Replying to LO27954 --
Dear Organlearners,
Artur Silva <artsilva@mail.eunet.pt> writes:
>>Can this "metanoia" of a LO be certified at all?
>>I do not think so.
>
>I also think, dear At, that a metanoia can not be
>certified - even if it can be recognized when it happens.
>But that is not the main problem. The main question,
>in my perspective, is that if a company gets ISO
>certified, the metanoiac conditions are probably
>destroyed by that single fact...
Greetings dear Artur,
I agree with you, but in the sense that we have here to do with the tip of
an iceberg ;-)
Some years ago I wrote the contributions
"metanoia organizations LO25098"
< http://www.learning-org.com/00.07/0087.html >
"metanoia organizations LO25138"
< http://www.learning-org.com/00.08/0014.html >
In them I used the chemistry of benzene C6H6 as a metaphor to explain how
metanoia emerges in a LO. Benzene is the simplest of all aromatic
compounds. The structure formed by the six carbon atoms C is a hexagon.
Let us think of any Ordinary Organisation OO as this hexagon.
By the way, the discovery of this hexagonal structure of benzene is one of
the most exciting stories ever to be explored. I have tried to get hold of
a site which tells this story with all its drama as it should be, but
could not find one. The following site tells a little while it also has a
few drawings of benzene.
< http://www.wikipedia.com/wiki.phtml?title=benzene >
Guess who discovered benzene? Nobody else than the greatest
experimentalist of all times, Michael Faraday. Since I will later
focus on metanoia among Christians, Faraday himself being a
Christian, you might perhaps look at my essay on him:
"Being mental. LO24112"
< http://www.learning-org.com/00.03/0019.html >
When anything is connected to the OO, in this case a document, it may
influence the OO in two possible ways. Now please have a look at figure 1
and figure 2 at
http://www.learning-org.com/graphics/LO27982_metanoia.gif
In the first way (see figure 1) the document pulls metanoia out of the OO.
Consequently the OO is activated to have "orthonoia" and "paranoia". What
are they? The "noia" comes from the Greek word for thoughts. The Greek
prefix "ortho" means close. Thus "orthonoia" refers to thoughts close to
the members of that OO -- their usual daily, common thoughts. The Greek
prefix "para" means beyond. Thus "paranoia" refers to the opposing
thoughts between members of that OO. Sometimes these thoughts are so
degenerated and disordered that they approach the psychological term
paranoia.
In the second way (see figure 2) the document let metanoia flow into the
OO. The whole distribution of thoughts in the OO changes like the
distribution of electrons in the benzene ring. The OO becomes a LO
(Learning Organisation). Consequently the OO as LO is activated to have
"metanoia". The Greek prefix "meta" means after. Thus "metanoia" refers to
LO thoughts coming after the "orthonoia" and "paranoia" of OO thoughts.
The question which we now have to answer, is the following. When
certifying the "metanoia" of the organisation according to certain
specifications, will the certificate let metanoia flow into the
organisation or will it pull metanoia out of it?
I wonder whether it will ever become possible to answer this question with
reason. As for myself, I have only my experiences to rely upon. I have
been part of LOs three times in my life. Two of them (classes at school)
existed long before Senge's Fifth Discipline appeared. Thus they were
tacit LOs. Each kept on to be a LO up to their last year at school.
The present one does not know (except for me) of Senge's work. Thus it is
also a tacit LO. We experience considerable metanoia in it and often
express our delight for it. I have no need for telling that we function
as a LO. In fact, I fear that by doing so, this information might confuse
or even intimidate the rest. I actually wonder what they will do should I
tell them "Let us certify our metanoia according to the ISO9000 ####
specification." I fear they will think that I am paranoic, if not actually
crazy ;-)/^\
[Host's Note: Hmm.. Now, that's a new "smiley" symbol. Let me
guess... Winking smiley with arms folded? With a megaphone? ..Rick]
I am also part of a team who endeavour to transform another organisation
to have metanoia. Again it is only me (and I have not talked to the team
about it) who know that they want to transform the organisation into a LO.
Again I do not want to tell them that we want that organisation to
function like a LO. But I intend to use all my knowledge of the LO to help
making the transformation a success.
My parents were Christians and I had to go to parish (church) services
since childhood. I still attend parish services regularly because I want
to. (I am a reborn Christian the past 32 years.) I have been a member of
parish boards in different churches for more than 30 years. In countless
many board meetings I had to listen to fellow board members bemoaning the
fact that the "spiritual/mental level" (they do not know the word
"metanoia") is by far not what it should have been according to the Bible.
In almost every case those boards decided to draught up certain
"specifications" which then had to be met.
In not one single case these "specifications", whatever they would be, had
the desired outcome. Sometimes it seemed as if the "spiritual/mental
level" increased slightly. But in these cases as well as most of the rest
the "spiritual/mental level" would soon take a dip and then gradually
drift back to its former level as these "specifications" became forgotten.
In other words, these "specifications", intended to increase the
"spiritual/mental level", always had an adverse effect.
I have talked to many other Christians from other parishes in our
denomination. All seem to have had the same experience. Many ascribe this
lukewarm spirit as a sign of the time we live in. They feel very unhappy
about it, but it seems for them as if nothing can be done about it since
all attempts have failed The general synod of our denomination decided
some years ago that the borders of a parish need not be fixed regionally
any more. Since then some of these unhappy Christians have moved from
parish to parish, seeking that high "spiritual/mental evel" (metanoia?)
which they desire.
In the Pretoria region one out of some hundred parishes in our
denomination did manage to transform itself into that high "spiritual
level". It took about three years. This parish is now functioning as a LO.
The metanoia which I have observed there are astounding. But again, and I
have carefully worked through its documentations, its members do not know
that they are a LO. They are a tacit LO. It is incredible how much they
allow the Bible to "flow metanoia in" to their parish. It is like figure
2.
Several other parishes have tried to follow their example. They did it by
making specifications of what is done at this parish and then trying to
meet such specifications on their own parish. Some claim they now also
have this high "spiritual/mental level". On one occasion I had the
opportunity to "examine" one of them and learned with a shock that it is
not the case. They thought that meeting these specifications indicated
they have this high "spiritual/mental level". But they had very little
metanoia. It is tragic how much they allow their documents
(specifications) to "pull metanoia out" of their parish. It is like figure
1.
I will try to arrange for opportunities to observe the other parishes who
claim they now also have a high "spiritual/mental level" by meeting the
specifications. I do hope that I will not be shocked again.
The Bible can be considered to be a document like all other documents. It
also has a lot of specifications in it. But it has a few curious
specifications which other documents seldom have. The one is that
specifications on paper are worthless whereas these same specifications
"in the heart" give spiritual/mental life. The next one is that the spirit
of the human without the Holy Spirit of God cannot be elevated endlessly.
The third one is that the Holy Spirit lets metanoia flow into that human
by means of all sacred things. When the Bible is dealt with as a sacred
document, the Holy Spirit uses the Bible to let metanoia flow in the
human.
A curious observation which I made, is that much of the normative
information in the Bible can be arranged according to the five disciplines
of a LO. Would such an arrangement be a desecration? We have in a
translation of the Quran in my mother tongue Afrikaans, even long before
the Quran had been translated into English. I observed that much of the
normative information in the Quran can also be arranged according to the
five disciplines of a LO. Would this again be a desecration?
One is almost tempted to ask "Are ISO9000 specifications sacred?"
But then, a more important question to ask is "How does anything
become sacred?" You may have a look at my essay
"How do things become sacred? LO27914"
< http://www.learning-org.com/02.02/0174.html >
in which I articulated my own thoughts on this question.
A most important question is "Is life sacred?" What do the TV, movies,
newspapers, magazines and Internet tell us? Should we not help fellow
learners to have also metanoia so that they can tell a different story
than that which all these information media usually do?
Artur, I have deep respect and admiration for you quest to find out just
what makes the Living Organisation different from the Learning
Organisation, if there are any differences except for the metaphoric. I am
looking forward to the completion of your essays.
With care and best wishes
--At de Lange <amdelange@gold.up.ac.za> Snailmail: A M de Lange Gold Fields Computer Centre Faculty of Science - University of Pretoria Pretoria 0001 - Rep of South Africa
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <Richard@Karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>
"Learning-org" and the format of our message identifiers (LO1234, etc.) are trademarks of Richard Karash.
