Phelim-- I'm reminded of a chapter on planning in Karl E. Weick's book, the Social Psychology of Organizing. He talks about how our planning for the future usually revolves around our past experience. He talks of hunter/gatherer cultures who depleted the game in their area by returning frequently to the places where they had found game in the past.
A more useful strategy was used by groups which decided their next hunting spot by "throwing bones" (casting lots). This randomized the selection process, decreasing the likelihood that the game would be overhunted in any single region. Weick proposed that many organizations would do well to replace their elaborate planning processes with "throwing bones," and the chapter included a randomizing tool. My husband actually proposed this to the large corporation where he worked. Their planning process required many hours of work over several months, and rarely produced good outcomes. It may not surprise you to hear that this suggestion was NOT well received! Joelle ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
