On Tue, 28 Nov 1995 b624!b624a!collins@gate.ncts.navy.mil wrote:
[...quote of prev msg trimmed by your host...]
> Noble Purposes have been discussed elsewhere on this list and are
> certainly not unique to military organizations. I have a friend at the
> local utility company, who had the opportunity to experience the power (no
> pun intended) of Noble Purpose after visits by Erin and Opal. When the
> hurricanes hit, the company totally reorganized around a pinpoint purpose
> - restoring power to customers. All employees worked 16 or more hours per
> day towards this one overriding objective. It was invigorating and
> inspired work, and we, the local community, witnessed the very best of the
> human spirit - that wonderful potential that we all have. My friend
> remarked, after it was all over, "I wish our focus was always this narrow,
> our vision always this clear." This is not to say that the company has NO
> sense of purpose at other times, only that there are different levels of
> awareness and connection with that sense of purpose. This has been my
> experience as well: the more connected I am with my Purpose (personally
> and organizationally), the more motivated, inspired, etc.
>
> Jane Collins
> TQL Coordinator
> Naval Air Station Pensacola
>
> e-mail: b624!b624a!collins@gate.ncts.navy.mil
Well said Jane. What makes the military, utility companies, and other
organizations which provide long term service to their customers (be they
nation states or national populations) "invigorated" is a clear sense of
commitment. This commitment flows from the top down and the bottom up. I
believe that it is encapsulated by a sense of trust that somehow rewards
the efforts of organiztional members with a clear sense of self worth and
purpose.
I will tend to contemporary problems in organizational learning thru a
lense of "trust". Downsizing and re-structuring have worked to either
weaken or destroy this sense of self worth and trust of many employees to
a point that they lose much of the commitment, "glue" might be a useful
word here, that binds them together.
-- Thomas A. Lifvendahl, Ed. D. Northern Illinois University RE/ACE Office DeKalb, Illinois 60115 815/753-1621 P60TAL1@corn.cso.niu.edu