posted 06-15-2001 12:03               

FROM THE RESOURCE SHELF
"Flawed Advice and the Management Trap: How Managers Can Know When They're Getting Good Advice and When They're Not" by Chris Argyris
by Janice Molloy

If you're wondering whether you're receiving constructive advice from change professionals, Chris Argyris's book can provide you with pointers for assessing different approaches. In his evaluation of the efficacy of organizational change literature and practices, the author reports that most advice "does not work. . . . It is simply too full of abstract claims, inconsistencies, and logical gaps to be useful as a concrete basis for concrete actions in concrete settings."

To support this contention, Argyris uses examples from best-selling management books to reveal contradictions in what change leaders propose and what they actually do. The "do as I say not as I do" mentality is part of what Argyris calls the "Model I" framework, in which people unknowingly resort to less productive modes of behavior--for example, seeking to be in control, withholding thoughts and feelings--when faced with potentially embarrassing or threatening situations. This behavior leads to self-perpetuating "defensive routines" that create mistrust, distorted feedback, and long-term ineffectiveness.

The author introduces an alternative theory of action called "Model II," which produces lasting change because it requires modifying not only how we act but also how we think. A Model II approach includes demonstrating consistency in words and deeds, surfacing undiscussables, and supporting democratic participation. Argyris says we can tell a change program is actionable if the experts behave "in ways that are illustrated, encourage inquiry, and are easily tested." And regardless of the specific methodology we use, he believes that by overcoming self-censorship, testing our assumptions, and ensuring that we are doing what we say, we can finally effect real, sustainable change.

Read the complete article or see LEVERAGE No. 43 (July 2000).

Copyright 2001 Pegasus Communications.

posted 06-21-2001 19:52               

" For instance, when Covey’s son neglects his commitment to keep the family’s yard “green and clean,” the father suppresses his frustration instead of acting authentically, as he advises other people to do. "

When we are frustrated (a minor form of anger) we do not see the world clearly. We actually have a distorted sense of reality and, therefore, choosing not to act upon our frustration does not necessarily make one inauthentic. Because my sense of reality is distorted while angry, I have never found honesty in that state of mind to be useful. It's a self-deception.

I first read about this concept in a book entitled "Leadership and Self-Deception" by the Arbinger Institute. On their website, they also have an article entitled "No Other Way" which also gives some insight into this problem. This material has changed the way I perceive the world and work with people.

allen