In a message dated 12/8/99 8:17:38 PM Pacific Standard Time,
dreskow@corp.webb.net writes:
> What is less clear, to me at least, is how one goes about determining
>the link between theory and practice, how one chooses theories that can
>help improve the working of a particular organization.
Hmmmm... I love when a discussion starts about transitioning from theory
into action/application. I have made attempts in the past to motivate this
topic without much "luck".
I have a penchant for developing skills. I also have a distain for just
talk. Theories, like many things in life, have a dose response curve to
the process. A certain amount is needed and valuable, and too little or
too much either doesn't do the job or it creates contraindications.
My frustration with over thinking something (constantly analyzing without
specific and consistent behavioral changes ) happens a lot with this list.
I do coaching work. In that area I find a large population of people who
are into understanding self growth theories far more than they are into
self growth application. Theories have a dissociated quality to them. They
are mental constructs/models that aren't integrated into experience. From
my times with teaching advanced statistics I learned a concept of Theory
modeling from a Bayesian perspective. One tests over and over. Which each
new test, action, we gain more data to formulate a better model. Theories
that don't have that testing, that action component, can never be
demonstrated to hold any validity or reliability.
I close with a thought about a scene from a movie I loved. The movie was
"Good Will Hunting". Where Sean, a therapist, is chiding Will, a
precocious theory maker, about his ability to understand the world through
reading books, but has very little life experience to relate it to.
Just some thoughts on the matter...and a movie recommendation,
Glen
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