The "local telephone company" message about FCC per-minute charges has
been running so rampant across the Web that it has achieved "urban legend"
status. For a complete and up-to-date report on this subject, check the
TOURBUS Web site at
http://www.tourbus.com
Click on "Archives," and then on the January 3, 1998 date "FCC."
---- owner-MG-ED-DV(a)MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU's Message ----
There are 7 messages totalling 567 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. Benchmarking Executive, Manager and Team Leader Development Programs (2)
2. Your local telephone company
3. Work
4. Learning Organization (2)
5. Negative Energy
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 09:11:59 EST
From: Dalecros <
Dalecros@AOL.COM>
Subject: Benchmarking Executive, Manager and Team Leader Development Programs
Discussion Group Members:
A colleague and I are currently engaged in benchmarking Executive, Manager and
Team Leader Development Programs for NASA and look forward to getting much
good information and assistance from the human resource development
professionals that participate in this discussion group.
We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss the following questions with
any of you that have programs of development for executive, managers and team
leaders. We would be glad to call you as well as receive any of your written
coments
1. Briefly describe your training and education curriculum for management and
executives. How many managers and executives do have across the organization?
How many people participate in development opportunities per year? In
addition, what other developmental activities do you engage in? E.g., work
assignments, IDPs, Special Fast Track Programs.
2. What drives your training curriculum? E.g., strategic plan, competition,
grass roots needs assessment, future competency or skill requirements, etc.
What is your philosophy for executive, management and team leader development?
3. How often do you re-establish the training and educational objectives?
4. What levels does your training and educational curriculum focus on?:
-executives, directors, managers, supervisors, team leaders, etc. Is the
curriculum for individuals or do you address intact teams?
5. Do you have an articulated description of the behaviors that would be
associated with your ideal, executive, director, manager, supervisor, team
leader, etc.? If so, can you share this?
6. For each level, what content does the training and educational activities
target? (program titles and general objectives of courses for each level).
7. How do you ensure linkages between corporate and field sites?
8. What use does your organization make of external university programs for
executive or management development?
9. What non-traditional types of training and educational delivery methods do
you use and for what levels? (Distance learning, computer based training, GE
workout sessions, just in time learning). How do participants receive them?
How effective do you believe them to be? How do you know?
10. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of training? (e.g., levels, 1-4
evaluations).
11. Would you or other members of your industry like to participate in a
NASA/industry shared experience program regarding executive/management
development? Do you belong to such a forum now? If so, can NASA participate?
12. Do you have your own residential training facilities? Do you allow
external personnel to attend classes?
Of course, we will be glad to provide summarized results to all who become
involved.
Thanks for any help you can provide as a colleague member of our research
team.
Deb Duarte, Ed.D. &
Dale Crossman, Ed.D.
Dalecros@aol.com
410-768-4647
Snail Mail:
24 Elm Drive
Glen Burnie, MD 21060-7208
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 11:52:25 -0500
From: Charles Wankel <
cx@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Subject: Re: Your local telephone company
Let me clarify this a bit for our Non-USA members. In the USA,
many people use the Internet from their homes utilizing flat rate local
service which might be something like $8 per month for unlimited
telephone usage in the local geographic area (maybe several towns)
where they live. Some companies want to prevent people from using this
service for many hours a day for Internet connections. Indeed some
people use this service on one of their telephone lines to keep that line
connected
the entire day to the Internet--maybe 24 hours. So, if telephone companies
set up a per-minute fee structure for telephone service to Internet
providers this would require either a change in how people use the
Internet or increased payments from them. People in situations like
universities probably would not be affected. The message directs people
to contact a USA government agency involved in regulating such
things within the USA.
When material probably only of interest to USA-based participants
in mg-ed-dv is posted, it would be courteous to include in the subject
field something like "Of USA interest only".
Cybercollegially,
Charlie Wankel
netmaster mg-ed-dv
Coach Margie wrote:
> Dear List,
> FYI!
>
> >__________________________________
> >Subject: Your local telephone company
> >Author: Ted <
ted@afrocentricnews.net> at internet
> >Date: 1/7/98 5:00 AM
> >
> >
> >There is a very important matter currently under review by the FCC that will
> >directly affect you:
> >
> >Your local telephone company has filed a proposal with the FCC to impose per
> >minute charges for your internet service. They contend that your internet
> >usage has or will hinder the operation of the telephone network.
> >
> >This is nothing other than an excuse to extract more money and to hinder
> >Internet communications. We all already pay a monthly service fee
for the use
> >of the 'telephone network'.
> >
> >The FCC has created an email box for your comments, responses must
be received
> >by February 13, 1998. Send your comments to
isp@fcc.gov and tell them
what you
> >think.
> >
> >Every phone company is in on this one, and they are trying to sneak
it in just
> >under the wire for litigation. Let everyone you know hear this one.
> >
> >Get this e-mail address to everyone.
> >
> >We begin a New Year together with wishes of health, wealth and plenty of
> >happiness.
> >
> >Ted Terry
> >PoliceNet.com
http://www.policenet.com
> >AfroCentricnews.com
http://www.afrocentricnews.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 13:42:46 -0500
From: Jim Dobbins <
jdobbins@NISHANET.COM>
Subject: Re: Work
Jack,
Not an altogether different view from that of Henry Mintzberg. You would
probably enjoy is book Mintzberg on Management. It is from 1989, but
still interesting.
Jim Dobbins
Jack Ring wrote:
> On Tue, 13 Jan 1998, Rick Kennett wrote RE: The nature of work
> >I just want to get my two cents in on the nature of work. I suspect
> >that what Dutch was saying is true but I believe there is more. Keeping
> >our minds occupied is certainly important but it is the result of our
> >work, our creations, our deliverable that allow us to contribute and
> >collaborate and *belong* to a larger process. The "objects", our
> >creations, be they service or product that afford us membership. More
> >then just a busy mind, it is social.
>
> Having dug ditches, loaded tons of alfalfa bales on trucks, taught college
> physics lab, managed software engineering organizations and helped CEO's
> recognize their blind spots, it seems to me that work is not the thing we
> seek. Rather, information is what the mind seeks, at least a healthy mind,
> -- all the way from simple stimulii of the five senses to puzzling over
> what language some poet is trying to establish. Work is one way of
> engaging in information processing and can be beneficial. But sitting on
> Coronado Island at sunset or taking a Corvette around Turn 9 in a four
> wheel drift is equally rewarding. A sense of accomplishment, perhaps even
> competency, is key -- otherwise we could all just learn self hypnosis -- or
> get Oprah to do it.
>
> Jack Ring
> 32712 N. 70th St.
> Scottsdale, AZ 85262-7143
> 602-488-4615
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 13:44:47 -0500
From: Jim Dobbins <
jdobbins@NISHANET.COM>
Subject: Re: Learning Organization
There is an internet discussion list devoted to just this one topic.
If you do a web search on Learning Organization, you will probably
find it.
Jim Dobbins
Kng Tuan Kah wrote:
> Dear List,
>
> My company is embarking on a "learning organization" project. We need
a lot of ideas and suggestions on how to go about this. For your background
information, this is an insurance company with conservative, doer rather
thinker culture. The staff generally has poor attitude towards learning.
>
> Regards,
>
> Kng
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Part 1.2 Type: application/ms-tnef
> Encoding: base64
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 1998 09:21:20 +1100
From: robnphil <
robnphil@OZEMAIL.COM.AU>
Subject: Re: Benchmarking Executive,
Manager and Team Leader Development Programs
Dale,
The following is a quick (?) response. If you want to pursue this
further please give me a call.
Regards
PHIL RUTHERFORD
robnphil@ozemail.com.au
Response:
Dalecros wrote:
>
>
> 1. Briefly describe your training and education curriculum for management and
> executives. How many managers and executives do have across the organization?
> How many people participate in development opportunities per year? In
> addition, what other developmental activities do you engage in? E.g., work
> assignments, IDPs, Special Fast Track Programs.
We provide such training to a number of organisations, concentrating on
all levels of management but starting from the top and working down. The
main idea is to get senior management committed first with the outcome
of their training being a major program to infiltrate the same down
through the ranks below.
Major concentration is on two areas: management and team leadership and
project management (program management, project management and project
coordination). These two cover every aspect of management in today's
organisation.
>
> 2. What drives your training curriculum? E.g., strategic plan, competition,
> grass roots needs assessment, future competency or skill requirements, etc.
> What is your philosophy for executive, management and team leader development?
The training curriculum is based on the skills and knowledge needed to:
(a) achieve corporate goals and objectives, (b) support and enhance the
appraisal system, (c) and determine the requirements for recruitment,
succession planning,and career advancement. An accurate definition of
the requirements found here gives (a) the training curriculum (including
training and development), and (b) the curriculum for education and
self-development. In other words, all training is measured by whether or
not the corporate goals and objectives are being achieved, enhanced or
affected.
>
> 3. How often do you re-establish the training and educational objectives?
They are continually being re-established because everything is centred
on participants actually applying the skills and knowledge on the job,
within their particular environment, and in the contexts and conditions
they normally find themselves. The achievement of the objectives is
measured by whether or not each person (not the average person or the
greater bulk of participants, but each person) can show evidence of
where and how she/he actually applies the concepts on the job and in
line with her/his immediate and longer term objectives. As the needs of
the job change (and they can sometimes change hourly) so too do the
objectives. In fact, one could say that the training objectives centre
on the application of skills and knowledge important to the
participant's role or function - not the application of any particular
training or education outcome - and as these change so too does their
learning.
>
> 4. What levels does your training and educational curriculum focus on?:
> -executives, directors, managers, supervisors, team leaders, etc. Is the
> curriculum for individuals or do you address intact teams?
>
Focus is on all levels. Individuals as well as teams benefit because the
competencies against which the curriculum are based include, where
applicable, how the skills and knowledge are applied in a team
environment.
> 5. Do you have an articulated description of the behaviors that would be
> associated with your ideal, executive, director, manager, supervisor, team
> leader, etc.? If so, can you share this?
Yes. Contact me for details. These are not my 'ideal' but the
description of what the most effective and successful executives,
managers and supervisors are doing. In other words, participants are
being measured against the best in the world, not against the curriculum
(which is often out of date by the time it is written) or the
presenter's opinion.
>
> 6. For each level, what content does the training and educational activities
> target? (program titles and general objectives of courses for each level).
>
This will become clear when you see response to your previous question.
> 7. How do you ensure linkages between corporate and field sites?
>From the relevant goals and objectives. If corporate and field have the
same objective then only one is concentrated on (with appropriate
adjustment for field work), but if they are different then obviously the
two become the centre of focus.
>
> 8. What use does your organization make of external university programs for
> executive or management development?
>
See above. We are the external provider (linked somewhat tenuously to
the University of New England) and are beginning to find that more and
more organisations here and overseas are adopting our philosophies - if
not our curriculum and presentation methodology.
> 9. What non-traditional types of training and educational delivery methods do
> you use and for what levels? (Distance learning, computer based training, GE
> workout sessions, just in time learning). How do participants receive them?
> How effective do you believe them to be? How do you know?
We present very little except for the underpinning knowledge and
philosophies behind the skills and knowledge each person is going to be
required to demonstrate on the job. We more or less workshop the
curriculum, helping each person put it into the context of their work
environment. At the moment we provide half of the curriculum by both
face-to-face and distance and the other half by face-to-face only
(although that can change). The actual assessment of application can be
done either by distance (over intra- or internet) or face-to-face using
in-house expertise (which we can train) or external.
Even though there is an option, either of these can be enhanced by
adopting parts of the other. In effect we have five ways of acquiring
the full qualification: fully face-to-face, by distance, by recognition
of current competency and skills/knowledge, by any two of these or by
all three. The choice is up to the individual.
Feedback from all participants over the past two years has been
astounding. I actually researched this methodology back in 1974 and have
only had the wider tools and methodology as a result of further research
in the UK in 1992/93 and application back here since. One participant
said that applying these processes gained a project she was working on
another $3million dollars seed money. Another said that in half an hour
his team was able to save over $75K. There are numerous stories such as
this. We don't care for 'happy sheets' or 'reactionnaires' because the
bottom line savings/profit is where the organisation measures our
effectiveness, and that is more important than whether or not
participants liked the biscuits or our silly jokes.
>
> 10. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of training? (e.g., levels, 1-4
> evaluations).
Simple. I can send you some information on this. (By the way, we look
also at level 5. Call for details).
>
> 11. Would you or other members of your industry like to participate in a
> NASA/industry shared experience program regarding executive/management
> development? Do you belong to such a forum now? If so, can NASA participate?
>
Absolutely. One of my first jobs on leaving the military in 1972 was
with NASA at Honesuckle Creek here in Australia. I was working on the
last (was it Saturn??) shots and for the duration of Skylab.
> 12. Do you have your own residential training facilities? Do you allow
> external personnel to attend classes?
Yes but we prefer to visit.
>
Hope that helps.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 17:26:26 -0200
From: Isabel <
belgrano@SATLINK.COM>
Subject: Re: Learning Organization
Sculpting the LEarning Organization by Karen Watkins and Victoria Marsick
and
Creating theLearning Organization, by Victoria Marsick (ASTD published).
The last one has 22 cases.
isabel rimanoczy
----------
> From: OrgCoach <
OrgCoach@AOL.COM>
> To:
MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> Subject: Re: Learning Organization
> Date: Friday, January 16, 1998 3:03 PM
>
> Some resources: Ten Steps to a Learning Organization by Peter Kiline &
> Bernard Saunders; and The Global Learning Organization by Michael
Marquardt
> and Angus Reynolds. Building a learning organization is a challenging
> cultural shift, but lots of fun and potentially a high pay off. You need
some
> real commitment, as it does take time and energy, and a shift in
thinking.
>
> Andrea
>
> Andrea Sigetich Affiliates
> Organization Coaching for magnificent management and team development
> Personal Coaching for amazing individual results
>
OrgCoach@aol.com
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998 20:47:54 -0700
From: Jack Ring <
jring@AMUG.ORG>
Subject: Re: Negative Energy
At 3:30 PM 1/16/98, Dr Harry J Bury wrote:
---snip--->
>I enjoy your insights and I too intend to believe in Herzberg's findings.
>But then I was reading Fortune magazine for Jan. 12, 1998 and they have an
>article on why employees love the 100 best companies to work for in
>America. They found that most of the raves workers give their employers
>are based on three corporate traits:
>Inspiring Leadership, Knockout Facilities(Herzberg's Hygiene Factor), and
>a Sense of Purpose. What is your take on that?
>Harry
>Harry J. Bury, Ph.D.
>Baldwin Wallace College
>275 Eastland Road
>Berea, OH 44017-2088
>
>Tel: (216) 826-2395
>Fax: (216) 826-3868
>
>E-Mail:
hbury@bw.edu
I find them quite consistent with Herzberg's views. To summarize
Herzberg's points --
Hygene Factors
Pleasant work environment
Good cafeteria
Pleasant co-workers
Company policy and administration; especially communication
etc.
Motivation Factors
Direct Feedback
Client Relationship
Psychological Growth*
Scheduling One's Own Work
Unique Expertise
Responsibility For Costs
Authority For Direct Communication
Personal Accountability
Management's Job --
The Hygene Factors are orthogonal to the Motivation Factors. Management
must keep the Hygene Factors from becoming too negative but employee
satisfaction is not maximized by making the Hygene Factors better and
better. Rather, keep the Hygene Factors from negatively interfering while
maximizing the Motivation Factors.
* Six levels of growth in developing character:
1. knowing more
2. understanding more
3. creativity -- qualitative leap of insight
4. effectiveness in ambiguity
5. individuation -- some unique talent that sets you apart.
6. real growth -- the ability to pursue character accomplishments and
self respect separate and distinct from personality adjustment for status
and security.
Dialog with others can help in the first three.
The last three come from self-discovery.
Fortune's Inspiring Leadership relates to the Motivation factors,
especially to Psychological Growth.
Fortune's Knockout Facilities, as you noted, relates to Herzberg's Hygiene
Factor, and
Fortune's Sense of Purpose relates, once again, to Psychological Growth
(recall the old story of asking three workers in a rock quarry what they
were doing. The first said "breaking loose blocks of granite" the second
said "making the straightest building blocks produced in any quarry" while
the third said "helping build the most beautiful cathedral in the world.").
Who do you think was the happiest in his work? In the Sense of Purpose,
much of the "reward" is not in the nature of the job but in how the job is
perceived.
Another article in that same issue of Fortune reported: "The Gallup
Organization recently surveyed 55,000 workers in an attempt to match
employee attitudes with company results. The survey found that four
attitudes, taken together, correlate strongly with higher profits. The
attitudes: Workers feel they are given the opportunity to do what they do
best every day; they believe their opinions count; they sense that their
fellow workers are committed to quality; and they've made a direct
connection between their work and the company's mission."
These words sound very much like Herzberg.
Other excellent, real world examples can be found in the Feb/Mar 98 issue
of Fast Company (URL
www.fastcompany.com)
It seems to me that the root of all this is FEAR so the key for management
is helping mitigate fear. Will Schutes, UCLA, says we all have three
basic, perhaps genetic, fears --
1. of not being competent
2. of not being relevant or significant
3. of not being lovable or likeable.
Herzberg, Fortune and much of the literature on leadership simply present
various prescriptions for mitigating those fears. In this vein, Eleanor
Anderson gives excellent advice for each employee: Because all humans have
these fears, then when fear occurs it simply means you are human. Instead
of Experiencing the fear, Celebrate the signal. It means you are one of
us.
At the risk of firing a rash of nervous impulses across this discussion
list, I will also suggest that in many companies where employee
satisfaction is high there seems to be a preponderance of optimists even
though the population exhibits a 50/50 distribution of pessimists to
optimists. Could it be that the combination of hiring techniques, peer
pressure and performance appraisal techniques serve to accomplish a little
"pessimist cleansing"?? Any one from the Saturn part of GM care to weigh
in on that conjecture?
Jack Ring
32712 N. 70th St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85262-7143
602-488-4615
------------------------------
End of MG-ED-DV Digest - 16 Jan 1998 to 17 Jan 1998
***************************************************