Rol Fessenden wrote:
> Thank god for a refreshing post from Jack Zigon and Jonathan Siegel(sp?)
> on the use of data and facts in place of anecdotes. Can we establish this
> approach as a standard here?
I enjoyed Jack's posting, too, Rol. However, there's probably room in
this list for research-based theory and for intuitive-based theory.
Anecdotes can sometimes support the either category, if the anecdote is
supported by other experiences or data and the theory is logically
well-developed. I agree that people (including myself) sometimes seem to
get wrapped up in their personal experiences as a basis for developing
theory and taking action. That's one of the primary ways in which people
(and organizations) learn. What I gained from Jonathan's communication
was the need to challenge specious argument supported merely by a vague
reference or attribution to someone considered an 'authority.'
-- Richard C. "Doc" Holloway Thresholds--Human Development and Networking for Learning Organizations LearnShops--supporting your training strategies at <http://www.thresholds.com/> <mailto:learnshops@thresholds.com>"The most serious weakness in American business is the flaw in corporate governance that permits the CEO to escape strict accountability and to cling to power despite gross failures of leadership." -Stanley Hiller, Jr.
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>