This book introduces a subtle but powerful Dialogic OD method that coaches and consultants can use to help clients address limiting assumptions and create new possibilities. The phrase “generative meaning-making in action” captures the essence of the approach. You will learn how to identify and address out-of-awareness mindsets during everyday conversations, how to deeply listen for the implicit mindsets that influence meaning-making in individuals, groups and organizations, and how to intervene through transforming talk to challenge or change them. The presentation draws on more than 40 years of experience consulting with organizations where the author developed the ideas and methods described in the book. Conceptual frameworks, how to’s, and extensive cases are presented throughout to illustrate the ideas and methods in practice.
Robert J. Marshak is recognized as one of the leading contemporary thinkers about organizational consulting and change. He began his career as an internal consultant in a U.S. government scientific agency, led his own global consulting practice, and most recently served as a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at American University, Washington, DC. His contributions as a consultant, educator, and author about language and change, the hidden dynamics of change, and Dialogic Organization Development have been recognized by numerous awards including: The OD Network's Lifetime Achievement Award and the inaugural Distinguished Educator Award from the Organization Development and Change Division of the Academy of Management.