Andrew:
Your posting suggests that Learning can often have painful consequences,
and that if we try to remove all possible sources of discomfort from the
training situation, we might dilute the value of the learning experience.
(I hope I am interpreting your comm ents correctly.)
You raise a valid point - one that we need to keep in mind. Some learning
and the change which flows from it is of necessity painful or at least
uncomfortable. I believe, though, that there are unsafe conditions that
inhibit learning and which contribute nothing to the process. Where
possible, these situations should be avoided.
Let me cite one example of a damaging unsafe condition that threatened an
important learning/problem solving situation. I was working as facilitator
with a group of middle managers from a large newsprint company a few years
ago. We were having a very open discussion about a wide range of
organizational problems. Before we began the meeting, I suggested that we
should all agree to treat our discussion in confidence except for the
final conclusions that we would want to share with others. The reason was
tha t I wanted them not to feel inhibited in what they could think and
say.
As the creative juices began to flow, people were becoming comfortable
with thinking "outside the box". One person in the group came out an idea
that, for this conservative company, seemed quite radical, but what he
said opened up a whole new line of thou ght which eventually led to a
solution which I know would never have come to light without his
initiative.
One of the other participants returned to the plant the next day and told
the senior manager in their Division about Harry's "dumb idea". The report
made an impression on the boss, because he called me and asked for my
opinion as to whether he should take some kind of action to prevent
further mental aberrations by this person. Needless to say, I advised
against such action.
We all came out of that experience somewhat wiser, I believe, but I am
sure that the guy with the wild idea still thinks twice before testing a
new idea in any meeting he attends. From my perspective, I learned that it
is not always easy to create the "safe" environment that makes the
learning and discovery process more productive.
Brock Vodden
brock.vodden@odyssey.on.ca
Andrew wrote:
Malcolm Burson's thought strikes a right chord in my heart.
>"just what does the word 'safe' mean in the context of learning?"
What really should be the FOCUS : LEARNING or Safety? LEARNING
ORGANIZATION ; SAFE Learning Organization ; what about "Risk-free learning
organization" "No pain, No Suffering Learning Organization" "Peaceful,
forever peace, learning organization"
--Brock Vodden <brock.vodden@mur.odyssey.on.ca>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>