In LO3104, Julie Beeon wrote...
>> . Ambiguous words are powerful because they require conversation to
>> agree on their meaning.
>>
>>I loved it.........
>>but then I love words
>>Does anyone else suffer with me with this.......
>>...groups who complain about 'jargon'
Hi Julie
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Host's Note: IMHO = "In my humble opinion" and I guess MHO = "My humble
opinion"
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Got another twist but let's personalize it for us on this list. Which
would anyone want me to do IMHO, use the words *mental models* or not? How
about *causal loop diagrams*? How about *Learning Organization*? Etc, ad
nauseum. How many jargonish words come out of the LO effort we are
discussing? At least twenty on a ten second count. Should I use them or
not? Which will cause co-opting faster?
Which way is the *least* long-term struggle for MHO? Should I encourage
developing our own plain English words to describe the jargon to have them
later learn they must also learn the international vocabulary? Or, or have
them develop the vocabulary along with their development of understanding
of the ideal of the Learning Organization?
I only use jargon when I must. However, I feel it would be irresponsible
of me to avoid letting people know that there is a set of words for a *run
chart* with four lines on it and that the set of words is *control chart*.
Or that multiple circles connected in some funny way and with words on
them at various abritrary points is actually called a *causal loop
diagram*.
I do agree that jargon can put people off. Isn't that the likely scenario
when change agents *intervene* aggressively instead of letting people seek
them out? Some people get enthralled with new words and may use them more
than I would like. They are being humans. That's okay. I simply let them
know that I will be interrupting them to explain words when I don't under-
stand the words.
And, at what point is jargon in an organization, no longer jargon? Who
judges the point in time which I can use *relatively new words* without
being offensive? Do we avoid new words around 3 year-old children? Do we
remember to explain each and every time we use a word we a *pretty sure*
the do not understand? I would pose - Let's work on helping each person
find his or her own path to switch from *knowing* to *learning* so that
they expect new words, new ideas, new models as a desired new way of life.
Enough for today!!
Take care and have a great one!!
-- Dave Buffenbarger Organizational Improvement Coach Dow Chemical Company dwbuff@aol.com (517) 638-7080