Bob,
I appreciated your input on this thread. Thanks. It helped me to
remember that while we often present issues and ideas as either/or, (often
an outcome of simplistic use of 2x2 matrix tools), real world experiences
lie somewhere on the continuum between the two extremes. In many cases,
the "extremes" are only themselves points closer to the middle of even
less definite scales.
>One useful way to avoid superficial labelling, when value-filled terms like
>competition and collaboration are necessary, is to indicate precisely when
>and in what circumstance each seems most appropriate. And to stay open to
>the possibility that such rhetorical opposites may co-exist and feed each
>other in many situations.
I believe that such fuzzy interpretations could be very useful in
understanding issues of leadership, competence and learning. Fuzzy here
refers to the notion that we need not be tied to the either A or not A
discontinuity. The possibility exists that something could be both A and
not A in varying degrees of "A"ness.
I found the somewhat populist text "Fuzzy Thinking" by Bart Kosko
(Hyperion, 1993) quite an interesting read in this regard.
--"Leslie Lax" <leslax@cnx.net>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>