Answering to LO5258 by Eric Opp
I agree with your message. With an addition:
> The one thing that the Japanese and the Germans simply *kill*
> us on is long(er) term thinking. Their social and business systems are set
> up in such a fashion that you cannot but think in the long term. For
These things are in the American management techniques. I once heard a
consultant say, and i say it also often: 'the only thing the "Japanese"
did wrong was holding the American Management Lessons for true". They had
to do this, some other consultant told me, and here is learning for you,
as the Japanese managers had to translate the ideas by Deming et al.,
because their workers didn't speak English. The nice thing about making
sense by teaching others is that you yourselve are forced to learn. I
always say i really learned physics (i studied experimental physics at
Leiden University) during my stage at a high school trying to explain
gravity (Why doesn't a ball fall behind you when you throw it in the air
in a running train?) electricity (Where do the electrons go after they
have been burned inside the lamp?) and magnetism (How can you have
movement without pushing things?). By the way, i learned logistics (i'm
currently trying to be a partner in logistical development) the same way.
Perhaps we should rephrase The Learning Organization principles in German
and tell American managers that is the only suitable language they must
use for implementing the concepts. On second thoughts, make it Dutch, and
i can come over and make a living.
Eet smakelijk,
-- (c) (1996) LOGISENS - Sparring partner in Logistical Improvement :-) J.C. Lelie Tel.: +31 70 3243475 GSM: +31 65 4685114 e-mail: 100730.1213@compuserve.com