Colleagues,
Many years ago (6-7) I recall reading a short article from something like
HBR, Sloan Management Review, or the like (probably not those
specifically, though), the overall thesis of which was: contrary to the
oponions of most managers, developing a good "theory" is an important and
necessary part of managing, and that tangible practice without theory is
as likely to be dysfunctional as not. I believe the thrust might have
been to indict those managers and leaders who denigrate "theoretical" talk
and thinking, and constrain their people to deal only with "reality." Or
maybe it was designed to help those same managers overcome this particular
learning disability.
It sems to me this is much like saying one should try to predict the
results of actions to make explicit the mental model of the actor,
allowing for better comparison of experience to expectations, which in
turn facilitates learning, adjustment of mental models, and informs
further action.
Does anyone on the list recall such an article? If so, can you cite it or
point me toward it? Thanks.
Steve
Stephen B. Wehrenberg, Ph.D.
Director, Future Force 21 and Human Resources Capability
Development, US Coast Guard (202)267-0624
Organizational Sciences, The George Washington University
wstephen@erols.com
Telling a story creates a coherent whole from the parts. The emergent
property of a story is meaning in context. Stories convert mere facts and
opinions into understanding.
--Stephen.Wehrenberg@world.std.com, "Ph.D." <wstephen@erols.com>
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