Posted by Jim Murray on May 20, 1998 at 20:23:28:

Hello, My name is Jim Murray. I hope it is alright for me to post this scenario (I've noticed that many of the interesting postings are related more to scholarship and theory).

I am affiliated with a national non-profit that like many other organizations has gone through dramatic change in the last few years. We are attempting to move from a centralized hierarchical authority/administrative structure to a more regional and local base. The organization is "wired" to representatives in all 50 states.

In our shift from central to local focus we're finding that many of our representatives are feeling "overwhelmed" by new responsibilities, new information and expectations. Most come in for one week long in-person session during the year and are connected via e:mail with each other and central administration. I realize one way we might be able to facilitate greater absorption of information and context would be through the use of groupware (i.e. Lotus Notes) but I believe that having to learn a new system would even further burden these folks whose work load is already very high.

These representatives need to be given information on legal, financial and professional issues - and also have the means to respond with questions, comments and frustrations. Most importantly they also need to be encouraged and even challenged to develop contribute more to their own and the organization's learning - as we negotiate this transition.

I hope this is not too "fuzzy" or too ambiguous a description. What I am after are any ideas, comments or questions that might help us create a more open, substantive interactive corporate learning environment.

Thank you!

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Follow Ups:

• Re: Sharing Learning While Having Fun Yogesh Malhotra 19:40:18 5/21/98 (2)
  • Re: Sharing Learning While Having Fun Jim Murray 12:31:56 5/22/98 (1)
    • Enabling Knowledge Sharing by Intrinsic Motivation Yogesh Malhotra 14:19:33 5/22/98 (0)
• Re: Learning (Teaching) in Times of Dramatic Change with Geographically Disbersed Group Jay Reay 11:08:17 5/21/98 (0)

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