I couldn't think of any situation in which S/T would not apply. A
powerful question! (Although I realize that my mindset sees endless
possibilities in any situation.) Which leads me to say that I can't think
of a time when I see myself to have failed -- just stumped, or having
missed my mark for the time being.
I have had many disappointments while trying to help organizations become
something different. However, as time passes, I hear stories emerge about
how people were transformed in one way or another by our time together,
and about the changes they made in their lives and in their own corner of
the organization.
S/T reminds us that cause and effect are separated by unbelievable amounts
of time and space -- such that we could have difficulty learning from our
actions without systemic consciousness. Perhaps what we might cast as
aborted attempts or failures are actually successes on a different scale
-- or successes that will emerge in another time and space -- or may
emerge in a beautiful form we aren't prepared to recognize right now .
This is what gives me the greatest hope and courage to press on. Maybe
the seeds of change we plant will produce a bountiful learning harvest for
the next "generation." And if we don't sow with the patience and
understanding that there may be very few near term results, the changes
will never come. Now try to sell this to a "procurer of services that
needs bottom line results."
I have a dream...
John
--John Dicus | jdicus@ourfuture.com CornerStone Consulting Associates | http://www.ourfuture.com Learning Organization Consulting / Facilitation / Training Open Space Technology / Community Building 2761 Stiegler Road, Valley City OH 44280 800-773-8017 | 330-725-2728 (fax)
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>