THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 29, 1994 TAG: 9407290012
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 39 lines
The July 21 Daily Break article featuring George Musgrove and his passion for shaping the Norfolk welfare system into a new culture is timely and refreshing.
As a consultant and trainer specializing in relationships and team building, a major problem I see in today's work force is denial and being afraid to ``rock the boat.''
Most organizations are so entrenched in traditional culture that worked yesterday but not today, that people generally don't know how to begin the change process and therefore either don't do anything or do it in a way destined for failure. When it does fail, the frustrated cries go something like, ``It's just not going to work here,'' and the process stops.
Musgrove is following the lead of two of my colleagues, Price Pritchett and Ron Pound, authors of High-Velocity Culture Change. Most organizations today do not have time to take their time. As I work with clients, I see too often how frustrating and ineffective small and weak attempts toward workplace change can be, primarily because there is not enough energy to win the cause.
Pritchett and Pound advocate keeping the energy high while paying attention to where all that energy is going.
When it comes to our social agencies, it's time for ``tough love.'' Although Musgrove says he's ``more confrontational than I need to be,'' from what I read, I'd say he is more carefrontational. It's obvious that he cares enough to take the ``company'' through the tough, unpopular struggle of culture change so it can survive.
JENYCE JOHNSON
Chesapeake, July 22, 1994 by CNB