HOME / WORK ? - Covid Learning

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In 2020 Covid closes most workplaces. 

But Zoom technology, creatively used in many ORGs, where routines are adapted, permits some successful work at home.  ORG learning.

Then, when reopening is permitted, there is new, controversial choice.

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Should employees be told to return to the office OR continue to work from home?

Or what?

In sharp contrast to the rigorous research and learning that led to vaccine creation, this organizational decision has little knowledge base to lean on. Years from now there may be more knowledge, if research occurs - but ORG research is far less powerful than bio-med. 

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"ORG learning" is not the same as scientific learning. 

Sometimes it includes thinking and changes in practice that turn out to be mistaken or harmful. For example,

when ORG X decides about work-at-home or something else and implements that change, there is some kind of ORG learning in that they learned how to make that change and how to adapt to it.

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Ships are just one model/image that has certain advantages: they are visual, include many roles, come in different types, face various environmental challenges, and they can change their mission.  

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But is the model representative and realistic?  Every model simplifies and many distort reality too. For example, the boundary around a ship is

 sharply defined -- unlike many organizations  where boundaries are not sharply defined  and boundary spanning is an important practical matter.  

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