Emerson E. Whitacre in "Are we really learning?" asked:
>Much of the posting here is mentally stimulating. It seems to me that
>learning needs to be more about validating and implementing useful
>concepts than gathering more data. Are we really learning?
Good question. It is about implementing and not about understanding
although the two are certainly linked. Mental stimulation is certainly
one aspect of change.
I've been using a simple model of change for organizational and personal
development over the years and get a lot of behavioral confirmation that
it works. It is also simple, thus easily applied.
Change is part of the learning / implementation stream of behavior.
"In a time of drastic change it is the learners who
survive; the 'learned' find themselves fully equipped
to live in a world that no longer exists."
Eric Hoffer
The likelihood of Change may be influenced by four factors,
* The current level of discomfort with the way things are (now)
* The attractiveness of the vision of the future'
* The individual (or group's) previous success with change
* The peer or workgroup support for the change
Briefly,
Discomfort: If people are comfortable, they are less likely to change
than if they are uncomfortable. It the temperature is rising, people are
more likely to alter their clothing and body posture than they are if it
is the same. (This is not about PAIN - I think of pain as an immobilizer)
Vision: If people have a personal view of an improved state, then they
are more likely to be attracted to that state.
Previous Success: If the last attempt was a success, the probability of
another attempt is higher. If the last try was unsuccessful, then they
would be less likely to change.
Support: Peer (in the US vernacular of co-equal) or team support gives
one a bit more courage and incentive to make improvements.
I can ramble on with a lot more explanation of these factors. But, for my
way of thinking, the learning starts with information and an altered
belief about what might be done. Without discomfort and vision, one is
not likely to be motivated to make any improvement. They are natural
precursors to the change process. Gathering data is important.
But information and people are necessary to suport the other two and this
is where a list like this can help push and support. We can get ideas and
help from others.
Hope you find the model above to be useful - please feel free to share /
embellish or whatever. When people understand more about why resistance
occurs, they can better understand their own behavior.
May 1999 roll smoothly and positively forward,
--For the FUN of It!
Scott Simmerman, Ph.D. Performance Management Company - 800-659-1466 mailto:SquareWheels@compuserve.com
A great source for FREE tools and information on team development: <www.SquareWheels.com>
"Don't Just DO Something, Stand There."
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>