Jan 14, 2008

Change your actions or attitudes

What do you change so that you can change? As Steve Roesler says:

  • Some people act only after they've gained an understanding of theory and context. Impacting their attitude is the first step in gaining action.
  • Others start acting immediately, then step back to see what it all means. Action plus reflection creates context and understanding for the bigger picture.
In part, that is the difference in views of the behaviorists - who believe that if behavior changes, it can lead to internal value changes too, while the other school - what to call them? Individualists? Or Gestalt thinkers? - believe that only when internal change is brought about, would there be real change in the context.

In fact, I believe that this difference is the key difference between ISISD (and later offspring, Sumedhas and Aastha) and the ISABS bodies.
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 15, 2008 at 1:51:00 PM GMT+5:30

    Hi Gautam, Aren't the only people who are concerned with our actions and attitudes people who are trying to control us?

    On the train back from London last night, someone was explaining loudly on her phone that the problem with one of her subordinates was that he doesn't ask questions when he doesn't understand and he helps other people instead of doing his own work! It made me think of how we focus on who is to blame and who has to change when we are frustrated - and we all do it. (As I am know - loud conversations on commuter trains are tiresome!)

    Anyway, on with the story, apart from telling the whole train what a rotten manager she was, I couldn't help thinking she was digging a hole for herself with the person at the other end of the phone. She needed to sit down with her poor unfortunate subordinate and discover what brought him alive. Her delegation would be easier and more rewarding for them both. A variety of tasks and experiences and a bit of coaching after each ended would bring personal growth and maturation as a matter of course (for them both).

    And where was the HR person in all of this. Buried under paperwork somewhere?

    Your post has made me think that the prevailing models of HRM and management believe that personal growth is always a difficult birth rather than a wonderful conception.

    Thanks for the blog.

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  2. Rohan AppaduraiJanuary 18, 2008 at 9:02:00 PM GMT+5:30

    Isn't there some kind of disconnect in what Steve Roesler says?

    'Impacting the attitude' is impacting innate beliefs and values, as against 'gaining an understanding of theory and context' which is about appealing to the intelligence. Why has this been mixed up? Or, am not being naive in asking this question?

    I see the point in Roesler's claim, if the sentence 'Impacting their attitude...' is removed.

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