In a message dated 97-10-28 04:31:24 EST, you write:
" Generally speaking I would agree with you. However, when the organization
isn't clear about its mission, oftentimes the individual who assumes the
position is left to design the position (i.e., day to day functions,
resources needed, product vs. service based output, etc.).
In my case, because the position was new, I determined what my products
and services would be. I approached the position from the perspective of
a start up business (I developed a business plan)."
Mark,
You're right. These things happen: unclear missions and muddled
organizations and "lost" position-holders. Our own experience and the
literature on organization design and building tell us so.
You would actually count among the normally rare, Covey-type of proactive
organization denizens, who are enlightened enough or who care enough to
try to shape their work instead of waiting to be shaped by it. And taking
the perspective of an entrepreneur starting up a business, I think, is an
arguably reasoned approach towards your goal of defining a "Learning
Officer". More precisely, the approach should be to find out who one's
customers are, what they need, and determining what you can offer them
given your resources.
Having done this, the next thing to look out for is the potentially
dangerous sense of "smug-ness" that comes with having "finally" found
one's niche within the organization. One should, in other words, not let
the job description sheet, which for now he has developed, to confine him
within its 8" by 11-1/2" borders at some point in the future. There will
always be occasions for continuous improvement in the way one might
execute his position or sell his "products and services" to his customers.
I'm curious though. How did the position of Learning Officer come to be
created if the host (to the LO position) organization itself was unclear
about its mission to begin with? Seems like someone inserted a "budget
item" in some departmental budget and is now asking that you
justify/clarify/define a position that it is supposed to pay for.
Shouldn't the position be justified/clarified/defined first, before the
budget to support it is approved. Anyway, just my mischievous noggin
acting up.
--Chuck Gesmundo in Minneapolis Alderlink@aol.com
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>