conversation. The professor succumbed to a
weak heart less than a year later. He opened up a piece of my own heart
to broader understanding. What place has this notion of respect in the
learning of organizations? What does respect really consist of?

Some time ago I stated in a note to this list that the only one of the ten
commandments in the Old Testament for which a "reward" is prescribed is
"Honor your father and mother so that your days will be longer".

This respect doesn't necessarily mean that you'll live seven years longer
than otherwise. What it means is that each day, each moment, will be
filled as it was not before. If this "living in the moment" so dear to
the "core competencies" of every meaningful religion on this planet is
rooted in "respect", then this is an important piece of the puzzle.

Most adults accept respect as essential to common intercourse--we simply
can't get along without some rules of the road. Nowadays, the literature
chants about how we have to LISTEN with empathy, and stuff like that. Is
there anything more to add to this area? Is our common understanding of
respect really common, unicultural, universal? Do learning communities,
work cells, teams, seminar classes, etc. derive special power from the
sense of respect?

--
Barry Mallis
bmallis@markem.com