Replying to LO29206 --
Dear Organlearners,
Don Dwiggins <d.l.dwiggins@computer.org> writes:
upon my comment that one department in a university act as a
"tacit LO" while the others do not.
>I'd be interested in your observations on the different
>effects of being or not being a LO in these cases. For
>example, what differences, if any, do you see in their
>becoming? In their wholeness? In their spareness? etc...
Greetings dear Dwig,
Perhaps the most profound of all are their metanoia, their awareness that
their efficiency and welfare depend on them hanging together. It makes me
think of Benjamin Franklin who said that if we do not hang together, then
we will hang individually. Academical life has become very strained in the
new South Africa. They are always friendly to any stranger and will always
greet a regular visitor first and warmly.
For example, when someone is marking examination papers, another who has
some time off would offer to help marking the papers. Their tea/coffe
breaks are attented by everyone and they are joyful affairs. They talk on
any subject and often make jokes. They jealously guard the friendship and
learning atmosphere among them.
As for their becoming, they are the first in the university to detect
changes in their student environment and make in advance the necessary
preparations to accommodate it. The dean has become dependent on them to
show the way to follow. As for wholeness, the most striking is that each
one does not act like a cock which has to defend its own dung heap. They
like to associate themselves into joint research projects. As for
spareness, when one of them gets ill or have another problem at home,
several others would offer to take over that person's lecturing
responsibilities without the head having to order them to do so.
One day that university had a seminar on the LO concept which I attended
too. It was nothing but a traditional/classical lecture on the LO. Time
for a few questions was given afterwards. The dialogue was not used at all
to disseminate LO information in a constructive manner. Not a word was
mentioned on metanoia. I was disappointed. Two members of the department
also attended the seminar. I specifically asked them afterwards seperately
on their opinion. They both replied that it was just another one of the
sales gimmicks in organisational management. The presentation was so bad
that they could not recognise their own department in it. I felt that it
is better for them to stay a "tacit LO".
With care and best wishes
--At de Lange <amdelange@postino.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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