Dear Learners,
Plus ce change, plus ce la meme chose, eh?
>>Essentially he (Dr. Peter Senge) pointed out that the essentials of the
>>whole complicated business of developing a learning organisation boiled
>>down to the simplicity of developing those inherent human qualities
>>latent in all of us, which allow us to experience a sense of compassion
>>and beauty for the world around us.
>>Could it be that one of the many reasons why so many OD practitioners
>>experience difficulties and obstacles in making the learning organisation
>>really happen is that the focus of their interventions is not orientated
>>enough towards developing these "soul" like qualities?
>> Some years ago I read an interview with Peter Senge in which he openly
>> spoke of the essences of the learning organisation. I was struck at the
>> time by the strong spiritual tone of his words and by the way they echoed
>> Taoist or Zen philosophy.
>I do believe that if you strip away all the jargon and consultant
>"hacks", as Deming called them, and get below the tip of the iceberg, this
>is the essence of the learning organization-emotionally, spiritually, and
>intellectually.
>It is sad so many limit the Fifth Discipline to a
>management book. I love the truth that we all have inherent latent
>qualities, which allow us to experience a sense of compassion and beauty
>for the world around us.
>This is very refreshing view of human nature.
Last summer a freind asked if I would like her to update my system ;-)...I
hadn't realised there was anything wrong with the one I had but I thought,
Why not? We entered the disc, pressed the appropriate buttons and NOTHING.
System Crash. We hadn't taken the trouble to make a fine distinguishment
between a CD rewrite and an update version of the software, all was gone.
Nothing there. Two years work in the sixth or seventh dimension. A lesson
in letting go. A techno wizard managed to save a lot..even so a good
lesson. I cannot append the authors names to this fragment, but they seem
LO practitioners. Maybe you recognise the authorship?
I can identify this next one, it is between Mike McMaster and Ben Compton
25 the Sept. 1976 , much lamented 'leavers' IMHO, maybe to return;-) The
general 'axis' is, why do companies exist headed Speed. Change. Time?
(Reminds me of the artist Turner's painting title ' Wind, Speed and
Rain...maybe you have forgotten or never read my longish posting on that?)
Ben tells of a clarifying moment "...Every week I take each of my children
on a walk, just so we can talk. While walking with my seven year old he
said. "Dad, I really like myself." I inquired why he liked himself, He
said, "Because I imagine things, and then I create what I imagine." Ben
relates the experience to organisational reasons for existing and
summarises partly, "- geez this kid has got life figured out, My son
does'nt live to breath, he lives to imagine and create."
Mmmm.
When Ben tried sharing the knowledge gained in a seminar.."Phew, I'm still
pulling knives out of my chest..."
I happen to believe in genius. I especially happen to believe in the
genius that creative people (all people) can bring to less than creative
people (same all people) and I also believe that children as we know from
At's inputs and those from others over the years who are sensitive to this
input are now fine models and exemplars to whom we must learn to listen
with all credulity.
Here is what George Bernard Shaw wrote 'donkey's years' ago, "Imagination
is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire; you will create
what you imagine and at last you will create what you will."
Do not mind how you came by this, be glad that you did, I am.
Yesterday I helped hang a little local exhibition to celebrate the
Millennium. It is full of local arts and crafts from people now departed
on a variety of directions ;-) and from ancient people to three year olds.
On the table next to mine was a small painting by 'Peyton' a boy who lives
down the road. It is called 'Dolphin'. The Dolphin leaps out of the curved
ocean above a choppy sea of angry teeth like wave motifs and the sky
behind is an arching phosphorous pink sunset, banded in blue. Dolphin, Sea
and Sky are all made of the same blue in differing tones. The Dolphin is
smiling, though all the other lines of force and composition convey
sadness and turmoil. It is a very, very eloquent picture to me . Soon the
'veil' will fall upon this little boy whose current 'vision' he must lose
to become a man, but that we as grown men and women must regain and
keepsafe for him not by changing anything other than ourselves and then
transfigured 'work' for us may become as like leaping is for a Dolphin.
On the back he has inscribed 'Dolphin by Peyton' It is all painted in Red,
Gold and palest Violet with some blobs of gold. The veil approaches from
the right quadrant, whereupon his inscription sits proclaiming his
creation, his will and his vision. As would any Dolphin, without a single
thought. ~~~~~~~~~
My final thought is, why did I write his title was "Dolphin" when his
inscription is actually " Dolphin by Peyton"?
SEE?
Best,
Andrew Campbell.
[Host's Note: We're transported into the movie, "The Graduate." A friend
of the family takes the young grad aside and whispers sage advice... One
word, sotto vocce... "..backup..". ..Rick]
[Host's Note: Andrew, if you want to replace your lost record, all the
history of the learning org list is available in our archive
http://www.learning-org.com and can be read on the web or downloaded via
ftp. Instructions http://www.learning-org.com/LOinfo.html ..Rick]
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