Hi Everyone. I've been away from the list for some time catching up on
school and work. For those who don't know me, I am an automotive designer
with General Motors, who is very interested in LO concepts. I am also on
a communications team within my department. Currently the primary task of
this team is a newsletter, for which I am serving as Editor. Each month I
do a brief editorial and I found a subject I would like to write about,
but I wanted to know how others from different areas felt about it first.
I'm interested in perspectives from employees and managers of other
companies, as well as, from scholars, consultants, government, etc.
I don't know if it's my imagination, but it seems to me that companies are
starting to communicate more openly with employees. More specifically, I
am sensing a willingness on the part of managers, to acknowledge that *we
are planning as we go* and often times they can only tell us what is
happening right now. As an employee, I would rather hear this from
management, rather than have them tell me something I want to hear today,
only to be disappointed tomorrow. However, as I discuss this with friends
and neighbors, I find that some feel this is a sign that their management
does not know where it is going or what it wants to do. Some feel good
about the open communication, while others feel a drop in confidence in
their respective leadership.
I'm not too good at drawing loop-diagrams, but I can almost picture what
is happening in the minds of some. What is your experience as an
employee, if you have experienced this? If you're a manager, how would
you address an employee who expresses a loss of confidence, by
communicating what you know *as you go*? Is it my imagination, that
management is getting more forthright, in general, than it was in the
past?
Have fun and I'm looking forward to sitting back and *listening* to the
dialogue. As always, my opinions and comments are my own and do not
necessarily reflect those of my employer.
Diane Korzeniewski
ToCOLLABR8@aol.com
Designer
General Motors Corp.
--Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>