John Constantine wrote:
> Difficult as it is, we are always in a state of flux as human beings,
> constantly bombarded by "input" of every kind. This changes us as
> individuals, as one who, along with others, is brought together by
> circumstance/fate/karma/hangover to work in what we call an
> organization.
Hi,
Like many others, I've followed this thread with interest. I copied John
Constantine's quote not as a basis for this post, but as representative of
many others -- and also because I liked it. There have been some
fascinating and thought-provoking contributions on this topic from the
many awesome intellects on this list. If I may, I'd like to invite those
minds to shed light on a question:
How does the "new workplace paradigm" affect an organization's ability to
learn?
I recently conducted some research aimed at helping the survivors of my
company's downsizing. Among the helpful advice offered by members of this
list were several recommendations that I consult David W. Noer's book
"Healing the Wounds." In it Noer made a strong case (I'm paraphrasing
here) for the existence of a workplace paradigm that's vastly changed from
the one we Baby Boomers grew up and began our careers with. According to
this paradigm, the individual employee is essentially self-employed -- a
"temp" whose skills are being utilized by an organization for an
indefinite but limited period of time. As a result, one must consider
learning and professional development an essential part of one's paycheck.
And, of course, the whole concept of loyalty takes on a new meaning.
If so, does an organization composed of "temps" with minimal (if any)
loyalty have the ability to learn that's needed in a constantly changing
environment? Can and should it develop systems to insure that the
organization as well as its "Me, Inc." workforce learns, grows and adapts?
Best holiday wishes to all of you.
Tom Dell
AST Computer
Irvine, CA
--Tdell1 <Tdell1@aol.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>