"About seventy years ago, an American political scientist, Mary Parker Follet, said that when you have dissent in an organization, you should never ask who is right. You should not even ask what is right. You must assume that each faction gives the right answer, but to a different question. Each sees a different reality."- Peter Drucker, Managing the Non-Profit Organization: Principles and Practices
14 comments:
Ummmm... Pretty liberal viewpoint eh??? Or maybe some Zen or something thrown in to the mix. Everybody is right... nobody is wrong. There is no truth.
TR
Interesting... and I think your conclusion is correct per the quote out of context. The chapter this comes from, though, reads that this is why you end up with dissent in an organization. This is more descriptive than prescriptive, reminding us that most people believe that they are righteous in their conclusions (even when they are not).
Thus, the main point isn't to redefine their answers but to redefine their questions.
Does that make sense? It's quite late as I write this.
Very accurate for gobbledeegook.
Folks are often driven by agendas which have nothing to do with reality just perception.
I guess what you are trying to say is that you need to each understand where each person is coming from and make sure everyone is understanding the situation.
Hmmmmm... even this post itself hits on this concern in that I can be understanding the post wrong or out of context and we may not even be talking about the same thing.
Gosh this is a deep subject at 4:14am. :P
previous post was also by TR.
Sorry for not signing.
By the way... Isn't there a saying somewhere... "Can't we agree just to get along"?
TR
I can certainly attest to the quote's relevance and credibility in relation to marital conflict.
Tony, nice to meet you! Thanks for posting on my site. I like what I see here too. I seem to resonate with some of the things you're saying, like our minds are in the same boat. Granted, I haven't had time yet to read all your previous posts, but so far we're parallel thinking.
I like this post because it makes me think. I believe when you have two sets of intelligent human beings giving an honest assessment of a subject, you are always going to find truth somewhere in each of their positions. And, although I can't explain it in detail, nor do I understand it completely, people develop convictions about certain things and not about others.
For example, I will never forget when I was almost engaged to my now wife and we were spending time with her parents. It was early evening and we decided to rent a movie to watch at home. They come from a "holiness" church background and are people of many convictions. Some would say a bit legalistic, but no doubt convicted.
I was not aware, at the time, of their complexity. So, I chose The Last of the Mohicans, remembering the love story contained in it. I thought they would enjoy it...
Well, after the scalping scene her father was so disgusted that he left the living room mad. Her mother made some comments about how terrible the movie was, and my future wife was very nervous. We shut it off.
I was so confused. It was just a day or so ago we had all sat in the same living room and watched Jaws! I tried my best to argue that point, but to no resolution. I was told I should have known they wouldn't like it.
To this day I still can't explain their set of convictions, but I know they've got 'em. And they are strong enough to cause division.
This is certainly one reason for division. It is what I call "not giving people the benefit of the doubt". Unfortunately, there is another reason for division. Some people intentionly manipulate for their own profit.
so is this blog an organization? are we dissenting with each other over the validity of this quote? are we all interpreting it through our own experiences and our own "realities"? So even if the quote is wrong in it's truth, it sure is right about the actions of people.
"I disagree."
;)
Jesus told us that He would be known in the world by the unity of the Church. We ain't doin' such a good job with that. Sometimes I wonder, not denying the creeds and all that jazz, if truth lies more in how we treat each other (loving our neighbor as ourselves) than in doctrinal accuracy and pinpointing.
Being right is relative, truth is not. The thing is truth often does not need us all that much, because it is the truth it has a wonderful way of showing itself all on it's own in many different ways sometimes through us and sometimes to the person who is searching for it. Even sometimes to the person who was not even looking. I believe God wants us to be honest and open and in that He moves the truth where He wants. This not only takes the self imposed pressure off one to be right it allows Grace to go as Grace would have it.
I am not talking about apologetics on matters of certain subjects where you are expected to present a view and or a counter-view, that dialogue is a debate although again if your effort is to be right then you probably have already lost. If your effort however is to speak the truth with reason and respect to all parties it is very hard to counter. If you can not even attempt to try to understand the others position then I fail to see how you can address them in any matter that they would understand and in that case it is probably not your fight.
All this is my thoughts and may be wrong, its a columniation of what I have learned so far and I have so much more to learn then what I know its not even comparative.
Hi Tony
Love now tomorrow is not promised to anyone
tony - always the rabble rouser
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