Systemic Work With Organizations

Systemic Work with Organizations explores a powerful new perspective on the challenges faced by managers and consultants who work in large organizations. Building on principles and methods originally developed in the family arena, the authors show how an emphasis on connection, context and communication can help managers and others involved in change, deal with issues of identity, leadership, and learning faced by staff in today's complex work environment.The main thesis is that one way cause and effect thinking and a central focus on the role of the individual, is no longer sufficient. Managers and change agents now need to make use of the insights and interventions offered by a systemic perspective that highlights the roles played by circularity and reflexivity in how people construct shared meaning in human systems.

This book shows the underlying thinking of experienced consultants deciding how to position themselves in organizations, seeking to enable organizational change to occur and redefining their relationships with their clients over time and according to organizational need using a systemic lens.

This book on social constructionist thinking addresses the manager's job for creating reflective space for people to observe themselves and others. It explores broad societal and organizational discourses that offer positions from day-to-day realities that govern behaviour are constructed.

This book looks at organisational problems occurring in a particular context, and clearly traces the way problems arise out of relations amongst the different parts of the larger system. It also pursues the meanings that these problems have for individuals and organisations alike. The authors, who are both practitioners experienced in working with organisations, show how their ideas can be implemented in different settings.

A Systemic Approach to Consultation discusses the application of systemic thinking to work within organizations. The authors draw on their experiences of consulting with teams, departments and whole organizations in both the public and private sectors. They describe their work as an integrated approach called Development Consultation, which focuses on the beliefs and behaviors in the wider system which makes it difficult for organizations to manage their own processes of change. The authors then discuss the way they formulate systemic problems and the interventions, particularly the interviewing technique, which they have used in numerous case examples. The book is intended as a handbook for professionals from any discipline who are engaged in consultation work.

Leading at All Levels: Using Systemic Ideas to Get the Most from the Workplace moves away from traditional perspectives on leadership and, utilising ideas from systemic consultation, provides a rationale for leadership at all levels, emphasising the potential of everyone in organisations to lead in their own area of work. Reviewing the theory of resilience and its place in organisational life, the book provides guidance on how to foster resilience in the workplace. Written in accessible language, the book is divided into three sections: on work and leadership, on problem solving and finally on approaches to leading at all levels. A variety of perspectives on leadership are explored, as well as barriers to effective leadership and there are many suggestions for improvement. The book discusses the ways in which systemic thinking can contribute to enhance leadership, which includes considering different perceptions and experiences of leadership, the influence of power in workplace relationships and organisational outcomes, the link between positive employee engagement for performance and well-being at work, and the importance of interpersonal and relational behaviour on leadership. The book also considers the importance of everyday workplace interactions to our understanding of leadership and supports a wide understanding of workplace conflict. It contains examples throughout, which are applicable to different types and sizes of organisation, and provides suggestions for readers relating to the practice of leadership at all levels. Good leadership is of great importance to today’s organisations. The book suggests that by paying more attention to leadership at all levels, organisations can work towards improving productivity, which has been highlighted as a critical issue in the UK since the 2008 recession. Leading at All Levels will appeal to systemic trainees, practitioners and systemic consultants and to those in related professions, as well as to personal development practitioners and coaches.

This introduction to systemic organisational consulting addresses a readership from a wide range of professions. The authors, consultants with the renowned Vienna-based Königswieser & Network GmbH, describe their integrated approach to business and systemic process consulting for the commercial and non-profit sectors. The book contains chapters that deal with the basic principles of this approach, the specific kind of systemic intervention, consulting in difficult situations, as well as the future of organisational development and consulting. It is complemented by articles focusing on topics including personnel cutbacks, corporate governance practices, and executive coaching at the individual and team levels. "We have experienced many different consulting approaches and forms of management training in the past, but the work done by Königswieser & Network was truly remarkable. It is largely thanks to them that the employees involved in the project in our organization are now highly motivated, raring to go and brimming with enthusiasm." Wilhelm Braun, Eurovia Services

​The last two decades increasingly have challenged the field of management by confronting it with rapidly growing levels of dynamism, inter-connectedness, and complexity. Systems-based management approaches, their promise already proven, offer great potentials for influencing and coping with this development. This collection of essays offers ideas and exemplary case studies from experts in systemic management, organiza-tional cybernetics, and system dynamics for meeting the challenges in so-cio-economic systems. This book was compiled to honor the academic achievement of Markus Schwaninger, a leading protagonist in developing the field of systemic management and organizational cybernetics. His stature in the field is demonstrated in the forewords by Raul Espejo and John Sterman. The efforts of 18 researchers and practitioners, all closely related to Markus Schwaninger, offer conceptual and empirical approaches that will allow managers and advanced students of the management profession to analyze, understand, and design intelligent organizations. The book weaves its content from both theory and practice and offers hints for improving a variety of organizations, both private and public, profit and non-profit, and large and small.​

The company isn't booming, the customers are drifting away, innovation is at a standstill – What's wrong? A rational analysis can provide you with pieces of the problem, but never the whole picture. Systemic constellations give you the missing link. Success with this method in companies such as Daimler-Chrysler, IBM, and BMW has contributed to a booming interest in Europe. When the systemic structure of a team, company or market becomes clear, it is obvious what has to happen next. Individuals who are not involved in the problem situation are used to represent people or parts of the company and a trained consultant uses feedback from the representatives to reveal hidden dynamics and point to solutions. Anyone in a position of responsibility in industry or government, or an organisation in health education or welfare can profit from this book. It is easy to read and practical, with case examples and short summaries for quick scanning. "A totally obscure situation suddenly became as clear as day. How come we couldn't see the obvious before?! For all of our company leaders it was a total revelation." O. Wassermann, CEO of Wassermann AG/Swisslog, Munich, Germany

For the first time Marie-Luise Friedemann′s theory for nursing that centers primarily on the family is presented in its entirety. Friedemann provides a clear description of the framework of systemic organization, validating the concepts through existing research findings and case studies that explore the use of the framework with families. While explaining the interaction of modifying factors such as the family structure, life span considerations, and cultural influences within the family, The Framework of Systemic Organization emphasizes family health and healthy adaptation to change. It then focuses on crises resulting from illness and the environment--such as poverty and homelessness--and explores the effects these factors have on family members′ wellness. Throughout the volume, the author guides the reader toward a concept of nursing that unifies theory, clinical expertise, and research in seeking to advocate and support health and well-being in each individual and family. This invaluable book reinforces the holistic approach to nursing and serves as a comprehensive resource. The Framework of Systemic Organization is a must for graduate and undergraduate nursing courses. The volume will also be of interest to students in family studies, social work, occupational therapy, and other health care/public health professions. "Using a holistic approach to nursing, this volume centers primarily on the family and its adaptability throughout the life span and in times of crisis. The author expands on her original framework by validating its concepts through research findings and case studies and explains the interaction of factors such as family structure and cultural influences. She then focuses on a wide range of family crises, from addictions and violence to chronically ill family members to unemployment and poverty, and explores their effects on the family′s well-being. Students in social work, family studies, and health care will find this to be a useful resource. --Journal of Social Work Education "This book presents a nursing theory that performs the valuable service of acknowledging the importance of the family as context and unit of service in health and illness. The book provides a useful resource for both family nursing and nursing theory." --Doody′s Nursing Book Review Home Page