First, I suppose I should introduce myself before I launch off into some
comments I feel I have to make.
My name is Rob Jones. I'm in HR-Education & Development at State Farm
Insurance Companies and am primarily responsible for developing innovative
ways to identify performance needs within State Farm and work with others
to provide effective solutions or interventions. Truth be told, we've just
started, so please don't ask me what we're doing. We've a big horizon to
scan before we take many steps.
I've been lurking here for a long time, too long for me to even guess.
I've learned a lot about myself, my profession, and learning
organizations. For that, I thank all who've contributed. And, there've
been many times I felt the need to put in my penny's worth. Only a penny,
my thoughts aren't worth much more than that in my opinion. But, the email
system I use at work is antiquated, proprietary, and very difficult to
send notes out from. But, here goes....
Dr. Steve Eskow wrote:
>Doc, I find it easier to help other people see their blind spots than to
>look at mine. And that's what I like to do: help others to see the errors
>of their ways and language, while asserting that mine are rooted in
>"reality."
>
>So:
>
>Who accepts the Gaia "concept" that "this planet" is a "living organism"?
>You, Doc? Why? Is Gaia Mother Nature dressed up for the new millenium?
I, for one, believe in a concept that this planet is a living organism
though I wouldn't call it 'Gaia.' And, although I'm not sure if you meant
them to sound as you did, I found your comments very inappropriate. IMHO,
I feel Doc deserves an apology.
One of the wonderful things about being human is our ability to express
our opinions. And, our right to express our disagreement with others'
opinions. But I feel your words went beyond expressing disagreement to a
point of personal attack. I'm sorry, I don't believe in that. Doc has a
right to express his opinions. No one has the right to ridicule them.
Another comment you made:
>Here's another metaphor for you: please tell me if mine also gives you
>useful insights.
>
>"Organizations are machines."
snip
>Which one of the metaphors is "true," Doc? Your biological metaphor or my
>mechanical metaphor?
One thing not expressed within either your comments or Doc's is that
biological entities are machines. We need a source of energy. We need
lubrication. Many have moving parts, a lot don't. If not properly
energized or lubricated, we break down.
I must admit a personal feeling that humans tend to anthropomorphize too
much. Perhaps that's because it's too uncomfortable to place ourselves in
others' roots or paws or fins or whatever else you can think of. Yet,
maybe it's time to do so. To see how other biolocal entities view the
world around them, to feel the acid rain as it slowly burns our leaves, to
bask in the glow of the sun while sitting on a warm rock and wait for a
fly to drift within reach of our tongues all the while keeping an eye out
for the alligator you remember seeing earlier.
I remember a time a was driving to a meeting in Chicago. Off to the side
of the road was a flock of birds performing an intricate airborne dance.
>From a distance it appeared to all the world like a huge cobra swaying
it's head and neck, rearing back, and striking again and again. As I
approached, I noticed two large black hawks, trying to dive past the
cobra's head to something on the ground. But, the flock's actions kept
forcing the hawks back.
I don't know how the story ends, before long I guessed my eyes were best
used watching the road. But the questions that kept twirling through my
mind was, "How do they do that? How do they communicate with each other so
quickly and respond instantaneously? How did they, a community of birds --
an organization, if you will -- learn this response?"
Can organizations learn? Maybe not in the sense that humans do, or even in
a way that humans can understand. But, yes they do. The real question is
can organizations recognize they've learned and respond appropriately?
Thanks for listening (reading?)!
Rob Jones
rob.jones.bhcb@statefarm.com
--Rob Jones <Rob.Jones.BHCB@StateFarm.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>