Dive into the archives.
- Thinking Out Loud: Making Explicit Individual & Organizational Similarity
An ongoing interest of mine is in linking the similarities across different psychological systems.
Individual, group, and organizational systems share a number of common attributes. These include: a recognizable systemic identity; distinct rituals and practices; differences between the subject and other entities; specific intra-system roles and specializations; a capability to change; the fact that change operates [...]
- Working Knowledge Initiative: Security and Temporary Organization
I woke up in the middle of the night with a singular dream image in my thoughts: it was an egg carton.
Thinking about it, I started to chuckle. I recalled it exactly. It had been about 40 years ago— and the first time I’d travelled outside the United States. I had been investigating the foreign [...]
- Case Study: A Working Knowledge Initiative Success
“ Its been quite a process with its share of ups and downs, but the business model is consolidated, our aims are clear, and what you’ve helped me to learn about my own strengths and competencies, I couldn’t have dreamed of eighteen months ago.”
— C, on his successful use of the “Working Knowledge Initiative”
C’s “Working [...]
- Working Knowledge Initiative. Exercise 2 for Reluctant Entrepreneurs.
Eight arguments against trying the Working Knowledge Initiative and one reason for.
1) The premises of WKI are unreliable, untested (by me), and might discount my view of reality. Its something new— I’d prefer the tried and true. There’s nothing really wrong, anyway. Things will get better. I’ll wait to find work.
2) If my view of [...]
- Composing a Language
One of the results of studying different disciplines– clinical psychology, psychoanalysis, group relations, business administration, organizational development, and industrial-organizational psychology—is a parochial confusion of tongues.
What one discipline holds as the meaning of a word or concept is not its understanding within another, related discipline. For example, “personality” within the i-o world conjures the very useful [...]
- On Learning How
A great “Aha!” in the history of psychotherapy came with the recognition (roughly 50 years ago) that the “lifting” or resolution of emotional disturbance did not mean a necessary turn toward emotional well-being. The effect of the original disturbance had blocked learning. If well-being was to be achieved, productive and healthy experiential learning was essential.
Since [...]
- Family Business: Opportunity Lost in a Daughter’s Recognition of Dad’s Grumpiness
“Gosh, you’re grumpy today,” I heard, as I parked the car.
It hadn’t been addressed to me, but to the man in the car beside me, by his adolescent daughter. Though not feeling particularly grumpy myself, her comment got me thinking.
Everyone experiences moods. Some, more frequently and more intensely than others. Everyone experiences moments of concentration, [...]
- Retirement Tsunami
Those of us who have worked in organizations know that as individuals leave their roles in departments, or on committees, vital knowledge is often lost.
With single departures, we find that certain problem dimensions are not addressed. My colleague Angela, for example, paid particular attention to economic trends in the staffing of R&D departments. With [...]
- Insourcing: Developing Personal Capacity
INSOURCING is the movement from economic insecurity in external business structures to the building of security in internal capabilities. INSOURCING is the movement toward continued learning and competence building, engaged collaboration with others, and the excitement of new experience and economic viability, rather than the potential atrophy of knowledge assets and skills.
What is the imperative [...]
- Negotiating Transitions Together
Overcoming involuntary unemployment is a lonely, personal challenge at best. At its extreme, it immobilizes action. Self-esteem plummets. Depression rises. Its economic effects are painful. Unemployment interacts with all levels of family life and planning. It makes economic provision difficult, with significant disrupting of: basic daily necessities; education; leisure; and plans for retirement.
Research reflects shows [...]
