Hard Work and Efficient Management = Success? LO28397

From: Benjamin Compton (benjamin_compton@yahoo.com)
Date: 05/03/02


Replying to LO28366 --

I enjoyed Fred's contribution to this thread.

The thread in general has started me thinking of the book "The
Intelligence Advantage" written by Michael McMaster (who used to actively
participate on this list). In chapter 7, "The Learning Loop," McMaster
does an excellent job explaining how learning can be integrated into the
production loop. A couple of quick quotes seem apropos: "We ahve organized
around production. We have designed to take every bit of available energy,
money, and attention, and focus them on producing more (or better) of
whatever we are in the business of making and selling. And we have
succeeded beyond the imaginations of our forebears. This kind of focus
perpetuates the thinking patterns of our specific task, corporation, or
industry that don't allow time for learning. These are the source of the
justifications for our failure to embrace learning and reap the rewards of
compound knowledge."

This is one of my favorite paragraphs in the chapter:

"The activity of learning is not separate from production. Unfortunately
the coemergent nature of the process is impossible to capture in our
two-dimensional representation. The distinction between the activities of
learning and the activities of production is a mental one, not a physical
one. Learning is occuring simultaneously with work when a little attention
is given to the fact that learning is being captured in the process of
work. Production activities begin to transform when this distinction is
made. The transformation results in an immediate increase in
productivity."

For what its worth. . .

-- 

Benjamin Compton E-mail: benjamin_compton@yahoo.com http://www.thecastingdeck.com

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