LOs and Strategic Management LO26143

From: Dennis Rolleston (dennisr@ps.gen.nz)
Date: 02/16/01


Replying to LO26117

Hello Winfried,

While you enjoyed every minute of writing your 'fantasia' I enjoyed every
minute reading it. I was also prompted to re-read Peggy's and At's
contributions you referred to. It bought back many bitter sweet memories
of intense debates between my father and me about many such subjects in a
similar vein to strategic management. In light of your 'fantasia' I think
while we intersected the X 'OX and Y'OY in the same places the curves of
our parables flopped in opposite directions. In yachting terms he was
tacking east and I was tacking west - heading for the same destination
nonetheless.

In my present working life my debates/discussions/coercions/conflicts are
far more intense than they were between my father and I. We both
understood the world that was shaping us and the forces (cultural) that
steered us to where we were (me 35 him 71). The people I interact with at
work each day are from diverse cultures and backgrounds. The managers
among them appear to me to latch on to topics like TQM, LO etc etc, learn
and spout the buzz words but their mental models remain the same ie
steeped in the culture in which they were raised - learned by rote.

I remember a past contribution of At's where he traced his cultural
origins and he eventually began to question the doctrines that were
tacitly disturbing to him. I rationalise that much of the conflict in the
world today is rooted in the rigid mental models of our individual
cultural teachings (mostly rote).

And while we may be in trouble in business or in life with a rigid mental
model as in the conventional telephone compared to the mobile telephone,
even if we, and the people we interact with, have intersections on At's
grid at the same points the area between opposite falling paraboles may
still be wide enough to bring bitter conflict between each of us or some
of us. Perhaps this as it was meant to be?

Winfried your 'fantasia' prompted my rambling contribution (or tripped
that mind mine) and will continue to help with my ongoing enlightenment
for a long time.

Regards to you and all fellow learners

Dennis

-- 

"Dennis Rolleston" <dennisr@ps.gen.nz>

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