-- kcby
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While watching the seven habits of highly effective people on PBS last
night, Some old concerns came to my attention. I thought these might bring
some interesting discussion to the list. I think this is one of thse
things we might want to send messages to the list.
1. IN both the show last night and in the books, Covey seems to think
paradigm changes are intantaneous. In many ot the testimonils last night,
people seem to change instantly into wondelful people. One week in Provo
was all that was needed to effect siginificant change. I have real
problems with that.Thomas Kuhn who popularized the term paradigm in the
first place believed just the opposite. Ususally, people will change
because they have no choice but to change, and they will be be dragged
kicking and screaming into that. Everyone who has the original paradigm
only suceeded in the organization only because they accepted the paradigm.
to change a paradignm means lots of inbread assumptions, inddeed the
entire organizational cuture, is deemed wrong. Senge's mental models is a
far better way of looking at paradigms - change is not an easy process.
2. While Covey taks about values, I've never heard him talk about
perceptions. Two people may have the same values but have different
perceptions about those values. my biggest frustration with this happes to
be in trying to implement time management. I have had the hradest time
with this. I do boelieve in organizing my time, but until recently i never
realized thast my perception of time is different than those who usually
write time mangement books (including Covey & Merrill). Instead of doing
one thing at a time i do several at once, which makes most time managent
systems worthless. Everyonme in the video seemd to have tha same set of
perceptions. What about those who do not see the world the same way? one
discussion i've had about this we beileved that Covey works for "left
brainers" and doesn't for "right brainers" what does anyone else think?
3. Has Covey's programs ever been scientifically validated as to the
reason for success? we only see the sucess stories not the failures.Are
there other prat falls people who have tred to implement have found cauise
the program to fail? I really wonder about those...
Just some thoughts for discussion. Obiviously, I'm not one of Covey's fans
am I the only one who isn't?
Steve Lipton
VisualIMPACT!
SJLipton@aol.com
-- Posted to Learning-org by:K.C. Burgess Yakemovic Group Performance Systems, Inc. kcby@gpsi.com http://www.gpsi.com
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