Values and behaviour LO8637

Keith Cowan (72212.51@CompuServe.COM)
24 Jul 96 11:07:42 EDT

Replying to LO8591 --

Tobin Quereau <quereau@austin.cc.tx.us> makes an assertions and invites
debate with:

>..I am not sure if this "shift" of focus is being clearly communicated,
>mainly because I am "thinking out loud" here. I would appreciate if there
>are others who could add to the conversation and contribute to the clarity
>(or clarify the error) of this "emerging" idea.
>
>Any takers?

There are lots of significant issues here. First of all, does anyone
really know what their values are and why they have them. IF I believe in
honesty but act regularly in a manner that some observers would question
and I have an excuse for each instance, THEN are we really on solid
ground?

As we investigate these instances, and it turns out that I do not want to
hurt other's feelings, or I want to be accepted by the group, or I want to
avoid being criticised or ostracised, THEN these latter "reasons" are
super-ordinate values that actually drive my behaviour more than the
apparent platitude and over-simplification of honesty as a value.

These other drivers are unearthed by asking WHY and not accepting their
platitudes at face value. This is the essence of beginning Systems
Thinking. As Covey would say, first get in touch with yourself, then try
to touch others. It is the beginning of the long journey towards dealing
with the fundamentals of yourself, a group or even a company.

I observe behaviours on this list that are classic. Some participants
discuss concepts as if they are somehow external to themselves and their
organizations or families. Covey would say that this behaviour is not
"grounded" because the participant is not yet acting from the core
principles. Some would ascribe the list behaviour as a mind game rather
than a visceral game.

If everyone were capable of acting viscerally and could articulate their
core principles, we could build a common set of core values around which
the list could flourish as a common ledge from which we could build toward
a set of principles that might drive an LO. This is an exciting prospect
for me! Comments? ... Keith

-- 

Keith Cowan <72212.51@CompuServe.COM>

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>