Replying to LO28108 by Jan Lelie
and others earlier in the thread
Goeiendag Jan and LO'ers
Jan, you wrote:
> The paradox is, that a teacher (mentor, coach, manager, hrd-er)
> wants to teach something: to change the behavior of the pupil
> and at the same time, he can not change the behavior by trying to
> control it. He - or she - will have to wait for the pupil to be
ready.
and later
> It is a true paradox: nobody can learn something without
> being controlled by something or somebody. Everybody wants
> to learn, but nobody wants to be taught. And yet, you only
> learn, when you're willing to be taught.
Drawing on the kind of circumstances we have here in South Africa, I
have come up with a brief illustration (basing it on the principles of
Normative management I am working on) of the different working
situations one can find oneself in and how that affects the whole
motivational process - and since this process relies very much on a
"willingness" to learn, it is I believe relevant both to what Jan
wrote and the debate about HRD being responsible for initiating a
change to an LO (or not, as one's opinion might be).
For much of our history since the white man came to South Africa in
the 1600's, we have been an agricultural nation. We still have many of
the original large farms spread across most of our climatically not
always friendly country and the predominant labour on these farms is
supplied by the descendants of the original inhabitants of this part
of the world. And as history would have it, until quite recently few
of them were educated to any degree or even literate.. I say this in
order to place the following in perspective:
Invariably these farms would have a quite extensive vegetable garden,
as a rule watered from a dam that is either fed by a stream or, more
commonly, by a wind-driven pump from a bore-hole. Again, until quite
recently when electricity became widely available in rural areas,
water was drawn and distributed by irrigation ditches leading from the
dam to the garden. Typically, one of the farm labourers (of which
there was often quite a large population - relatively speaking ) would
be assigned the duty of looking after the vegetable garden.
The idea of this illustration is to place one-self in the position of
that labourer and to consider how one would behave and think - perhaps
not in reverse order! - given these three scenarios that describe how
the farmer sets out the work to be done. These could be elaborated
upon, but just the essentials are given to indicate the nature of the
three situations.
1. "I want you today do clean this drainage ditch. Dig it nice and
square, to a depth of so deep (hands over a stick of about 12 inches)
and just as wide. Haul out the old mud and spread it over here where
we will prepare a new bed (makes scuff marks on the ground to show the
dimensions). Just make sure it is spread evenly. When you have done
that, come here and dig up this old bed. Make sure you shake off all
the earth from the roots and then leave the old plants in a pile, over
there (shows exact place), where these can be collected later to feed
the cattle. You must dig so deep - hands over another stick - and I
want no lumps greater than your fist. Make a fist and let me see. Yes,
that's right. OK that's all for today."
2. "It is time to re-organise the garden a little and to rotate what
we have been planting during the last season. I think here we will
switch the bed from cabbage to carrots and move the cabbage to this
old bed that was unused (etc etc with respect to other changes). I see
the trellis for the beans is getting a bit rickety. Get tools and
nails and some baling wire from the workshop - ask John for them - and
get it prepared for the new season. When you prepare the beds, make
sure that you work in some manure compost from the cattle kraal as
well. Oh, I also see some of the irrigation ditches are getting
clogged - see to them when you have the time."
3. "This is the start of the new spring season and we will continue as
before. You still have full control of the vegetable garden and will
plan to produce the vegetables we need - much the same as specified by
my wife for last year. The only complaint I know of for the last year
was that there were not enough pumpkin to last, mainly because of
spoilage by an insect pest, I believe. Next time we go into town you
may want to ask the guy at the co-op what insecticide to use. Here is
your budget for seed, insecticides and other requirements. As you
mentioned, I have made allowance for the purchase of a new wheel
barrow."
There is of course no doubt as to which of the three examples one
would like to have applied to oneself.
Very simple examples, true, but I would hazard a guess that, in terms
of the principles involved, of the three the first two are the more
prevalent in most businesses - the first at the level of the factory
floor and the second at the levels of middle and lower management. At
the level of top management, of course, we are dealing with the
farmer, not the labourer.
It is of course easy to see which one is most conducive to stimulating
a learning experience by the labourer - who is no longer a labourer
but much more like the entrepreneur in charge of the vegetable garden;
meeting the requirements of the environment rather than following
instructions on what to do and even how to do it.
Here one nevertheless should not focus on the nature of the actual
work being done - much the same in each case - but on the amount of
independence and discretion that can be exercised even within this
very limited context of a vegetable garden. In other words, authority.
And on the scope for innovation, creativity and self-discipline this
brings about.
A key point I hope to make with this example is that the nature of the
objectives and thus the nature of the challenge that is faced, it
scope and complexity, can play a major role in creating a climate in
which the need to learn becomes apparent - and which therefore
addresses some of the problems in the debate about both barriers to
change and regarding who should be responsible for the change to an
LO.
Unfortunately, enrichment of objectives and authority - while
essential - is IMHO not sufficient to bring about lasting change. To
do that a few other ingredients are required, but this post is already
too long to dwell on these now.
Many South Africans will find it a strange experience to consider
themselves from the position of the labourer of the vegetable garden.
Perhaps less so today than say 50 years ago.
Best wishes and kind regards to Jan and all
daan
Daan Joubert
Not a gardener at all,
yet trying to sow seeds.
Roodepoort
South Africa
daanj@kingsley.co.za
--Daan Joubert <daanj@kingsley.co.za>
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