> From: Richard Karash <Richard@Karash.com>
>
> At said:
>
> >> It is my task to help people to develop within themselves the power to
> >> change.
>
> And Steve replied:
>
> >How do I help you to change?
> >
> So, I propose a question here: What can we say about changing other
> people? What's right and ethical? What works?
Richard asks:
> To support the dialogue, I'll summarize my principles in this area:
>
5. But, the choice for another person is always theirs, not mine. I am
> always conscious of being clear to the other person that I am sharing my
> conviction, belief, and enthusiasm for their consideration, not to
> dictate
> their choice. I believe the other way won't work and would be unethical.
Since we are in the business of changing peoples thoughts, behaviors and
belief systems through education about systems change, I think this final
statement is slightly incorrect. When an organization decides to change
their current system to another we are dictating their (the employee) new
belief system. This is true because we have been tasked, either through
corporate mandate or governmental mandate, with facilitating a change. We
as trainers and quality "overseers" have to buy into the new system and
project that buy-in to our clients as a positive attitude. We must become
apolitical. The statement, in my opinion, then becomes, to borrow and
paraphrase a line from JFK: Ask not what my company can do for me but how
I can help my company change. At this point the question becomes: What
are my ethical duties and responsibilities to change and how do I change
my own belief system to accommodate the assigned task?
Bruce Jones
brucej@nwths.com
--"Bruce Jones" <brucej@nwths.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>