I've been asked why I asked "the list"-- which only exists as a group of
people--how people on the list would respond in writing to the query (a
close word to query (Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary) is
"doubt"):
Reject or accept the statement:
"It is traditional wisdom in the business world that a corporation is only
as good as the people it employs."
I asked so I could learn what the "list" had to say, so I could use the
"list's" brilliant ideas in my written response. Too bad, I had to send in
my answer before the "list's" conversation began. However, should I be
asked to interview...
OTOH, I've learned a lot; it's been a decent to very good strand of
conversation. So, contrary to several of the respondents, I would say that
the question (not mine, the question from the group of people responsible
for hiring a consultant/facilitator for the organization) was a good one.
I might ask:
--Are there any dumb questions?
--Which is more important, the question or the answer(s)?
And, fair enough, I was asked how I answered the question/query. (I
thought you'd never ask).
Well, I began with a quote from Senge's 5th Discipline:
"...different people in the same structure tend to produce qualitatively
similar results...The causes of the behavior must lie beyond individuals."
I followed with:
"The only way individuals in an organization can do consistent high
quality work and strive for continuous improvement is if the organization
provides the appropriate vision, environment, and tools, both intellectual
and physical. In that sense, I reject the statement."
Mary Apodaca
mapodaca@carbon.cudenver.edu
--"Mary E. Apodaca" <mapodaca@carbon.cudenver.edu>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>