Personal Journey LO9601

Keith Cowan (72212.51@CompuServe.COM)
29 Aug 96 18:33:46 EDT

Replying to LO9485 --

Rol Fessenden <76234.3636@CompuServe.COM> raises some conundrums in the
implementation of new approaches to organizational learning:
>...
>One year I decided I wanted to give people more autonomy to make their own
>decisions. We provided training, we provided opportunities to just chat about
>big issues they wanted to share, and I stopped taking command at certain times.
>They were OBLIGED to make the decisions, and there was no escape. My scores on
>autonomy went way up, but my scores on providing clarity and security went way
>down. I learned something, but I did not improve my scores.
>snip>
>... The process was EVERYTHING about this learning....
>snip>
>..For me personally, the diversity of many different approaches is critical to
>success. We will all learn from each other. There needs to be another ground
>rule, but I have no way to enforce it. that is the 'open kimono' rule, which
>says from each other we do not hide our failings. We expose them so we can each
>learn from each other. We can still learn to be more open.

This trial and error and especially the "catch 22" in the surveys that ROL
experienced is the heart of the matter IMHO. IF we can devise some proper
surrogates of "good" management, we will be on the way to repair. Good
practices should result in lower absences, less turnover, higher satifaction,
fewer washroom or smoke breaks or trips to the "water cooler", more
collaboration among peers, more voluntary overtime (occasionally)....

What we really need is a Ralpholator so we can observe from the 12th
dimension (ala ZAPP!) but in the real world the obove surrogates can be
measured.

What do you think? Is this on the right track? Cheers....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/>