Employees Bowling Alone
Learning Partners,
Many of you have seen my presentation or heard me talk about Robert Putnam’s “Bowling Alone” the excellent meta analysis of social trends, social networking, and social capitol. (On line resources are at: http://www.bowlingalone.com/ ) Also, Putnam interviewed on NPR’s All Things Considered in 2000 ( http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1074874 )
Interestingly, I found the attached Harvard article from 1998 linking Putnam’s work to Charles Handy’s work on trust. It’s a quick read and offers some insight into the vital role trust plays in social capital and why it’s critical in a work team. I think there are some connections to the classroom, too.
If you don’t have time to read, here are 7 concepts from Handy:
- This is no blind trust
- Trust requires boundaries
- Trust calls for constant learning
- Trust is ruthless (those who can not be relied upon to do what is needed must leave)
- Trust is not impersonal
- Trust and touch go hand in hand
- Trust is built the old-fashioned way, you have to earn it
