Replying to LO27900 --
Hello Malcolm,
Making a difference is all that counts, but in the long run, we're all
dead. The problem is, as always, the framing. What do you call "better" or
"longer-lasting"? How can we know what - in the long run - is "the best"
way? And according to whom?
Years ago, when i studied Biophysics, we had a very nervous - but talented
- professor. One of my fellow students asked him: "Professor, what is the
effiency of the photosynthesis (the reaction that transforms CO2 en H2O
into sugar and oxigen, using light)?" . Our professor became shaky. He
looked at us and countered: "When do you mean? In springtime or in
autumn?".
In using interventions from the Fifth Discipline I was always very
conscious on measurable results reduced inventories, reduced cost,
improved quality. As we "grew" in managing improvements, the results
exploded. We increased the inventory truns from less than 1 - were it had
been for years, to more than 10. We out-performed several other factories.
But times and times again the management changed the rules. Also, our
sales and marketing was too weak and in the end I was fired and the
factory was first "resized" then "merged" then "sold" and is now closed.
Some became sick or frustrated, some just found another place to work,
some learned, some never learn. Overall though, most people seem to have
to run "harder" just to stay in the same place. I guess it is the same
everywhere. Work fills the time available for its completion.
The best book on this subject of "sequential" interventions is McWhinney's
(Creating) Paths of Change.
Kind regards,
Jan Lelie
Malcolm Burson asked:
> Several explanations occur to me, chief among them that no single
> change/intervention model is actually sufficient to effect long-term
> change, so that "sequential" intervention using different models is
> necessary. As a long-time and committed practitioner of LO approaches,
> that leads me to ask,
>
> "What evidence is there that any particular approach, including LO,
> actually produces long-term results that are demonstrably better or
> longer-lasting than any other?"
>
> I welcome your thoughts and evidence.
>
> Malcolm C. Burson
> Director of Special Projects
> Maine Department of Environmental Protection
> mburson@mint.net
> --
>
> "Malcolm Burson" <mburson@mint.net>
>
> Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <Richard@Karash.com>
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-- With kind regards - met vriendelijke groeten,Jan Lelie
LOGISENS - Sparring Partner in Logistical Development mind@work est. 1998 - Group Resolution Process Support Tel.: (+31) (0)70 3243475 or GSM (car): (+31)(0)65 4685114 http://www.mindatwork.nl info@mindatwork.nl
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Paths of Change : Strategic Choices for Organizations and Society by Will McWhinney http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0761910174/learningorg
..Rick]
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