Communication and the LO LO7843

John Constantine (rainbird@trail.com)
Wed, 12 Jun 1996 08:22:47 -0700

One wishes that there were more hours in the day in order to digest so
much sincere and useful information...

Since so many threads would appear to deal with complementary subject
matter, shall we take a new course? A new thread...using the analogy of
the plastic bag in which we all (management and labor, executive and shop
floor, client and consultant, etc.) exist and "learn", as individuals and
groups. And in which change is inevitable, sometimes random, sometimes
planned, sometimes "accidental". Do we not push the edges of the bag
contstantly? Do we not re-invent the wheel under new guise, new buzzwords?
How do those in the plastic bag (yin/yang) perform a most vital
need...communication?

One of those lessons I remember best dealt with the roles in the process
of communication...who is responsible, on whom does communication depend
in the process of learning? Over the years it has become a bit clearer
that the initiator is responsible, but the listener is the most critical
component of the process. For without the listener, there is no hope of
communicating at all. So in this context, the need is for the initiator to
identify with the listener, to phrase the teaching in the language and
customs of the listener, whether union organizer or corporate consultant,
shop steward or plant employee, CEO or company workforce. The listener is
always in control of the process, able to simply switch on/off as
needed/desired. What impact then on the LO?

Change will always be...that is the one and only constant.

Pardon the length of the offering...Any thoughts?

Regards,
John Constantine

-- 

John Constantine <rainbird@trail.com>

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>