Hard Work and Efficient Management = Success? LO28424

From: AM de Lange (amdelange@postino.up.ac.za)
Date: 05/07/02


Replying to LO28397 --

Dear Organlearners,

Benjamin Compton <benjamin_compton@yahoo.com> writes

>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: (snip)
>
>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. . .

Greetings dear Ben,

It means a lot for me. Thank you very much for this response. All the
responses so far have been most valuable, making me feel very priviledged.

I agree with Michael McMaster. From my viewpoint in terms of the 7Es
(seven essentialities of creativity) it has a lot to do with them. For
example, wholeness is one of the 7Es. Wholeness requires that learning and
producing, even though distinguishable, should be blended into one. The
producing affords the experiences upon which further learning thrives,
resulting in tacit knowing.

Without such experiences the learner is doomed to rote learning. In other
words, the learner has to take in external information and memorise it as
"theoretical knowledge". The next step is to find an application for it.
However, the learner stumbles over many such applications without even
recognising them because of not having the tacit knowing. Eventually the
learner does find an application. Afterwards it is said that the learner
has practical knowledge too. The fact that the learner gains experiences
through the application from which his/her tacit knowledge emerge escapes
the attention of all rote learners. From their paradigm they interpret it
simply that "theoretical knowledge" becomes complete after application.

I mentioned that the organisation relies very much on information. In
fact, its production has to sort of "trace" this information. In many
cases this production involves emergences. All external information is
suitable predominantly for digestive learning, but very little for
emergent learning. Thus the production fails exactly where it has to be
sustained by emergent learning.

I mentioned that I am involved together with a team in a project of that
organisation. In this project one of our aims is definitely to integrate
learning and production so that both increase hand in hand. So far the
signs are promising, but we are still in the initial stage. A lot can
still happen to abort it unless we as a team keep our bearings.

The manager was initially sceptic about the project, saying "give me a
written guarantee that it will be a success". But of lately I think that
he places some hope on this project to reverse the decline of the
organisation should persistence with "hard work" and "efficient
management" fail to do so.
 
With care and best wishes

-- 

At de Lange <amdelange@gold.up.ac.za> Snailmail: A M de Lange Gold Fields Computer Centre Faculty of Science - University of Pretoria Pretoria 0001 - Rep of South Africa

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