[Ailist] The Negative Influence of Positive Thinking- The Gurus, Coaches, and Consultants.

Sun Oct 25 17:16:25 MDT 2009

When great ways of being once popularised become tools in the hands of the medocre.  Consider the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which contained the seeds of TQM (apologies to Deming and Juran and others).  Quality became popularised and it is a tool.  Consider Ergonomics - that great way of being is now a marketing tool for chairs (even uncomfortable and dysfunctional chairs) ... so much so that I used it in my business name intergon (which someone else copied).

Lionel Boxer CD PhD MBA BTech(IndEng) - 0411267256
Associate of RMIT University - lionel.boxer at rmit.edu.au
Graduate School of Business
my "Assessment of Quality Systems with Positioning Theory" 
now in a googe book - see link at http://intergon.net
>>> Julie Caldwell <motivate at frontiernet.net> 26/10/09 8:37 AM >>>
Sachin makes very clear and appropriate points --- with one  
correction, the AI community does not see AI as a tool.  The leaders  
of AI, at any rate, Jane Watkins (who trained me in AI) sees AI as a  
way of being.  And, speaks to Sachin's point about how AI, when  
applied as a tool, can be misused.

AI as a state of being, can be used well with the small or the large.   
For example, AI parenting, might explore what works on a good  
parenting day and compare this exploration with the results that go  
along with pampering a child irrespective of his foolhardiness.

I do not believe that human beings are broken, nor do human beings or  
the process of self-organizing need to be fixed.  In fact, the self- 
organizing process delivers AI on the universal scale... and even the  
pampering of a child irrespective of his foolhardiness, contributes to  
the universal result... likewise, cast systems that discriminate based  
on sex, color or creed === as does the impact of inner city gangs ===  
or terrorists that bomb train stations and twin towers === or the poor  
communications within one's marriage.... none of this is broken, it is  
the reality of what is, and now what?  Being AI allows us to be human  
and learn to build on our strengths, as we face our weakness'.

Our self-organizing system, in executing the positive core of the  
whole, delivers equality.  AI as a way of being can creates the cause  
for individuals to nurture the child we call humanity to be it's best,  
in ways that facilitates our own deliver of equality (happiness for  
self and others; v.s. happiness of one, over others).

AI used as a tool, can be mis-applied, as Sachin cautions, which runs  
risk of divisiveness within the whole.  This is a very different  
intention than creating united action and building on strengths, based  
in the reality of what is.

Individually, it's important to be kind to ourselves, as we grow into  
the light of this process, which is very different that how we have  
been raised in the west.

Thank you for reading my thoughts,

Julie

On Oct 24, 2009, at 9:32 PM, Sachin Chavan wrote:

> AI is a tool. No tool in itself is a solution... Or the problem.  
> What do you
> apply the tool on? And who applies it... what consciousness? That  
> matters!
>
> Call it spirituality or systems thinking... Broadening your idea of  
> Self, to
> make it more encompassing... Expanding the boundaries, thinking of  
> global
> optimisation instead of local... Not just in terms of space (company  
> ->city
> ->country ->planet) but also in terms of time (my lifespan -> all  
> future
> generations)... All of this needs to accompany AI.
>
> In short, AI with a limited purpose could spell doom. AI is only as
> effective as the purpose which it serves. Sustainable strategies are  
> the
> ones that are harmonious with the larger universe. Limiting our  
> universe to
> a smaller idea of self and then applying AI... Is not what AI is  
> supposed to
> be. To that extent, Greenspan and his 40 years ignored holism, and  
> hence
> cannot be named as AI. A mother seeing pampering her child  
> irrespective of
> his foolhardiness is not an AI practitioner!
>
> Regards,
> Sachin
> www.sachinchavan.com
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu
> [mailto:ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu] On Behalf Of Robyn
> Stratton-Berkessel
> Sent: 25 October 2009 02:20 AM
> To: Ailist Inquiry
> Subject: [Ailist] The Negative Influence of Positive Thinking- The
> Gurus,Coaches, and Consultants.
>
> FYI:  Excerpted from the following article whose URL is pasted below.:
>
> ......"Believe it or not, there is another group, an offshoot of these
> positive/happiness/evangelical/Right-wing/Randians. This is a  
> growing group
> of so-called organizational development consultants who preach a  
> model of
> consulting based on positive thinking. They call it "appreciative  
> inquiry"
> or "AI". Following the positive thinkers their approach focuses on  
> what
> works, rather than trying to fix what doesn't work. It is the  
> opposite of
> problem solving or critical thinking and rejects diagnosis.  
> Narcissistic
> CEO's and bankers love "AI" because it never considers inadequacies,  
> blame,
> or the need for remedial skills or practice. They preach a "you can  
> do it if
> you just believe you can"
> attitude that claims if one builds on successes, strengths, and  
> focuses on
> how to create more exceptional performance than one need not  
> understand what
> is "broken" or dysfunctional.. "
>
> http://www.opednews.com/articles/2/The-Negative-Influence-of-by-william-czan
> der-091020-724.html
>
> Kind regards,
> Robyn.
>
> Robyn Stratton-Berkessel
> Creator, www.positivematrix.com
> +1 732 291 0462
> +1 732 939 8239 (mobile)
> Skype: robynsb
>
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