tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77561407104123078642024-02-22T00:41:03.121-08:00Non-Random Thoughts about ThinkingPurposeful thinking about thinking, and how to refine and develop it, with a leaning toward learning and a tilt in the direction of solving problems.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-32265423888798940252023-12-03T23:35:00.000-08:002023-12-03T23:35:32.704-08:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span face=""Verdana","sans-serif"" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Life isn't about finding yourself.
Life is about creating yourself."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<strong><span face=""Verdana","sans-serif"" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">--George Bernard Shaw</span></strong><br />
<strong><span face=""Verdana","sans-serif"" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></strong><br />(Written in April 2013)<div><br />
It's tough to get to 60 years old and realize that you have never finished that process of creating yourself. That is, you realize that, as lucky as you have been, as many chances as you have had, you have never taken that one chance and run with it. Or shot for the moon. Or gone for broke. Or followed your heart.<br />
<br />
And there are all kinds of reasons not to. <br />
<br />
There are the easy ones, like needing to pay the rent, or the mortgage. Like needing to provide for a family. Like needing to just pay off that car loan, or complete that last project, or get one more promotion...all of which may be good things to do, responsible things to do, important goals to achieve. <br />
<br />
There are the tougher ones, like choosing to leave a dead-end job without something better, like persisting in a consulting role when you're not finding the kinds of engagements that you're really looking for. <br />
<br />
All of these things may make a lot of sense if your goal is to "find yourself." But you can only "find" yourself when you are lost. <br />
<br />
When you know who you are, what you want, what you dream about, you're not lost. You may be afraid...to go through the uncertainty of an acting career, or the grind of a professional baseball career, or the setbacks of teaching. To take the risks involved in saying, "This is who I am," in case those you care about don't get it. You may be uncertain, which leads to that same fear. You may even have failed at these things in the past. But if you know who you are, you understand that failure needs to be temporary.<br />
<br />
Failure has only one value: as a learning experience. If you know who you are, what you want, and what you dream about, you must welcome failure at it, because failure is high-value coaching: it forces you to think about why - about what worked, and what didn't. It allows you to consider adjustments, refocuses, improvements. It can make you better at being your best.<br />
<br />
Can you fail gracefully at 60? Can you ever fail gracefully? Does it matter?<br />
<br />
Go for it.<br />
<br />
</div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-82905492261759695542023-11-27T13:53:00.000-08:002023-11-27T13:55:46.132-08:00When measurement interferes with performance...School systems have many reasons to measure student performance, and the No Child Left Behind legislation of a couple of decades ago provided even more. Measuring is one of the basic requirements for improvement: if I don't know how I did, I can't say whether it was better, worse, or the same as in the past. There's no doubt that measurement serves a critical role.<br />
<br />
The process of learning, though, requires more than just pre- and post- measures. By definition, it requires a process. Regardless of the subject matter involved, this process must occur somewhere in the brain, or at least in the peripheral nervous system. The point of this post: change in neuronal activity or function, not measurement, is at the heart of learning.<br />
<br />
Can measurement <em>support</em> learning? Absolutely: done appropriately and judiciously, measurement can provide the confirmation that the learner is heading in the right direction. Measurement can provide a clue as to how close the learner is to the desired achievement. These are good things; but they are not learning.<br />
<br />
What else can measurement do? Unfortunately, measuring excessively, or in a threatening manner, can get in the way of learning processes. For example, setting up a process in which learners are striving for the "right answer" can be detrimental to real learning. Excessive measures, or measurement done for high stakes, are two ways to create this excessive focus on the answer, often to the exclusion of the learning. This is not a new idea. Is there anyone older than 12 in this society who has not experienced both excessive and threatening forms of measurement? And in this society, we do not limit the consequences to stars and pats on the back. The consequences for measures of personal performance that fall short of expectations are anything but pleasant.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, these uses of measurement can inhibit learning, and as a result, limit the ability to improve performance.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-29624737007845549762023-11-27T13:41:00.000-08:002023-11-27T13:41:50.480-08:00George H. W. Bush - The American ExperienceI voted for Dukakis in 1988, like a good Democrat. I did not like Bush - apparently I never gave him a chance.<br />
<br />
Perhaps I never knew that his term as head of the CIA in the 1970s was in response to a call for help to "clean up" the agency.<div><br />
If he had not been a Republican, if he had not been sandwiched between the desolations of the Reagan administration and the economic success of the Clinton Administration, would we not have noticed how much he accomplished in a single term? Think about these actions:<br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>His development of relationships and maintaining phone contact with leaders in the US and all over the world</li>
<li>His acceptance of the role of helping Reagan get elected, as distasteful as it was to him personally.</li>
<li>The fall of the Berlin wall, due mostly to his relationship with Gorbachev</li>
<li>The passage of the ADA (Americans with Disability Act)</li>
<li>The success of Desert Shield, then Desert Storm, through careful development of coalitions, then the good judgment to stop at the Iraqi border.</li>
<li>The budget deal - which may well have set up the Clinton Administration for its economic success (including the acceptance of a tax increase, despite our having "read his lips.")</li>
</ul>
I don't think I ever before appreciated how much we as Americans owe this man for his constant eye on what was most important for the country, and steady hand to make good long-term decisions - even (or perhaps especially) in situations in which he had to accept the blame for going back on his political promises (..."read my lips...").</div>
</div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-88623039118841320332016-08-24T16:46:00.001-07:002016-08-24T16:46:51.299-07:00Under the Gaslight - For a Limited Time OnlyAfter attending the production of <i>Under the Gaslights, </i>of the University of Minnesota Centennial Showboat<i> </i>on August 13, 2016...<br />
<br />
How have I lived in St. Paul for nearly 20 years and not known about the Showboat?<br />
<br />
The energy of this production alone blows the top off of the riverfront. The cast is all-in, with a no-holds-barred, full-blown enthusiasm for this unabashedly melodramatic production. It is clear that every member of the cast enjoyed this show as much as the audience; I have not had this much fun at a show in decades.<br />
<br />
The single adjustment that today's audience must make is to the assumptions, expectations, and syntax of the 19th century melodrama. It is the script of the play itself that makes this necessary. Chalk it up to a true "suspension of disbelief." Once one is there, however, there are no regrets. The cast gives it their all - as convincing as one can be with this type of script - with voice, action and expressions all enabling a temporary return to experience a well-to-do atmosphere of 150 years ago. <br />
<br />
In fact, even if one did not particularly enjoy the deliberately and beautifully over-played melodrama, the <i>olios</i> alone would justify seeing this show. These musical interludes, which occur a half-dozen times as brief respites from the primary plot, provide opportunities for the cast to temporarily enter a different realm. From the dancing solo of "The Bowery" in the first Act, to the wildly campy "Trio of Insect Songs" in the second act, the audience is treated to a level of comic relief reminiscent of, on the one hand, Shakespeare's short scenes, and on the other, the between-innings antics of the Saint Paul Saints.<br />
<br />
This is the last year of the Centennial Showboat. If you live in this area and have not been to one, you owe it to yourself to get down there in the next few days.<br />
<br />Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-53059042350109893902015-10-02T15:54:00.002-07:002015-10-02T15:54:16.253-07:00Numbers...and MeaningI knew that I would have to wait to see my specialist. He's not just a doctor, and a good one, but also one who is in great demand. Yes, I had an appointment...but perhaps the sign in the waiting room will give you the idea:<br />
"If you have been waiting more than 20 minutes since your appointment time, please check with the receptionist."<br />
<br />
I have learned to bring a notepad. This time, I wrote down the numbers I had dealt with this morning.<br />
<br />
How many numbers in day? And for how many different purposes? We think of language as the thing we cannot do without; yet, how many different languages do numbers speak?<br />
<br />
Date<br />
Time <br />
License Plate<br />
Measure of fluid<br />
Phone number<br />
Pass code<br />
Parking fee<br />
Steps taken<br />
Blood pressure<br />
<br />
Each number speaks in its own system. The remarkable thing is that anyone in this society looking at the numbers themselves - listed below - can interpret the meaning of each, with little difficulty:<br />
<br />
9/18/2015<br />
10:30<br />
357 TRW<br />
32 ml<br />
888-757-2791<br />
979067#<br />
$4.00<br />
2234 <br />
118/66<br />
<br />
This interpretation is not difficult; and that may be part of why we miss the meaning - or, more accurately, forget to search for the meaning. <br />
<br />
In the context of data computing, we may struggle with the differences between data and information. They are differences that I have found difficult to convey to colleagues who use the same sets of data that I use. Attending a class taught by a friend this week, I heard what might be the best contrasting definitions:<br />
<ul>
<li>Data is "given"; information is "taken."</li>
<li>The word <em>data</em> comes from the Latin <em>donner</em>; information from the root for <em>structure</em>.</li>
<li>Data involves raw observations; information attempts to create knowledge.</li>
<li>As a result, data = measures; information = beliefs.</li>
</ul>
The measures were created in order to capture observations more precisely, in order to clarify extent.<br />
<br />
The irony is that the greater the precision, the more likely we are to be removed from the information - the ultimate meaning.<br />
<br />
Just as I noticed that I had been waiting about 25 minutes, I heard the receptionist call my name. "The doctor has been held up unexpectedly by an extended surgery...."<br />
<br />
Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-42619751511036191192013-11-22T04:29:00.000-08:002013-11-22T04:29:22.600-08:00Happy Birthday, DadToday is Benjamin Lane's 93rd birthday. Dad, thanks for watching over us, and thanks for setting everything up so that going forward would be so much easier for us.<br />
Happy Birthday, Dad.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-86768131336501525702013-03-09T20:49:00.000-08:002013-03-09T20:49:14.675-08:00Benjamin Lane: Not Just the FactsMy father died a couple of weeks ago. He was an accountant, working for the Federal Government for most of his career, and had been retired for the last 25 years. He kept good records, and he took care of his family. He loved kids - anyone's kids. He'd even stop by the side of a highchair in a restaurant to say hello to a toddler. <br />
<br />
My Dad relied on hard work and good thinking, and took no unnecessary chances. He did what was right, whether anyone was looking or not. He understood logically that he was often fighting a losing battle, but that did not change his feelings about doing the right thing. He was quiet; he let others stand in the light and take the credit.<br />
<br />
People who knew my Dad well admired him. People who didn't probably didn't notice what he was doing.<br />
<br />
He had a sense of humor. At least, he and I thought he did, as did my kids. People who like professional comics didn't find him funny. We know better: humor, especially spontaneous, and sometimes foolish, is part of the texture of life. We make things up as we go along. I thought he was clever, and sometimes predictable, but always funny, in a light-hearted, share-the-wealth kind of way.<br />
<br />
I really miss him...although, if you asked me to describe what I miss, it would be difficult, because my Dad was sometimes invisible. It was a talent. He could be fully present, catching every word, every expression, but sinking into the woodwork like any other unobtrusive drop of paint...until he told a joke. <br />
<br />
He took care of us, and is probably still taking care of us. And he didn't have a middle name.<br />
<br />
Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-27486352570504058342012-11-05T17:33:00.001-08:002012-11-07T09:17:53.895-08:00A Live DebateThank you, Minnesota Public Radio. Thank you, Gary Eichten. And Kathy Wurzer. I listen to you pretty much every day, but until this live experience, I didn't fully appreciate the value you provide us...<br />
<br />
It was a demonstration of how our democracy was built - the hard way, with face-to-face debate, and an insistence that tough questions get asked and answered. It took just an hour, but the results were decisive. Thanks to Kathy's insistence, evasive answers did not stand. <br />
<br />
Both participants came prepared, in their own ways. One, however, thought it would be enough to be prepared to express personal opinions loudly and insistently. That led to a few memorable moments...<br />
<br />
...an insistence on hammering on something that appeared to be a non-issue, with countervailing facts in evidence from his own party's representative...<br />
<br />
...a closing statement referring to "attacks on me" that never occurred, so obviously incongruous that it brought gasps from his own supporters...<br />
<br />
...and, most striking of all, attempts to explain Climate Change as (1) an economic phenomenon, (2) a controversial issue among scientists, and (3) a matter of "belief" (religious?).<br />
<br />
In contrast, we saw the value of a different kind of preparation demonstrated humbly by our Senator Amy Klobuchar, who chose the strategically (and ethically) effective route: answering the questions honestly and directly, citing the evidence, stopping, and letting her opponent hang himself.<br />
<br />
I have rarely been as proud of a politician - excuse me, a stateswoman - as I was last night of Senator Klobuchar. If only 51% of our legislators could take their obligations to us half as seriously as she does, we would eliminate roadblock, talk through obstacles, handle tough issues with powerful common sense, and return to becoming the country we all thought America could be...Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-37047305119984770402012-08-04T07:44:00.001-07:002012-08-04T07:54:10.882-07:00Hoarder Historian, Two...a series of posts in which a baby boomer, in the process of cleaning out the file cabinets, boxes, and bookshelves in his basement, discovers memories hidden in long-forgotten artifacts, and waxes, if not eloquent...<br />
<br />
<em>Four Dark Days in History: November 22, 23, 24, 1963</em>, Collector's copy $1.00, copyright 1963, Special Publications, Inc., Los Angeles 28, Calif.<br />
<br />
Along the bottom of the front cover it says, "A Photo History of President Kennedy's Assassination." I never understood that. Even at 11, I knew there was something wrong with the way that was written, as if JFK owned the event. Inside, all black and white pictures, most of which appeared in newspapers, tell the story with brief, factual captions. So many of those pictures...<br />
<br />
In sixth grade, the classes after lunch were always "lighter," and we had lots of breaks. We had one of those that day, and I remember that we had the partition rolled open between our room (Mr. Wenner's class) and the one next door (Mr. Campbell's class). Right at that point, a teacher from down the hall (I don't remember her name) scurried into our classroom and whispered something into Mr. Wenner's ear. One of the kids in the front row heard part of it, and immediately turned and relayed to us (<em>not</em> in a whisper) "The governor of Texas has been shot!"<br />
<br />
She probably saw some pretty puzzled looks. Why would a sixth grade teacher in Silver Spring, Maryland be so upset about the governor of Texas? One of the boys in front of me shot back, "Is he dead?" No answer - because Mr. Wenner was turning away from the other teacher, nodding, and holding his hands up for us to listen.<br />
<br />
Inside the front cover there are two yellowed pages that apparently came from a teletype machine (maybe from my Dad's office - he worked for the government) with the date in my cursive 11-year-old handwriting written at the top: November 22, 1963, my Dad's 43rd birthday. The type is all in black capital letters, with a symbol at the top '-V-' and a first sentence that drifts vertically down the page, as if someone had started to pull it from the teletype machine as it was printing: <br />
<br />
GOV JOHN B CONNALLY OF TEXAS ALSO WAS CUT-<br />
DOWN <br />
BY BULLE<br />
T<br />
S<br />
<br />
THE PRESIDENT WAS SLUMPED OVER IN THE <br />
BACKSEAT OF THE CAR FACE DOWN - CONNALY LAY ON<br />
HTE FLOOR OF THE REAR SEAT<br />
<br />
...and it continues like this for a page. Then at the top of the second page, there is a headline:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
N Y STOCK EXCHANGE CLOSES</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
FOR REST OF THE DAY</div>
<br />
...followed by a one line story, and then back to a Dallas (AP) dateline.<br />
<br />
There are several photo pages of documentation about Lee Harvey Oswald in the middle. The last one is the one of Oswald in custody and a man in a fedora (in the right foreground) pointing a pistol at his midsection. There are pictures of the funeral, and there is a picture on the inside back cover of a very young sweet-looking John-John with his right hand at his temple in a salute.<br />
<br />
My only other memory of that day is the walk home from school (early?) and the strange feeling that something was happening that was somehow different from anything else, even though the street was the same, the trees were the same, and everything was the same on the outside. Something felt very different on the inside.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-13361532680407710472012-08-03T22:20:00.000-07:002012-08-04T07:53:20.874-07:00Hoarder Historian...a series of posts in which a baby boomer, in the process of cleaning out the file cabinets, boxes, and bookshelves in his basement, discovers memories hidden in long-forgotten artifacts, and waxes, if not eloquent...<br />
<br />
<em>Nick Manoloff's Spanish Guitar Method, Book No. 1</em>...$1.00...copyright 1935, M. M. Cole Publishing Company, Chicago<br />
<br />
I think I was probably about 8 years old...no, maybe 6. My Aunt Selma gave me the old Kalamazoo guitar (which I was to learn later - much, much later - was an early Gibson), and my mother arranged for me to take guitar lessons. My teacher was Mr. Vesey, a man with little patience, and less sense of humor. I didn't remember his name - but my cousin Lissa did, and she always laughed when she said it. She took lessons from Mr. Vesey about 6 weeks later, after I quit. She stuck with it, until, as a young teenager she taught me some of what she had learned at camp (<em>Talking Blues</em>, and the E, A and D chords, so that I could play <em>Gloria</em>). I was 15, and I got serious about folk guitar. Lissa died in February 2010, just 56 years old.<br />
<br />
Nick Manoloff's book, according to page 1, is "recommended by THESE GREAT ARTISTS," whose headshots (14 of them) are lined up vertically to the left and the right of the cursively labeled picture of Nick Manoloff himself, wearing a tuxedo and playing his classical guitar in the center of the page. I just scanned those pictures and names surrounding Nick, and I don't even vaguely recognize a single one. How could I? This was published 17 years before I was born. I'll bet Mr. Vesey knew them.<br />
<br />
As I flip through the book, my eye lands on page 31, labeled at the top "The Natural Scale in the First Position." There's a pencil note just under the title - "Play up & back," and a humorless bracketing of groups of three to nine notes, each bracket labeled with a penciled date, beginning with the first string - April 15 - and proceeding through the sixth string - May 12.<br />
<br />
Lissa died of brain cancer. It was diagnosed almost 10 years earlier as some chronic disease, and the symptoms were treated. By the time her husband insisted on taking her to a specialist, 8 years later, the tumors had infiltrated her entire brain. She was a Nurse Practitioner, an artist, and a wonderful mother of two kids (now both successful adults - and both medical professionals). She had an incredible, sudden, cackling laugh, as abrupt to stop as it was to start. I learned more guitar from her in one afternoon when I was 15 than I did from Mr. Vesey in a month and a half. Although she spent most of her life in New Jersey, and I have lived mostly in Virginia and Minnesota, we talked. Every time we talked, it was as if we were both still living in the brownstone on East 91st Street in Brooklyn...or unscrewing the light bulbs while waiting for her parents to come home.<br />
<br />
<br />Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-18060248147903419682012-04-29T18:49:00.001-07:002012-05-01T03:59:00.674-07:00Baseball and ...Complex Systems Analysis?Yes, I will admit it, I was getting my hair cut. Which, if you think about, is pretty absurd in itself - that someone with as little hair as I have on my head would be bothering to get it cut.<br />
<br />
At any rate, the person who cuts my hair was telling me how baseball-averse she was: how her husband had insisted on taking her to a game (once), how bored she had been, how she had never been willing to watch another game...<br />
<br />...and it got me thinking about how much of what happens in a baseball game is not physically visible (although, to players, or former players, it may all seem palpable) so that while the visible action on the field may appear to be limited to the pitcher and batter, at any particular moment, there is so much more going on.<br />
<br />If you have played, or perhaps simply become a serious fan, you know what I'm getting at: that at any given moment, there are multiple "systems" in play:<br />
<ul>
<li>Between the pitcher and the catcher</li>
<li>Among the infielders</li>
<li>Among the outfielders</li>
<li>Among the manager, coaches, the batter and base runners</li>
<li>Among the manager, the pitching coach, and bullpen coach</li>
</ul>
Those are just the "simple" systems. Then there are the signals between the systems - infielders and outfielders, catcher and infielders, manager and fielders...parallel systems, at different points, in particular situations, that intersect....<br />
<br />And those are just the covert communications among team members. Add in attempts to steal opponent's signs, detect patterns, pre-empt tactics...<br />
<br />While former players spot the "gloves in front of faces" of infielders, and the series of gestures of the first- and third-base coaches, not much of this is terribly obvious to the uninitiated.<br />
<br />So the more I thought about it, the more I was struck by the analogy to systems thinking in an organizational environment: the contrast between official, visible communications channels, and all of the informal channels, supported by friendships and networks of unofficial allegiances; the ways in which some of these channels intersect, or provide counterpoints... I began to picture the "systems archetypes" at play in the organization ("limits to growth," "shifting the burden") and look for counterparts on the baseball field. I began to think about the role of the manager in this light...<br />
<br />...and then, as suddenly as it began, my reverie stopped. My haircut was complete, and my stylist still had no interest in watching a baseball game. I, however, knew the punchline: there's got to be a blogpost in here somewhere.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-42282637335429797252012-04-11T22:01:00.000-07:002012-04-21T15:04:47.867-07:00Interesting SMEsPlumb your experience for a moment: what are the strangest or most interesting experiences you've ever had working with a SME?<br />
<ul>
<li>Discovering that your SME - a genius in his field - could not write a complete sentence.</li>
<li>Being told by an editor (after submitting a completed course) that approximately 50% of the content sent by the SME drew major hits on Safe Assign (i.e,, appears to have been plagiarized - from 8 different sources).</li>
<li>Having 90% of a completed course submitted to you in a single spreadsheet - that's content for 10 week-long units, in a 50-column spreadsheet.</li>
<li>Having a SME for a history class tell you that she would be out of the country for 2 weeks while teaching Fashion Design to the Saudi royal family.</li>
<li>Having the scripts for 90-minutes of model role plays dictated to you over the phone because the SME is "blocked" when he sits down to write. (Thankfully, I had access to audio recording and transcript capabilities.)</li>
<li>Holding a remote course review meeting with a SME who is sitting in a hospital emergency room, waiting for a diagnosis on her husband.</li>
<li>Having a SME completely disappear for two weeks in the middle of your project - with no warning, no responses to phone calls or e-mails.</li>
</ul>
Got any of your own you'd be willing to share?Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-82242487087214187462012-04-10T20:11:00.000-07:002012-04-11T21:45:08.881-07:00Working with SMEs: A Simple Idea?Those of us who work in roles like instructional design, or project management, or interactive design, or for that matter, any process-oriented role, may occasionally forget what it feels like to be labeled a "subject matter expert" (SME). We have our own ways of framing their contributions: we talk about the "content" or "material" our SMEs provide or about "tapping into their knowledge and experience," or perhaps sometimes about their tendencies to go too deeply into "esoteric aspects" of a subject. We may think of our roles as primarily asking the right questions, or perhaps providing a framework. Most of us also try to put ourselves in the position of the end user of our "product" - the student, the employee, or more generically, the <em>learner</em>. All may be worthwhile aspects of conceptualizing the design and development of learning experiences from our own point of view. But what about the viewpoint of the SME?<br />
<br />
During the past two years of developing courses and other "learning experiences," I have been fortunate to work with about 30 different individuals cast in the role of subject matter experts. And they <em>were</em> different. No two really were alike. Like any self-respecting instructional designer, of course, I have my process, my methods, my questions. But over the last 15 months or so I have been increasingly intrigued by the view from the other side of the bridge. What is it like to be them?<br />
<br />
So increasingly I have slowed down my initial process. I have inserted some nonjudgmental steps into the opening phases, all with a definite purpose, of course, but all with the ulterior motive of getting to know my SME. In the past, I was too often surprised, halfway through the development process, to find that my SME wasn't as good at conceptualization as with details, or vice versa, or just didn't write very well. Or, in some remarkably delightful situations that my SME was extremely creative in some way, or in fact, a better writer than I am. If only I had known at the outset.<br />
<br />
I've learned to look for signs of talents, skills, interests, preferences, or just "special characteristics" as early as possible. I've learned to ask questions - not just about the subject matter - but also about the SME's working preferences. Most importantly, I've learned to observe those less obvious personal habits, those clues to what makes them productive, because these, I find, provide the greatest leverage points.<br />
<br />
And this is my simple idea: if my SME is productive, I, and the rest of the team, will be productive. Increasingly, that is my focus: how can I help my SME become productive?Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-89071284893180987322011-11-06T21:14:00.000-08:002011-11-11T04:41:08.200-08:00An American PioneerLike nearly everyone else in this economically strapped environment, I have a healthy respect for the accomplishments of Steve Jobs - what he did for the human use of technology, what he did for anyone who ever worked for Apple or bought Apple stock, and what he did for himself and his own legacy.<br />
<br />
For every Steve Jobs, though, there are probably a hundred, no - a thousand pioneers who don't make it to Apple's level of corporate success. I've got one in particular in mind, because what he did for the human use of video technology, and for anyone who ever worked with him or for him, exceeded by a million fold anything he ever did for himself.<br />
<br />
Eugene Grayson Mattingly was a video pioneer. Dating back to open-reel video tape, Grayson put his creative and eminently practical talents to work every day to help organizations and individuals learn, communicate, accomplish their goals, and achieve their own successes. With his unique and often quirky blend of technical expertise, practical economy, and unerring sense of effectiveness, Grayson turned so many of us "working Joes" into heroes in our organizations.<br />
<br />
Unlike Jobs, though, Grayson never resorted to heavy-handed, ego-driven, genius-driven insistence. He couldn't, of course. As a consultant, he won over his clients by showing them how they could be successful; they had to agree to spend the money to hire him. Of course, it didn't help that he charged only what he thought was reasonable. He knew he could and would deliver exactly what he promised. He didn't need to overcharge to cover for likely overruns or unanticipated problems; he had the vision of the solution so clearly in mind that he rarely missed the mark in estimating. And he never took advantage of a client's ignorance.<br />
<br />
Mattingly Productions will be remembered for its reliable, effective, and surprisingly creative work with non-profits, not-for-profits, government organizations, and yes, corporations. <br />
<br />
Those of us who have been privileged to work with Grayson himself will never lose that sense of his surprising talent, remarkable humility, and warm and caring humanity. We have been unbelievably lucky to have known him.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-30478759367616330072011-06-02T21:01:00.000-07:002011-06-03T01:44:19.571-07:00The Other Source of ProductivityWhen I arrived at the office this morning it was with heightened concern that this time, I was not going to be able to complete the development of this latest course. Now, just hours later, I am returning home energized - even though the course is still not quite done. What accounted for this difference?<br />
<br />
By way of background, we're talking online course development: content provided by a subject matter expert (SME), media developed by interactive designers (ID), an editor to catch the problems, and a project manager (PM) to clear the roadblocks. All that yours truly the course developer (CD) needs to do is to pull it together - and yet, in this case, that seemed unusually difficult.<br />
<br />
Not the PM's fault - she had gone above and beyond to clear the way, even pitching in to find some innovative alternatives. Not the ID's fault - plenty of willingness and readiness there. Certainly not the SME's fault; this one may be the best, most productive, most inspired I've ever worked with. So what was the problem?<br />
<br />
Somewhere between 8:15 and 9:05 a.m. I figured it out: I was not going to get the rest of the way on my own. There was too much complexity still left to simplify, too much detail still left to grind through. Somehow from the inside of this ego-centric, prideful, too self-confident soul, the cry went out for help.<br />
<br />
By 10:00, I had reached out to Course Materials, Media, Editors, maybe even my 10th grade English teacher. Somehow, miraculously, by 4:30 pm, every one of them had come through. The ID came to my desk with a technical specialist, the editors asked the right questions, and I found that my PM had anticipated most of them. I left the office at 6:30 pm - not done yet - but I could see it from where I was.<br />
<br />
I haven't changed my mind about the focus, determination, and sense of responsibility that one must bring to the job. All of those have to be there. But I've resolved not to forget the critical importance of the willingness to ask for help.<br />
<br />
I am really looking forward to finishing the course tomorrow...Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-33130919793123678292011-06-01T20:06:00.000-07:002011-06-01T20:06:21.955-07:00Figuring It Out...What does it mean to "figure something out"?<br />
<br />
I used to think, or at least imagine, that "figuring out" was a logical, rational, sequential process - that if you knew the process, you were just a few predictable steps away from knowing the answer. Kind of like an accountant's work: Give me the receipts, give me the expenses, and I'll tell you how much money you made. And for many formulaic, predictably presented problems, that's probably true.<br />
<br />
Actually, that's what I feel like I spent most of my formal schooling learning to do - to "figure out" problems that fit, or almost fit, some recognizable pattern. I'm not complaining. For most of the routine or standardized tasks that I have gotten paid for in my life, those patterns and formulas served me pretty well.<br />
<br />
But what happens when a problem is presented more amorphously? When the shape, size, type, features, whatever, don't seem to fit a recognizable process?<br />
<br />
As a teacher, I probably shied away from the truly incomprehensible. Yes, I've learned to ask a series of open questions and listen, but in the past, it was usually with the idea that I would eventually see a logical pattern. Of course, that pattern doesn't always "emerge."<br />
<br />
Lately, though, I have been reading a surprisingly eye-opening little book that might just offer a more powerful description of what "figuring it out" really means. Gerd Gigerenzer, a researcher from the Max Planck Institute, wrote this little book a few years ago: <em>Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious</em>. <br />
<br />
Yes, I'm aware that others - notably Malcolm Gladwell, Daniel Pink, and even some researchers at my alma mater have been generating some interest around these ideas in the last few years. But I'm intrigued with Gigerenzer's insistent efforts to help me see all of the ways in which human beings demonstrate better judgment and higher levels of success when they make good use of perceptual and semi-logical shortcuts. <br />
<br />
These shortcuts all make intuitive sense: rules of thumb, the gaze heuristic, the "less information is more" approach. Gigerenzer weaves a story of research results that at the same time seem totally illogical and intuitively exactly right. I'm wondering how much of what I have taught helped others understand what they could really do; I'm concerned that, instead, I might have emphasized exactly the less powerful ideas, and maybe obscured the more productive approaches.<br />
<br />
How do <em>you</em> "figure things out?" How much of our real human capability is scientific logic, and how much is a miraculous set of "shortcut" capabilities learned through observation and experience? <br />
<br />
What do you think?Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-51881003441913687952010-12-05T02:20:00.000-08:002010-12-09T20:24:52.961-08:00When to ask divergent questionsWhat's the point of reading a blog if you can't apply what you find?<br /><br />Application is the subject of the third question: When does it make the most sense to ask divergent questions?<br /><br />As a facilitator, I probably ask too many divergent questions, just because I like to get people thinking and generating ideas. But as a teacher (and a manager of the time of others) I see two distinctly appropriate "times": early in a process, and any time you are stuck.<br /><br /><strong>Early in the process</strong><br />This use is almost too obvious, and there are just too many benefits to do anything else. <br />-Ask a divergent question to generate fresh ideas: "What are some of the ways that we could drive additional revenue?"<br />-Ask a divergent question to get the juices flowing: "If you had unlimited resources, what kinds of things might you do to attack this problem?"<br />-Ask a divergent question to get people involved in whatever you are trying to accomplish: "What do you think might make a difference?"<br /><br />Nothing you can do as a leader has a potentially more positive impact than asking a divergent question to open a dialogue (or a "multi-logue"). So start the process with a divergent question, carry out whatever process you have in mind, and go to closure by asking a convergent question.<br /><br /><strong>For re-starts or re-groups: When you get stuck</strong><br />Your conversation (or meeting, or class, or negotiation) has gone awry. You have hit an impasse, or an obstacle, but you are not ready to give up. You need to clear the air. Or you need to change the subject. Ask a divergent question: "If you were not sitting in this room working through this, where might you have been today?" Or, if you are the more serious type: "What are some of the ways you can imagine that we might come to an agreement?"<br /><br />So finally, 4 posts later, that's the core I have to offer on divergent and convergent questioning. What do you think?Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-48611652145698270222010-12-03T04:28:00.001-08:002010-12-05T02:57:07.429-08:00Divergent Questioning: Why?If you think about these last few posts, you probably already know the answer to this question. We need divergent questions to break out of a rut, to open up the consideration of new solutions.<br /><br />Recall the counter situation: You have a system, or you have a solution, and you are happy with it. You know your current approach works; you just don’t know why one particular part is not functioning the way it was a week ago. Most likely, you want to focus, to zero in on the location of the problem, look at anything that is directly relevant to the problem, find the most likely cause, eliminate other likely possibilities, and solve the problem.<br /> <br />In this situation, you use <em>con</em>vergent questions:<br /><br />• Where and when is the problem occurring?<br />• Where and when is it NOT occurring?<br />• What are the possible causes?<br />• What possible causes can you eliminate?<br />• …and a few more questions that narrow down to the solution.<br /><br />You use these convergent questions because you like your system, and you’re not seeking to change it; you just want to find the problem and fix it. An example might be the IT help line, and the technician who is paid to identify (and fix) the problem that is keeping a user from being able to do exactly what the system was created to do.<br /><br />Let’s suppose, though, that the problem you have been hired to solve is that the current approach is not getting results. The system is working the way it is supposed to work, but the end result isn’t there. For example: everything in your racing car works, but you’re not winning races.<br /><br />This is a different kind of problem, and looking for broken pieces isn’t going to solve it.<br /><br />Instead, you’re going to have to revisit the results you want. Instead of focusing on the system you put into place, you will probably need to look at the problem again. And that’s why you need divergent questions: you need to look at the situation more broadly, or from a different perspective.<br /><br />So if everything in the car is working, what might be some reasons we are not winning races?<br /><br />This line of thinking is pushing us toward the last question about questioning – the subject of the next post: When, in a group session, might be a good time to use a divergent question?Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-4728758544729321692010-11-28T11:48:00.001-08:002010-12-05T02:36:57.462-08:00Divergent Questions: Another Kind of PowerIf you have been following the last couple of posts, you know what's coming next: making the case for the power of divergent questions.<br /><br />What is a divergent question? <br />Think about Frost's "The Road Not Taken": <em>Two roads diverged in a yellow wood</em>... Divergence is the possibility of difference, of going in different directions. When we are talking about questions, we're referring to a question that can reasonably generate a variety of responses. For example:<br /><br />How might we approach this problem? <br /><br />Do you hear the intention behind that question? It acknowledges that there is more than one legitimate answer. We can imagine a facilitator asking that question to start a discussion about multiple possibilities. As a result, this question encourages broader thinking.<br /><br />We need to answer three questions about divergent questions:<br />1. How do you phrase them?<br />2. Why would you bother?<br />3. When do you use them?<br /><br /><strong>How to phrase questions intended to generate divergent thinking</strong><br />This is the easiest part. In terms of the wording, the difference between convergent and divergent questions is subtle; in terms of the response, the results are worlds apart. Divergent questions are open to multiple responses. That's it. The easiest way to make that happen is to take a convergent question and insert a "do you think" in the middle:<br /><br />Convergent: Who is the best actor on the stage today?<br />Divergent: Who do you think is the best actor on the stage today?<br /><br />Never mind that the question, even phrased convergently, was asking for an opinion. What we're after is phrasing that opens up the discussion.<br /><br />Here's another way: Change present-tense verbs to "might":<br /><br />Convergent: What type of therapeutic intervention would help this child?<br />Divergent: What type of therapeutic intervention might help this child?<br /><br />The key in phrasing is that our purpose (as described in the last post) is to use the kind of question that is right for the situation and the part of the discussion process we are in. <br /><br />This is getting long again. Let's look at the why and when in another post.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-6966209721762808462010-11-18T20:50:00.001-08:002010-11-28T11:44:34.202-08:00Convergent Questions Have a RoleOK, so that last post took a while to get to the point. This one will be different. I’ll give you the main ideas right up front, so you can decide whether you’re interested in hearing more:<br /><br />• Convergent questions are a great way to nail down the facts.<br />• They are like the "up or down vote" that Congress has been talking about, in that they enable you to get an answer and move on.<br />• Because of those strengths, they have some limitations.<br />• Chief among those limitations is the tendency to stop the thinking of others, particularly creative thinking.<br />• What are the implications for teaching, and for a facilitator who wants to get discussion going? <br /><br /><em>Convergent questions nail down the facts</em>. Do you watch David Gregory on "Meet the Press?" He has grown significantly in his ability to challenge his guests, and much of it has been based on his use of convergent questions to "cut through the bull." He asks a political candidate exactly what programs should be cut, and the candidate goes into the spiel about how priorities will be set. So David asks again, narrowing the question even more, "OK. So can you name one example of a program that you think should be cut?" Whether the candidate answers or not, the question focused the dialogue on specifics - a really good way to get at facts, or to determine that they are missing.<br /><br /><em>Convergent questions act like the "up or down vote" that Congress has been talking about. </em> Debates about issues, discussions about complex topics, and graduate theses all have something in common: they can easily go pretty far afield. In each of these situations, there should be room for that kind of dialogue. At some point, though, we want to move to closure or action. Enter convergent questions and the "up or down vote": are we going to do this, or not?<br /><br />In “calling the question,” convergence works by stopping the far-ranging thinking. We are asked to vote, to decide, to choose. Yes, I agree with your thesis, or OK: I want the blue one, or Yes, we’ll change the assumptions about health care. Case closed; issue decided – at least for now. And we move on to another challenge.<br /><br />So, if we are trying to make a decision, and if we have already examined our alternatives, it may be time for that convergent question, time to get the parties involved to literally <em>converge</em> on an answer. <br /><br />On the other hand, when we begin with the convergent question, we may produce the opposite of convergence; that is, we may polarize. By polarize, I mean invite individuals or groups to take positions, positions which they will now focus on defending. The open discussion and mutual problem-solving may now be over. Fisher and Ury, in their <em>Getting to Yes</em>, a best-selling study of negotiation a couple of decades ago, identified this dynamic as counter-productive, although not always avoidable.<br /><br />What are the implications for a classroom or for the facilitation of a learning process more generally? Let me address that question with a story. <br /><br />I attended a presentation recently in which a colleague facilitated a discussion of training methodology among a group of about 20 peers, most of whom were experienced instructional designers. Even under the best of circumstances, a presentation to peers with similar experience to one’s own can be one of the most challenging to make, surpassed only by the openly hostile audience. When brought in as the “expert” among novices, one can take the role of the diagnostician, asking specific, convergent questions, and presenting, or leading the group to a conclusion. Not among peers, though, and probably not in a session intended to be “a sharing of experience.”<br /><br />What happens when the facilitator in a peer-oriented session asks a lot of convergent questions?<br />Example 1<br />Facilitator: <br />Take a look at the evaluation form in the back of the handout before we start. What do you notice about this evaluation form that’s unusual?<br />Participant thought:<br />Hmmm….looks pretty straightforward. Lots of questions. Not that different from what I use, except maybe for these questions about “my participation.” That might be what this facilitator is after. But I’m not sure that I want to be the guinea pig here…why doesn’t the facilitator just make the point?<br /><br />Example 2<br />Facilitator: <br />Let’s start with your design process. How do you go about defining what you’ll do in your session?<br />Participant thought: <br />That could be a loaded question. We may be on the same wavelength – starting with the outcomes & results I want; or this facilitator may be setting us up for a whole different approach. I don’t want to be the one who becomes the counter-example here.<br /><br />This line of questioning is not going to generate a lot of discussion. A shame, because discussion is what the facilitator really wanted. There was no hidden agenda. The facilitator just didn’t know how to tap into that reservoir of experience in a way that would open up the floodgates of ideas. Instead of engaging my interest in the topic, the facilitator invited me to play a game of GWIT: Guess What I’m Thinking.<br /><br />Alternatives? Sure – for another blog post. The key point here is that effective questioning is a function of multiple variables – the situation, the nature of the relationship between facilitator and participants, and – most important – the part of the process involved. And yes – other kinds of questions work better for some parts of the process. To be continued…Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-75731876157865160472010-11-17T19:00:00.001-08:002010-12-05T02:52:10.636-08:00Teachers, Poets, QuestionsTeachers are not poets? Depends on the teacher, of course. I'm talking about the ones who get you out of yourself, the ones who get you to think - willingly and freely - who tap into your imagination. How do they do it?<br /><br />One way they do it is by asking questions.<br /><br />Not just any questions, of course. Police officers ask questions. And if you remember <em>Dragnet</em>, you know what they're after: "just the facts, ma'am." That's their job: to find out what happened, or, at least, what each individual thinks happened. If they ask enough people, triangulate, correct for skews, they just might get at that elusive essence: The Objective Truth.<br /><br />Lawyers ask questions, too. But a trial lawyer asks a question for a calculated purpose: to put a fact into evidence. The lawyer asks the question to get the witness to say what the lawyer expects the witness to say. Purposeful, but not what this post is about.<br /><br />Salespeople ask questions. Many of their questions are designed to lead to a particular kind of answer. The saleperson may not know what that answer is, but it's got to be of a certain nature - one that will create an opportunity - or make it much clearer that there cannot be one.<br /><br />Are we getting warmer?<br /><br />Scientists ask questions, too. Scientists asks questions because they really do want answers. They have to be very careful about how they ask, and what they assume when they get some kind of answer. If they do frame the question carefully, painstakingly, persistently, and logically, they move us ahead, one nano-step question at a time. Not fun - but eventually, effective.<br /><br />A question defines a process - a mental process. A question is a tool - sometimes a hammer, sometimes an unfortunate screwdriver. Sometimes - when we are at our most creative, or most lucky - a question can act as a lever. <br /><br />What good is a lever? In case you have not been hanging on every word of this blog for the past 18 months...a lever has at least one valuable characteristic: it enables you to increase the amount of output you can gain for a relatively small amount of input. <br /><br />This is the point at which I'm going to turn to two of my favorite social scientists and get to the point: JP Guilford, Mary Meeker, and the Structure of Intellect (SOI) model. And I'm going to look at just a part of a part of their cube, to focus on two kinds of questions: convergent questions, and divergent questions. <br /><br />Convergent questions are aimed at particular kinds of answers; in essence, they ask responders to <em>converge </em>on particular kinds of responses. There may be some dispute about the correct answer, but the ballpark you're in is well-defined:<br /><br />Who were the hitters with the highest averages of all time?<br />Which are the largest cities in Europe?<br />Which cars have the highest trade-in values?<br /><br />And these are the police and lawyer questions. The target for the answer may sometimes be open to interpretation, but it's a target, nevertheless. We know about where it is, approximately how large it is, and what direction we need to look to see it.<br /><br />Divergent questions are different animals. Chameleons? No, more evanescent than a chameleon. A divergent question asks me to open my mind and imagine:<br /><br />What hitters would you rather not face?<br />What do you see as the most interesting cities in Europe?<br />How do you value your car?<br /><br />These questions are divergent because individual answers can diverge greatly - in fact, move in completely different directions - and still be reasonable responses to the same question. They are questions that lead to questions, to ideas, and perhaps - to new thinking. <br /><br />Divergent questions are the levers of great teachers...and of poets. Shall I compare thee (this increasingly frigid MN winter day) to a summer's day?Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-67105151033230910652010-07-27T19:08:00.000-07:002010-07-27T19:32:44.393-07:00Walking the Talk: The Power of Recursive ModelingI had the bad fortune yesterday of rushing home to participate in an East-coast webinar, sponsored by a not-to-be-named ASTD chapter, on the topic of eLearning. ELearning? No, not really. <br /><br />The webinar was a counter-example of everything it claimed would work. Engage the participants? Sure - let me tell you why <em>you</em> should do it. Polls? Yeah, you should use them (but we don't have time). Monitor the chat? Yes, very important (and I might try it if I were not so busy...) and on, and on, multiple, repeated examples of the bad parent - do what I say (don't notice what I do). And this thing was promoted nationally on a social media site. <br /><br />After 30 minutes of non-stop Death by PowerPoint, I was tempted to drop out. It would have been smart. But I thought I would just give the guy a chance.... Twenty slides later (50 minutes into the webinar) he began to "take questions." Is there any wonder that "training" people are getting laid off by the dozens? I wasn't angry; I was embarrassed. For all of us.<br /><br />I was ready to turn in my ASTD membership card then and there. <br /><br />But a member of my local chapter also was offering a Webinar today - on a very specific topic: How to create Facilitator Guides. Now, I know Steve. He's not a polished speaker, although he communicates well. He's not a flashy guy, but he knows his stuff. I gave up my lunch time to participate, and I could not have been happier. Steve didn't have the online bells and whistles that the other guy had, but he had a chat capabilty. And he used it:<br />- Polls by chat<br />- Questions by chat<br />- Running commentary by chat<br />- Monitoring the connectivity by chat<br />With considerably less fanfare, and considerably more value, Steve restored my faith in professional trainers.<br /><br />Why? He walked the talk. He didn't tell me what to do - he did it, and I saw the value. He didn't hype what he was talking about - he focused on specific key elements and demonstrated each one, clearly and succinctly. And he showed me. And he answered the questions that came in by chat.<br /><br />Steve's participants used the chat box. And at the end, they all chatted "thank you." <br /><br />It's not that hard: All we need to do is to walk the talk, show a modicum of respect for our adult learners, and be serious about solving problems.<br /><br />Thanks for the reminder, Steve.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-37236655520606646352010-06-20T16:55:00.000-07:002010-07-01T04:00:26.670-07:00The Logic of Collective LeadershipDemocracy used to mean something...something about equal opportunity for all, for example. Our democratic principles used to suggest that anyone could run for office -- still true, perhaps -- anyone with $5M to blow, or at least that much pledged from vested interests. Jeffersonian democracy used to imply that the common citizen, given a chance at a decent education, could develop the good judgement to vote in his own interest (and yes - in those days, it was <em>his</em>, not hers). <br /><br />Today, the common citizen is probably doing a lot of head-scratching. People taking hard and fast positions on either extreme have made our democratic processes look anemic when it comes to getting something done. But as my 11th grade history teacher used to say, the flaw may not be in the principles so much as the execution. <br /><br />University professors Stephen Preskill and Stephen Brookfield have taken a shot at a different approach. Their new book <em>Learning as a Way of Leading: Lessons from the Struggle for Social Justice</em> (Jossey-Bass: 2009) suggests another way around this barn. The book is well worth the effort to read all the way through, so I won't attempt to summarize, but I would like to highlight one small part of the chapter on collective leadership.<br /><br />In corporations and state and local governments, the lone, heroic leader has been the model for most of our lifetimes. Even a casual reading of corporate by-laws (not to mention the US Constitution) should make it clear that this was not the intended model. Non-profits, not-for-profits, and cooperatives - and not just in the United States - have pioneered a different kind of leadership, and Preskill and Brookfield have put their finger on it:<br /><br />"When collective leadership is being authentically practiced, all group members are committed to creating and implementing a shared vision. All assume some leadership responsibility. All have an opportunity to play a leadership role. All are willing to subordinate themselves to the group's goals and interests." <br /><br />The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and other non-profits and cooperatives around the world have been living and learning this model of collective leadership for years - some perhaps closing in on a century of striving for this model. NRECA teaches board members of rural electric cooperatives to set aside their differences to work for the common good of the consumer-members. The Mondragon cooperatives in Spain (see April post) have created their own unique cooperative economy based largely on this approach. Collective leadership is not easy (just think about the "subordination" part of the preceding quote, for example) but it can be learned and practiced. What's more natural to the American character, to the pioneering spirit, to "In God <strong>WE</strong> Trust?"Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-28837015575233679872010-06-12T03:01:00.000-07:002010-06-20T21:40:00.460-07:00Jim Bouton and the Power of ReflectionMost baseball fans who cared probably read <em>Ball Four </em>forty years ago. Back then I was too busy doing my homework to take the time to read a baseball book, especially a "bestseller" that purported to "tell the truth about the game." In case the name of the book doesn't immediately ring a bell for you, <em>Ball Four </em> relates the personal experience of Jim Bouton, a former World Series championship pitcher for the New York Yankees, who has turned 30. For the 1969 season, seemingly nearing the end of his short career, he is headed to the minor leagues to develop a knuckleball in order to work his way back to the major leagues.<br /><br />At a distance of four decades, <em>Ball Four </em>offers unexpected insights, and not just for baseball fans. It was the nature of the book, rather than the content, that held my attention these last couple of weeks. Not that the content is not interesting. The book has historical interest, for example.<br /> <br />In 1969, players had limited options if they wanted to play in the Major Leagues. Once they signed a contract, the club that signed them controlled their negotiating power by means of a provision then known as baseball's "Reserve Clause." If you know the history, you know that players have since turned the tables on management. The clubhouse in 1969, though, was a different world.<br /><br /><em>Ball Four</em>, though, chronicles more than the events of the season. Bouton, a bit of a square peg as a thinking player, thought critically about the prevailing feelings and attitudes - of other players, as well as management. He recorded his thoughts each day, so the narrative has an immediacy that few memoirs can achieve. His daily recordings became increasingly reflective. As the season wore on, Bouton questioned almost every aspect of the league, the clubhouse, and the prevailing "wisdom" of the players. <br /><br />About the same time that Jim Bouton was writing this book, I was writing daily journal posts, originally as an assignment for Michael Zajic, my high school English teacher, and later, as a personal pursuit that I kept up for years. As I read <em>Ball Four</em>, I could not help seeing Bouton's thoughts grow deeper, more profound, more intellectually honest. In Bouton's narrative, I recognized the personal transformation that I had gone through with the journaling process, although for me, it took far longer than a single baseball season. <br /><br />If we stick with these daily reflective writings about our world (both external and internal), the process can ultimately help us increase our powers of observation, and eventually, our understanding of ourselves. Bouton does not disappoint in this aspect. Since high school, I have read many, many baseball books. For the development in his reflective thinking, and for his ability and willingness to share his reflections with us, Bouton's ending is my favorite.<br /><br />His last musings begin with hearing about the fate of a fellow former major league pitcher whom a taxi driver tells him is now pitching in the Kentucky Industrial League. I'll let Bouton say the rest himself:<br /><br />"Then I thought, would I do that? When it's over for me, would I be hanging on with the Ross Eversoles? I went down deep and the answer I came up with was yes.<br /><br />"Yes, I would. You see, you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time."<br /><br />The Jim Bouton of the opening pages of the early season would not have allowed himself to think that, let alone to express it with a poetical flair. Coming at the end of Bouton's season, it demonstrates the power of daily, disciplined reflection to ultimately penetrate layers of tough surfaces, helping us find our essential truth.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756140710412307864.post-85516647759920507262010-04-10T10:04:00.000-07:002010-04-11T20:50:34.231-07:00We could have learned from MondragonWilliam Foote Whyte, coauthor of <em>Making Mondragon </em>(Cornell University/1988), wrote about Ana Gutierrez-Johnson, one of his students and co-researchers for the book:<br /><blockquote>"She deserves particular credit for pointing out the importance of the <em>equilibrio</em> principle in guiding the development of the cooperatives. Ana phrased it in terms of the contrast between digital and analogic reasoning. Digital reasoning frames choices in either/or zero-sum terms, whereas analogic reasoning frames the choices in terms of both/and, guiding the actors toward balancing interests and needs."</blockquote>The man who inspired the Mondragon cooperatives, a priest named Don Jose Maria Arizmendiarrieta, saw the politics of organizational structures in a spectrum, with cooperatives in the middle, as a balanced form of organization. In contrast to socialism on the extreme left, in which the welfare of the workers is always the primary concern, and capitalism on the extreme right, in which return to shareholders is always the primary concern, worker cooperatives provide for the welfare of the workers by achieving a balance between their needs and the organization's economic requirements.<br /><br />It is surprising and disheartening to me that here in the United States, where we put such emphasis on freedom and openness, so many of us respond to the words "cooperative" or "socialist" as if they were curses, with no attempt to understand what they actually mean. Legislators Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan proposed that cooperatives be another alternative means of providing health care insurance. Rather than exploring that alternative - a self-supporting organization that would cost taxpayers NOTHING - our media, legislators, and a significant portion of the public chose to remain polarized, insisting on what Ana Gutierrez-Johnson would have called the "digital" solution, and making us all poorer as a result. <br /><br />What has happened to our democracy? And what has happened to our values, which used to support open dialogue, debate, and thoughtful decision-making?Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14399987855693392379noreply@blogger.com0