Changing Organizations from Within

Many of us are expected to change our organizations from the inside. There are specialist change roles, with titles referring to organization development, operational excellence, internal consultancy, and the like. Other roles have organizational change at their heart but not necessarily in their title.With economic constraints and strategic uncertainty, there has been a significant rise in expectations that organizational change will be insider-led and supported by internal consultants and change agents. 'Change from Within' reflects its editors' view that most of the theory, the models and advice available, and the accounts of what works in practice are written from the perspective of external consultants working with organizations or by academics researching the activities of those with insider change roles. This book corrects an imbalance by providing an insider perspective. Based on their experience of running professional development programmes for consultants and change agents and of consulting to and coaching insiders for 20 years, the editors define 'insiders' as employees who lead change efforts within their own organizations and 'psychoanalytically aware' external consultants. These external 'insiders' work closely with organizations and use the dynamics of transference and projection in their relationship with clients to illuminate organizational issues. The challenge is about finding ways to make use of an insider perspective without becoming enmeshed in the client organization's regressive and inertial dynamics. The chapters in this book come from authors who have experience of different kinds of insider relationships with organizations. Some have been so 'inside' that they are employees. Some have felt themselves to be inside and yet called the organization for which they work their client - external consultants whose work depended on developing insightful insider perspectives. All of the authors have substantial experience across a diverse sector and client bases. Many of them are graduates or have been faculty members of London's renowned Tavistock Institute Advanced Organizational Consultation programme. They are well able, therefore, to illuminate relational issues and dynamics, including the pulls on role and identity that can quickly undermine competence and practice. All their experience leads to the conclusion that understanding the system psycho-dynamics present in an organization is essential.Internal and external consultants, academics, and providers of professional development will find this book provides practical advice, models and concepts to help insiders navigate organizational space more authoritatively, make sense of tricky and unanticipated situations, and work more mindfully to help organizations change.