Replying to messages from Joan and Gary, Ben says:
"I think I joined this list in April, or perhaps early May, and this is the
first
message/response that has made me nervous.
It focuses too much on PMA (Positive Mental Attitude). (more snipped)"
I have frequently read messages on this list that exhort individual
responsibility in one form or another. My understanding of the Fifth Discipline
and Systems Thinking in particular is that we need to enlarge our focus from the
individual to the larger system. We need to quit blaming individuals, including
ourselves. The problems in our organization are unlikely to be solved simply by
my putting on a happy face. I need to work with others to determine the system
causes for my sad face (the symptom of a larger problem).
Often I wonder if some of the participants on the list have read the Fifth
Discipline. Their views seem to be in opposition to what I understand to be the
basic principles of the Learning Organization. Or perhaps they are holding on
to some previously developed mental models (which I'm sure I do as well).
--Roxanne Abbas 75263.3305@compuserve.com
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>