ToCOLLABR8@aol.com wrote:
> I'm not too good at drawing loop-diagrams, but I can almost picture what
> is happening in the minds of some. What is your experience as an
> employee, if you have experienced this? If you're a manager, how would
> you address an employee who expresses a loss of confidence, by
> communicating what you know *as you go*? Is it my imagination, that
> management is getting more forthright, in general, than it was in the
> past?
Thanks for your posting, Diane. I'm happy that, at least in your part of
the world, you can see some progress in organizations becoming more open.
A thought occurred to me in relation to the question you posed above.
Sometimes what people express as a lack of confidence in their leaders (or
bosses) reveals the fear they have concerning their role and security in
the workplace. When members of my team express similar feelings, I try to
clarify their feelings through inquiry and reflective listening.
Sometimes, they're not prepared for this kind of dialog--but if we can
begin a conversation, it helps to get them to articulate their feelings.
I like to ask them what they think we need to do--after all, we've agreed
on our priorities: taking care of the customer; complying with contract
standards, laws, etc.; obtaining efficiencies; and so forth. When we all
know what you're shooting for, and understand and respect each others'
roles, we can share the leadership. Some call this empowerment. I've had
some problems with that word, because the power is being given from one
person to the next. I prefer to think that each person has power, and
that learning organizations simply create the opportunity for each person
to realize their personal power.
oops! that's a lot more than what you bargained for, I bet. I'm glad
that management is getting more forthright in your area. I still see
continued efforts to recreate management styles that were out of style
more than 30 years ago. However, each of us who attempts to lead and
influence change makes some impact on the rest of our world.
Doc
-- Richard C. "Doc" Holloway, Thresholds--Human Development and Networking P.O. Box 2361, Olympia, WA 98507 Phone: (360) 786-0925 Fax: (360) 709-4361 mailto:olypolys@nwrain.com"The familiar life horizon has been outgrown, the old concepts, ideals and emotional patterns no longer fit, the time for the passing of a threshold is at hand."
-Joseph Campbell
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>