Margaret McIntyre writes:
"Steve, in my opinion the reason some metaphors take hold in certain times
is that they open possiblities for new more effective action addressing
human concerns. When stories/metaphors/interpretations do not produce a
compelling future for human beings and their concerns, they tend to die
out and get replaced by new stories that are more powerful."
That seems exactly right to me.
And that suggests to me why I find no help in accepting the fiction that
organizations are alive.
Microsoft succeeds; Apple falters, and may fail.
Why?
The biological metaphors tell me that both are alive, both are "complex
adaptive systems". So: one has failed to "adapt," has gotten ill, may die,
while the other has successfully adapted, is healthy,etc
Have I really learned anything from my use of these metaphors, or do they
just repeat the situation in pretentious terms?
If I add the language of cells and entropy, do I add to my insight?
All I still know is that Apple is in trouble and Microsoft seems to be
flourishing.
The metaphors pretend to explain the situation, and can delude me into
thinking I have a proufound insight into it.
I still have to figure out--if I can, and without the help of
metaphors--what decisions Jobs and Sculley and Apple made that may have
created their problem, and what Gates has done--so far--that has kept
Microsoft rich.
The biological metaphor may take my eyes and mind off the answers. Perhaps
Microsoft isn't a "complex adaptive system": perhaps it flourishes because
Gates is smart, cunning, ruthless, reads the signs of the times right, and
follows none of advice he gets about participatory management and learning
organizations.
Perhaps.
Steve Eskow
Dr. Steve Eskow
President, The Electronic University Network
288 Stone Island Road
Enterprise, Florida 32725
Phone: 407-321-8770; Fax: 407-321-4861
email: dreskow@magicnet.net
--"Dr. Steve Eskow" <dreskow@magicnet.net>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>