Action Research Action Learning and Process Management Assoc. Inc.
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A L A R P M Conference
Abstracts
Action for a Better
World
Practitioner Development Conference
St. John's College University of Queensland,
Brisbane, Australia, 13 - 14 July, 1997
What action is better? What is a better world? Melding experience with cognition
Deborah Lange -- Deborah Lange and Associates
Business is passionate about development, improving the bottom line, being the world's best, the most innovative, the most creative, the most service orientated and on it goes.
And where are people looking to gain their strategic edge, creative edge, service edge?
It seems to me primarily from objective, reductionist, thinking processes. Even the socio-technical systems approaches are based on logical science. Whilst we think we are considering the human dimension we still seem to look through the lens of reductionist science based on Sir Isaac Newton. The science of material things not human systems.
I question the use of the prevailing, rational framework to the exclusion of other frameworks for generating creativity, innovation, transformation, for experiencing insight and inspirational learning?
I propose both the view from the prevailing window "and" views from the multiplicity of other windows are needed if we are to generate different ways of solving today's problems. And by learning when and how to use each different view and by integrating these views into even better ways of viewing our world and our problems, we will be more able to act to create better businesses, better communities and a better world.
So, what other windows are we excluding?
It seems to me that we need to be able to view our world through the eyes, ears and bodies of the humanists, the mystics, and the whole systems scientists as well as the reductionists. If we look at human and living systems from different perspectives we can learn to appreciate different dimensions of our human potential.
It seems to me that we are starved of our full human potential. Viewing the business world through one window is limiting our ability to transform our organisations. It is not only continuous improvement that is needed today it is a transformation of what and how we are doing business and what and how we are learning to act to make a better world.
To enter these other worlds means seeing the arts, aesthetics, ethics, the environment and spiritual domains as relevant and necessary for business and organisational improvement.
From my experience story, image, metaphor, dance, song, sculpture, and the importance of the physical environment integrated with cognitive theory and practice enables people to learn at deeper levels. These deeper levels have been more likely to lead to insights that have resulted in new actions.
On the other hand when working in the cognitive domain only, people learn about "things" learn about other people's "ideas" so they talk about these things but their is a huge gulf from knowing about some-one else's ideas to knowing our own theories and applying these to our actions. People need to be able to develop their own models from their practical experience and their own insights from inspirational learning experiences to be able to act in better ways to create a better world.
It seems to me that when we look through the lenses of human and living systems we have more capacity to look at wholes, look at connections, look for meaning and focus on care and relationships. Human connection - not only our inter-actions; connections through heart and spirit and mind.
The more we see our organisations as human systems the more we see our organisations as communities, which honour the past, the present and the future, the heroes, and heroines, the stories which make the organisational identity transparent and we can celebrate the richness of our diversity.
Let us use our minds, our hearts and our spirit to create a better world now!
In this workshop participants will experience theory based on experience in a cognitive form, in story and dance. They will be invited to participate in creating new ways to make a better world now by using all of the dimensions of what it is to be human.
Participants will have three choices to create a new story about tapping into the full capabilities of our human potential in our organisations. Participants will discuss how we can use other dimensions in the corporate world? Participants will discuss what happens, what is significant, what difference does it make when people use other human dimensions?
These other human dimensions are there for us to enrich our lives, our businesses, our communities, the wealth of what it is to be human.
I believe this workshop will touch on the questions below:
- How can businesses achieve a competitive advantage through learning?
- Can communities value the cultural diversity of its members?
- How can we be collaborative without being defensive?
- How can we tap the wisdom of ancient cultures?
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