Monday, August 16, 2004

Mount of the Holy Cross

Todays post steps away from typical business situations and instead will address group dynamics as observed during the ascent of a Colorado fourteener. The party in question begins with an expedition leader and two companions. Rounding out the group is the wife of one man and her friend. Paine's moral lenses (people, purpose, principle, and power) allow an interesting perspective. The people in question are all relatively fit, but vary significantly in level from a triathlete to a recovering gym rat. The purpose is fuzzier and if members of the party were asked, the answer could range from summitting to exercise to companionship. The principles are more clear and include everybody returns and share. Finally the true wild card is power. Traditionally an expedition leader holds all the power, who continues to the summit, who carries what, what route to take and any other decision. In this group these decisions were left to the individual and the result was chaotic with people hiking at various speeds and duplication of gear. In summary it is clear that while Paine formulated her moral compass to address social values as they relate to corporations, even small groups can benefit by reviewing a venture through the described moral lenses.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi, tech-mba. You must be busy. Please post something again soon. It has been a long time since we heard from you.