This message strikes a positive cord with me.
>A personal experience as well:
>I was the youngest General Manager ever appointed at a Fortune
>10 firm at the age of 29. I spent every third weekend either at
>Harvard or at our management institute for the year before this
I remember a shorter, less intensive training experience as a
significant emotional event in my life. However, it was training
to be a better statistical consultant, not a CEO.
>...you face a review. The reviewers are: a VP, a Professor, and a
>Psychiatrist! They speak briefly on your good points and spend at
>least two hours on your mistakes, replete with video!
After the internal protests and explainations were extinguished,
growth for me was rapid ... and I trust, more or less permanent!
------
Now here is where Hal and I may need further dialog. I seem to
remember a quote ... "Good manners is choosing among truths". I
submit that choice of which "truth" to be pursued is a critical
issue not explicitly addressed in the original post. My knowledge
of Hal, through this list, leads me to believe that he is well
aware of this issue.
>Conflict, in fact HEATED conflict, is a most powerful and
>arguably the most important method of learning known in the
>writings of mankind. Certainly Aristotle professed this, Socrates
>did, even your Senge teaches that what he calls "Initiatory
>Crises" are an important elements in "Team Learning".
Conflict, as a temporary intervention, can be useful to promote
learning. Few of us can assume the detached position of an
observer required to benefit from any but the shortest term
conflicts.
Why do I say this?
I recently worked with a Sr. VP who helped me understand how much
more I could accomplish. Conflict and crisis was a major
component of that understanding. However, the benefits of this
learning are being played out in a different department where
time to reflect, assimulate, and perfect this prior learning was
available.
Bill Fulkerson
wf28155@deere.com
I just read Ray Usell's post (LO6643)and almost deleted mine.
Well said Ray!
--Bill Fulkerson <fulkerson_william_f@90.deere.com>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>