John,
I agree with you totally that it is a tremendous reach from the university
classroom to the line operations of an industrial plant. But, in this
case there is no choice, and that is part of the challenge. But, IMHO, it
is no different than trying to help different cultures understand one
another. It can be done, with time, with their willingness and openness,
and the right process. I find that professional managers think and make
decisions as if all their people understand the basis, background, theory
and reasons for a decision. But they don't. If you have men and women on
a production line whose educational background consists of an associates
degree in metal fabrication from a community college, and you have
professional managers who have advanced degrees in business, engineering
or finance, there is a great gulf which has to be bridged in order for
effective communication to take place. But that is the nature of
businesses, communities and the global economy. The days of working in a
place where most people are like me are gone, and the challenge is to help
people learn to understand and value the differences which exist in their
organizational context.
I'm looking forward to this challenge. And I appreciate your highlighting.
Ed Brenegar
Leadership Resources
edb3@msn.com
828/693-0720
>Ed, academic philosophers are no equipped for corporate culture. They may
>get up to speed to deal with the board room in ten days, but if there are
>line managers and an industrial culture, you've got more to do than get
>them up to speed. Remember Juran's admoninition (Managerial Breakthrough)
>that you need to speak the language of the audience: the executive's
>language is finance, the line manager's is throughput, and the line
>worker's is survival.
>
>"John Zavacki" <jzavacki@greenapple.com>
--"Ed Brenegar" <edb3@msn.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>