Block—Loud and Clear
I wanted you to know I really enjoyed Peter Block's
column in the June 1999 News for a Change. It was about
the entitled customer. I quoted him in the manuscript I
am sending to Quorum Books written about advocacy issues
in the workplace. Block came through loud and clear
regarding customer advocacy.
Jane Seiling
Founder
Business Performance Group
Lima, Ohio
The Hunt for Next November
I read with interest Peter Block's column, "The Hunt for
Next November", in the March 2000 issue. I agree with
everything he said. However, I think perhaps he didn't go
far enough.
When I advocate the common good
over individual interests, I get two responses: "Yes, I
agree" and "So what?" I find that those who favor the
common good have a broader perspective on the role of
government than those that say "So what?" This broader
perspective is more often expressed by people capable of
viewing things from a systems perspective analogous to
Block's "CEO's business literacy" from
"Stewardship."
One widespread view is that we have two
groups in our society: the "haves" and the "have nots",
and they are diverging. I believe we have a greater, and
increasingly widening, gap between the "knows" and the
"know nots." Further, I don't believe there is a very
strong correlation between the "haves" and the "knows" as
I have defined them above. I run into "haves" who are
"know nots" all the time. In fact, it particularly upsets
me to see "haves" support their special interests over
the common good when the common good may even be in their
best interest over the long run (Who wants to be
imprisoned in a luxury gated community?).
The more we "know not," the more we are
susceptible to politicians' pandering to our individual
interests because, to paraphrase "Stewardship", we don't
have "the Nation's (or any other political unit's) CEO's
political literacy." Perhaps the founding fathers had
something when they limited the vote to certain
"qualified" individuals (albeit with the wrong
qualifications and for at least some of the wrong
reasons).
It's not the politicians' fault. Their behavior is
rational and appropriate for our system in terms of their
interests. They get elected because we can' t see the
forest for the trees.
I believe AQP would be the first to admit
that participation works when the participants are
qualified.
Pat Malone
Senior Program Director
Atlantic Management Center, Inc.
Falls Church, Va.
Distinguishing Ads from Content
Having just finished the July issue of News For A Change,
particularly the "article" on Multivariable Testing, I am
compelled to write. I kept looking for the disclaimer at
the top saying "special advertising section." This was
little more than a plug for QualPro. There was no usable
material in the piece-no real explanation of the tool or
how it would fit with broader change efforts. Please, do
not include this kind of material in the future. But if
you do, at least don't put it in the guise of an article.
I hope QualPro paid for the full page ad they got.
Neil Samuels
Progress Director
BP Amoco Corp. Worldwide Exploration Business Group
Houston, Texas
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August 2000 NFC
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