Isn't this what forgiveness is all about? The ability to acknowledge that
we make mistakes, but that the mistakes don't define us? We can go on and
improve because we can let go of past error. Without this ability we
couldn't learn; there would be too much baggage.
Unfortunately, we are caught up in a XCalvinist/Puritanical culture that
puts a high premium on punishment and the victim mentality, two elements
that militate strongly against forgiveness and learning. I'd suggest that
the ability of an organization to sustain learning is in proportion ot its
ability to overcome these cultural traits.
Dave Birren
birred@dnr.state.wi.us
*** quote of prior msg follows ***
From: SMTP%"learning-org@world.std.com" 29-DEC-1995 21:18:43.38
Subj: Choice is an Illusion? LO4474
Replying to LO4465 --
John Paul Fullerton wrote:
> Anyway, I like the freedom of former errors, misjudgement, efforts
> that were too harsh, and efforts without awareness of resulting
> hurtful effects becoming voided and no longer on my account.
This certainly must be a cultural component of successful learning
organizations. If I am handicapped by fear of permanent retribution for
my errors, I am likely to actively avoid making mistakes, or to hide them
when they do occur. In the former case, my contribution to the
organization is limited. In the latter, I may be hiding information that
is crucial to the organization.
>The
> results at a distance concept seems to make some errors likely
> unavoidable for many people during their learning phases.
There seems a broad consensus that creativity is nurtured by an
atmosphere of benevolent acceptance of error. In fact, if you examine
learning, you may find that one has not "learned" about something by
merely doing the right things. By doing only the right things, one does
not discover the dimensions of the envelope. Only by doing the wrong
things occasionally, will one define the boundaries of knowledge about the
subject.
-- @__Roy_J._Winkler,_AAS,_BSM... @__Consultant:_OD/HRD/Group_Dynamics @__UAW/GM____Anderson,_Indiana___USA @__E-Mail: rwinkler@iquest.net
-- BIRRED@dnr.state.wi.us (Dave Birren, MB-5, 608-267-2442)