I really like Weick's argument that "people act first and later examine their actions in an attempt to explain their meaning" (p.115). If "he lived experience of college and career is most often a series of happy accidents and opportunities" with "a series of logical choices," I can tell my lived experience makes sense (p.117).
After I graduated from a university in Japan, I became an employee for a leading clothing manufacturer. I had worked for the company as a shop manager for about 11 years. Since I knew our products well and had good sales skills, I wanted to try to take on new challenges within the company. And, I hoped to continue working for the company until retirement ("lifetime employment" is a very typical concept in Japan). My ultimate goal was to transfer to a branch in the US; however, the company told me I was going to be in sales or training the new sales employees for the rest of my career. There was no chance to change my job at the company (they have such a strict policy). If I had been in the US, maybe I could have left to work for another company, but in Japan it was hard to change employers. I was really wrestling whether I should quit. Finally, I decided to quit the job so as to study in the US and make a better career and life. Now, I'm a teaching assistant at a community college in the Bay Area, and although my pay is not astronomical (like some high-tech CEOs), I really love my job and I'm definitely applying the strategies that I learned form my experiences as a shop manager in Japan, such as communication with my clients (students), organizing classes, creating materials, handling clients' negative feedback, and so forth.
4 days ago
While I agree with Weick's retrospective sense making to an extent I do not see at the only way that people act. There is a mixture of times when we consider our actions first and then act and times when the reverse is true. I think most often when I feel I have made a mistake the retrospective sense making process is put to good use. I think that when things go well people are less likely to go back and analyze the reasons for their actions. I feel that Weick's model is something best reserved for mistakes. In my work experience I have not thought back on my actions if I have achieved a positive outcome. When I have made a mistake and not gained what I had hoped that is when I go back and think through the process that got me to that outcome. Mistakes are motivation for change, good results encourage stagnancy in approach.
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