Re: Leadership and Personality LO2755

DwBuff@aol.com
Mon, 11 Sep 1995 22:48:01 -0400

Hi Bernard,

In LO2732, you wrote ...

>>About the difference between the army and the civilian world in postings
by DwBuff@aol.com and Jim Michmerhuizen : the army has a very strange time
frame : <<

(snip)

Business companies have very different time frames.<<<

Somehow we believe this and to me it does not follow. Who has the data?
When I discuss timeframe focus with some (not all) folks in our U.S. based
car companies, they wonder when Toyota will quit growing. Not sure but
believe Toyota's timeframe for planning is somewhat longer than our US
companies. Few years ago read an article suggesting Toyota was developing
scenarios out for 25 years. Article in the same time span suggested our US
car companies were working on 3-4 year time frame. This was about 5 years
ago. Don't know if those time frames have as yet changed.

Western business companies have different time frames because they choose
to have different time frames. (By the way, I am agreeing that the
military has a very strange time frame. Even it times of war, they have an
immediacy we could not relate to.)

>If I dare rush to a conclusion : the learning (planning) capacity of an
organization is in some way linked to its time frame. <<

Doubt if it is direct! Two possible indirect relations to time frame.

Time frame related - How far out does the shared vision extend my wonder
and curiosity and desire for creating. Foreshortened time to compete
should not change our ability to create new knowledge and apply it. The
creation and application of new knowledge is more culture and related to
such things as capacity for dialogue, systems thinking, high play, etc.

Or - The EXECUTIVES FEAR OF LOSS OF high pay - attempting new leadership
methods such as LO disciplines and not having success - is another way I
see timeframes related to the learning organization. Wall Street just
won't give them enough time to work on this stuff and most won't try it.

Have a great day!!

--
Dave Buffenbarger
Organizational Improvement Coach
Dow Chemical Company
dwbuff@aol.com
(517) 638-7080