Steve-
Almost right on Steve, except for one point -- and this is my fault for
responding too cerebrally and not completely thinking through the thread
-- too often the metaphor is taken to heart without the benefit of
physically and emotionally experiencing the actual event (at the actual
level referred to) that the metaphor is based upon.
Perhaps this is splitting hairs; and if so, perhaps it is because I
competed at a particularly high level and truly believe there is a
significant difference between saying one is a team player -- or using any
other sports analogy -- and actually being a team player (as you might
suspect, the use of a team-player, sports-related metaphor doesn't work
for me).
Haven't any LOers experienced the following (I'll take the "male" road
because I also suspect that men are more likely to use sports - or war -
analogies than the astute "other sex" ): A significantly overweight
executive stands before his minions and barks, "This business is war. Be
prepared to go to battle and fight a war. We gotta pull together like a
team of Olympic rowers. And I'll quarterback us to victory." Yada, yada.
When I've seen this happen, I have always said to myself, "Well, I'm glad
I know CPR and first aid because when we go to war, the fat man's trip
over the line in the sand and have a heart attack 'charging' into battle."
(My very smart wife just chimed in - herself a very accomplished 4X and 8X
rower - real team player stuff - that people use sports analogies because
they "think" the metaphor will evoke an emotional response, only to find
the result of the metaphor rings hollow in practice. Most people just
can't relate to the event - right on Jane E. Henderson!!!)
A learning organization should be able to nucleate itself by uniquely
pursuing paths never before seen or flowing naturally to a place never
before reached. I believe that the use of metaphors merely delays or
diverts us away from achieving a heightened state of awareness - one of
the precursors to learning.
Steve, metaphors without reality checks equals trouble down the road.
Maybe we should just leave the sports and war stories to the pros . . .
besides I suspect it's somewhat offensive to those who actually sweated or
died in the course of the events.
Regards to LO (I really love this stuff!)
Steve Levy
--SMLevy1 <SMLevy1@aol.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>