Summary: The Role of Self-fulfilling Prophecy in eLearning Projects

"As it is known and taught today in management and education circles, the notion of the self-fulfilling prophecy was conceptualized by Robert Merton a professor of sociology at Columbia University. In a 1957 work called 'Social Theory and Social Structure', Merton said the phenomenon occurs when 'a false definition of the situation evokes a new behavior which makes the original false conception come true.'"

"In other words, once an expectation is set, even if it isn't accurate, we tend to act in ways that are consistent with that expectation. Surprisingly often, the result is that the expectation, as if by magic, comes true."

- accel TEAM, Employee Motivation, the Organizational Environment and Productivity, Section 2: Importance of Leader Perceptions, The Self-fulfilling Prophecy or Pygmalion Effect: A Management Concept

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Summary: Finding the Group Vision and Goal

Question: Where do the structure and direction come from in a project? Answer: The structure and direction should come from the project's vision and goal.

Question: Where should the project's vision and goal come from? Answer: The project's vision and goal need to come from all the project participants.

Question: How do we discover what is important to the project participants? Answer: We need to ask them.

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Summary: Making Great Decisions

"Well, maybe we could - like - do a video project ..."

"That's the end. How about starting at the beginning?"

"It's tempting to jump right into a plan without paying an iota of attention to what's between the start and the finish. When people do this, they tend to fill in the middle as best they can and call it a job. They overlook important information, don't think of alternative possibilities, and miss serious drawbacks - all leading to flimsy thinking and poor results."

- Gay Lumsden and Donald Lumsden, Communicating in Groups and Teams: Sharing Leadership, 3rd Edition (2000), page 110.

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