Seeing Systems: Unlocking the Mysteries of Organizational Life

While I don't come from a psychoanalytic bent, Oshry provides very useful constructs for understanding and reflecting on the organization. Seen from a systems perspective he describes inter-relationships of groups as a series of systems, almost as an engineering metaphor. We are not a group of individual psychologies interacting with one another. Each individual is part of some system. The psychological mindset each comes with is affected by the system that person is a part of. While we are set in our mindset, we will think and act differently, depending on the system we are a part of. The system determines our behavior, to an extent. Very useful. Good work to ponder, incorporate, and utilize to effect change.

Seeing Systems is a brilliant book; Dr. Oshry has here succeeded inrelating a set of practicable principles in a highly readable andentertaining fashion. The particular charm of Seeing Systems -- whatdistinguishes it from other books of its type -- is in its pedagogicalstyle; it is designed not only to describe, but to teach the theorieswhich are there presented for inspection. The teaching itself istwofold; the first part (which Dr. Cummings seems to think should bethe only part) consists in explaining an abstract theoretical modelfor systems thinking. The second part is phenomenological, in that itseeks to help the reader identify and sympathize with a range ofexperiences that occur in system life. To this end, Dr. Oshry employsevocative description and sympathetic re-enactment to great effect.The result is that the contents of the book are easiest to rememberwhen that of other books are easiest to forget -- that is, when one iscaught up in a whirlwind of intense experiences.The phenomenological part of the book manifests itself in thedistinctive manner of phenomenology; as winding and discursive. Thereis no remedy for it, other than to stop doing phenomenology. If itwere not phenomenological, Seeing Systems would be as Dr. Cummings hasdescribed it -- a mere shadow of "Systems Thinking: managing chaos andcomplexity". Its prosody would be direct, as direct as it was dull;its illustrations quite businesslike, and forgettable. It would neverbe lightened with something so childish and so right as a mob of blackdots at a committee meeting. It would be a primly respectable littlebook, fit to grace an executive desktop and be charming until opened.And I for one should not read it.Thankfully, Seeing Systems is not such a shadow. It deigns to staycharming even after it is opened. It is not like other books in thesame field; but those books have been written already, and by otherauthors. It is a book unto itself, and is all the better for it.

I was really enjoying this book and getting a lot out of it. I'm relatively new to learning about how business really works, and so chose this book to learn more about Systems Thinking. The material in it is very interesting, it presents a series of studies done on a large scale where volunteers create model city systems, business and government systems, and so forth. And all are given various degrees of power and inactive observers record as much of what goes on as possible. After the studies are done, the results are analyzed and the participants are de-briefed on what happened with the power that was given or not given.This was all very fascinating to me. I enjoyed learning about the author's work in this field and the results and lessons he has gleaned from his studies. I knock off two stars because he makes a deliberate point near the end of the book of blaming organized religion for much of the dysfunction in the systems of mankind, deliberately calling it "myth". That may be his personal opinion of religion, and that's fine I suppose. I don't agree. But I felt the jab at faith in God was a cheap shot, and really had no place in a book about business systems. I felt like he deliberately took an opportunity to slip in his bias against religion when it was really not relevant to the topic.That having been said, his personal prejudice at the end doesn't discount the fact that there is a lot of good knowledge and observation in this book about systems in organizations that is presented in a clear way for the relatively un-initiated. I would recommend the book to a friend or co-worker but only along with the disclaimer that I felt the author has some kind of axe to grind against Christianity/formal religion.

Great and Enjoyable read with case studies. It is also well structured and compelling.It provides clear points of view from the different actors in any organizations, like Top, Bottom, Middles and Customer and analyzes the systemic relationships like The dominants and Provider-Consumer.When we don't see Systems, we are at its mercy (System Blindness) and you enter "The Dance of the Blind Reflex". If you see System (System Blindness) you can spot a problem no as personal but systemic to make the system more robust. With this ability, you can Unlock the Mysteries of Organizational Life.

Really good.

Is this about some psychodrama exercise at an offsite, or is it an allegory? I don't know.It seems to be complicated stories about some simple principles...Some of the stories are good though.Off to the used bookstore, sorry

This is a "must read" for anyone involved in organizational change!

Excellent read.

If you look for a simple yet not simplistic description of corporate (and any human) realities- this is it! It is so releafing that roles are determining our behaviors, not bad intentions!