empowerment LO21560 -The Myth

Bill Braun (medprac@hlthsys.com)
Mon, 10 May 1999 08:10:46 -0500

Replying to LO21523 --

>I have been following this thread on empowerment for several weeks now. I
>read one message (like the one Richard Karash wrote: LO21084) and be
>convinced, by the reasoning presented, that empowerment can ONLY come from
>within. Then I will read another (like this one by Genene Koebelin:
>LO21412) and see, by the reasoning presented, that empowerment can be
>given from one person to another.
>
>This has led to some confusion on my part as to how both can be true.

I would suggest that empowerment coming from within plus empowerment given
from one person to another leads to win-win transformation. Empowerment
coming from within without empowerment given from one person to another
leads to win-lose revolution.

I'm not preprared to make a value judgement as to which one is better or
worse in the short and long runs. I tend to think (opinion) that the
latter is less efficient, that is, a poor ratio between energy expended
and productive, qualitative change. (In this case, I'm using the word
revolution conceptually, not to imply that it is of the French or American
(large-scale social system) type. It could very well describe what's
happening within a small team working on a project.)

Bill Braun

The Health Systems Group
- Physician Leadership Training
- Simulation Modeling for Healthcare
http://www.hlthsys.com

-- 

Bill Braun <medprac@hlthsys.com>

Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>