Dennis--you've provided a wonderful example of empowerment. I see nothing
wrong with your arrangements or your use of the definition. The problem
is in its' application to organizational life. The patriarchical
relationship you have with your son is very similar to the one which
exists in many organizations. This is also the very relationship which
needs to disappear--it has no place in those places where autonomous
people come together to work with one another. Your son is not now
autonomous, he is dependent. In a few years, if you made such an
arrangement for him, he could very well resent it.
walk in peace,
Doc Holloway
Dennis Keibler wrote:
> Take this situation as an example: This summer, my son will be old
> enough to drive the truck to take our produce to the market. Since neither
> of us wants him to run out of gasoline, he will need to be able to refuel
> the truck as needed. I will tell the owner of the gas station that my son
> has my permission to charge purchases to my account, and that I will honor
> the indebtedness and make the payment. I will tell my son about the
> gasoline arrangement, and make sure he knows my expectations. He will not
> betray my trust nor will I second guess his decisions. We both know this.
-- "The spiritual gift on this inner journey is the knowledge that in chaos I can not only survive, but I can thrive, that there is vitality in that chaotic field of energy." -Parker J. PalmerThresholds--developing critical skills for living organizations Richard C. "Doc" Holloway Olympia, WA ICQ# 10849650 Please visit our new website, still at <http://www.thresholds.com/> <mailto:learnshops@thresholds.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>