The Art and Science of Working Together
Practising Group Analysis in Teams and Organisations
1st Edition
Published on 14. May 2019
Book
Hardback
280 pages
978-0-367-18256-4 (ISBN)
Description
The Art and Science of Working Together: Practising Group Analysis in Teams and Organizations is a primary resource for anyone wishing to learn more about the complex unconscious dynamics of organizations, providing a practical guide for organizational work, a guide to how to improve things, and a strong theoretical foundation in the group analytic concept of the 'tripartite matrix'.
Group analysis is a highly developed science of group relationships, which allows complexity and systems perspectives to be held in mind alongside organizational psychology, strategic development and business wisdom. Organized into eight sections, the book describes the essence of organizational group analysis, including the art of conversation, leadership, ethical issues in team working, and working with whole organizations. It addresses issues such as 'us-and-them' dynamics, the nature of systems boundaries, and the relationship between an organization and its context.
Leaders and leading consultants give case studies, describing their thinking as they work, to illustrate the theory in action. This essential new resource will allow clinically trained practitioners to extend their scope into organizational work, and all coaches and leaders to benefit from knowledge of the group analytic discipline. It is essential reading for consultants and coaches working with teams and organizations, and for leaders within organizations.
Group analysis is a highly developed science of group relationships, which allows complexity and systems perspectives to be held in mind alongside organizational psychology, strategic development and business wisdom. Organized into eight sections, the book describes the essence of organizational group analysis, including the art of conversation, leadership, ethical issues in team working, and working with whole organizations. It addresses issues such as 'us-and-them' dynamics, the nature of systems boundaries, and the relationship between an organization and its context.
Leaders and leading consultants give case studies, describing their thinking as they work, to illustrate the theory in action. This essential new resource will allow clinically trained practitioners to extend their scope into organizational work, and all coaches and leaders to benefit from knowledge of the group analytic discipline. It is essential reading for consultants and coaches working with teams and organizations, and for leaders within organizations.
Reviews / Votes
"This book offers profound and revealing insights into how we humans work and live together in the groups we form and leave. Our development as a species has enabled us to trace the origins of the universe, to unravel the structure of our life forms, to understand something of the functioning of quantum particles and black holes. We have done this in groups and teams over more than 300,000 years and evolved an ability and inclination to work and live in groups. This book is unique in enabling us to make wiser sense of the complexity and beauty of these interactions, predicated as they are on dialogue. It offers a richer understanding than many of the easy and superficial management books on teamworking and group functioning and enables us to begin to imagine how we can overcome some of the profound challenges of working within and across groups that we face." -- Professor Michael West, Lancaster University Management School"The current era is plagued by over-simplification, when it needs simplexity - the art of making things simple (ie understandable) but not simplistic. Group analysis is one of the most powerful tools we have to cope with growing complexity. This book is a major contribution into this growing field of insight and practice." - Professor David Clutterbuck, David Clutterbuck Partnership
"Dialogue between different perspectives, offering much to all of us who work with the challenges of enabling change in organisations and wider systems." --Professor Peter Hawkins, author of Leadership Team Coaching
"An impossible task! Capturing the essence of this important book-- it is all so valuable." --Frances Griffiths, Chair, Institute of Group Analysis
"A major contribution to this growing field." --Professor David Clutterbuck
"Offers a richer understanding than many of the easy and superficial management books on teamworking and group functioning." Professor Michael West, Professor of Organizational Psychology Lancaster University Management School
"A rich resource for consultants and managers looking for alternative ways of thinking." --Chris Mowles, Professor of Complexity and Management, Hertfordshire Business School "This book offers profound and revealing insights into how we humans work and live together in the groups we form and leave. Our development as a species has enabled us to trace the origins of the universe, to unravel the structure of our life forms, to understand something of the functioning of quantum particles and black holes. We have done this in groups and teams over more than 300,000 years and evolved an ability and inclination to work and live in groups. This book is unique in enabling us to make wiser sense of the complexity and beauty of these interactions, predicated as they are on dialogue. It offers a richer understanding than many of the easy and superficial management books on teamworking and group functioning and enables us to begin to imagine how we can overcome some of the profound challenges of working within and across groups that we face." -- Professor Michael West, Lancaster University Management School
"The current era is plagued by over-simplification, when it needs simplexity - the art of making things simple (ie understandable) but not simplistic. Group analysis is one of the most powerful tools we have to cope with growing complexity. This book is a major contribution into this growing field of insight and practice." - Professor David Clutterbuck, David Clutterbuck Partnership
"Dialogue between different perspectives, offering much to all of us who work with the challenges of enabling change in organisations and wider systems." --Professor Peter Hawkins, author of Leadership Team Coaching
"An impossible task! Capturing the essence of this important book-- it is all so valuable." --Frances Griffiths, Chair, Institute of Group Analysis
"A major contribution to this growing field." --Professor David Clutterbuck
"Offers a richer understanding than many of the easy and superficial management books on teamworking and group functioning." --Professor Michael West, Professor of Organizational Psychology Lancaster University Management School
"A rich resource for consultants and managers looking for alternative ways of thinking." --Chris Mowles, Professor of Complexity and Management, Hertfordshire Business School
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
General, Postgraduate, Professional, and Professional Practice & Development
Illustrations
1 s/w Zeichnung
1 Line drawings, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
622 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-367-18256-4 (9780367182564)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Christine Thornton
The Art and Science of Working Together
Practising Group Analysis in Teams and Organisations
Book
05/2019
1st Edition
Routledge
€54.60
Shipment within 15-20 days
Christine Thornton
The Art and Science of Working Together
Practising Group Analysis in Teams and Organisations
E-Book
04/2019
Routledge
€47.49
Available for download
Christine Thornton
The Art and Science of Working Together
Practising Group Analysis in Teams and Organisations
E-Book
04/2019
1st Edition
Routledge
€47.49
Available for download
Person
Christine Thornton is a group analyst, organizational consultant, and author of the best-selling Group and Team Coaching. She was Founding Director of the IGA RPiO organizational training and has been honoured for contributions to the coaching profession. Christine works with organizational leaders and coaches, enabling better understanding of unconscious systemic and relationship dynamics.
Content
NILGA Series editor's foreword Earl Hopper
I Editor's introduction: what group analysis can offer in organisational work
1 Coming to group analysis and using this book Christine Thornton
2 Group analytic praxis in organizations
Christine Thornton
3 Persecutor, victim, rescuer: imperfect consulting in an imperfect world Christine Thornton
4 Group analytic praxis and persecutor, victim, rescuer Christine Thornton
II The art of conversation: complexity, the matrix and 'parallel process'
5 The art of conversation: group analytic interventions in organisational life
Chris Rance
6 Complex reflections: notes on 'parallel process' and the group matrix in group analytic organizational consultancy David Wood
III The wider organisational context
7 Stability or chaos, authoritarianism or dialogue: towards a matrix of critical and creative thought at a time of uncertainty and threat Dick Blackwell
8 'Practising disappointment': from reflection to action in organizations and communities Chris Scanlon
IV Leadership, authority and power
9 Using groups in leadership: bringing practice into theory
Clare Gerada
10 Another fine mess you've gotten me into: effective leadership in a difficult place Raman Kapur
11 Leadership and "Another fine mess" by Raman Kapur
Morris Nitsun
12 Creative chaos: containing transforming space in Kid's Company and other stories
Farideh Dizadji
V Inside the practitioner's mind: how we frame praxis
13 Inside out Chris Powell
14 Context and the interpretive act: developing the language of the matrix for working in and with organizations Christine Oliver
15 Joining the organisational game: five questions Margaret Smith
VI Praxis and ethical issues in team working
16 Turning a blind eye: on personal and professional boundaries in mental health settings groups Ewa Wojciechowska
17 Values in practice: dilemmas in reflective practice Ian Simpson and Gwen Adshead
18 Working with multi-cultural groups in organisations: issues of power and difference Vince Leahy and Abdullah Mia
VII Working with whole organisations
19 A conversation with Earl Hopper Earl Hopper and Christine Thornton
20 Creating thinking spaces in organisations: dynamic administration in groups large and small Cynthia Rogers
21 Large groups the group analytic way Gerhard Wilke
22 Whole organisations, mergers and the matrix: translucent boundaries and 'tweaking' culture creatively
Christine Thornton and Gerhard Wilke
23 Translucent boundaries, leaders and consultants: how to work with whole organizations Gerhard Wilke and Christine
Thornton
VIII The ending
24 The end is in the beginning: perspectives from two group analytic consultants Christine Thornton and Gerhard Wilke
I Editor's introduction: what group analysis can offer in organisational work
1 Coming to group analysis and using this book Christine Thornton
2 Group analytic praxis in organizations
Christine Thornton
3 Persecutor, victim, rescuer: imperfect consulting in an imperfect world Christine Thornton
4 Group analytic praxis and persecutor, victim, rescuer Christine Thornton
II The art of conversation: complexity, the matrix and 'parallel process'
5 The art of conversation: group analytic interventions in organisational life
Chris Rance
6 Complex reflections: notes on 'parallel process' and the group matrix in group analytic organizational consultancy David Wood
III The wider organisational context
7 Stability or chaos, authoritarianism or dialogue: towards a matrix of critical and creative thought at a time of uncertainty and threat Dick Blackwell
8 'Practising disappointment': from reflection to action in organizations and communities Chris Scanlon
IV Leadership, authority and power
9 Using groups in leadership: bringing practice into theory
Clare Gerada
10 Another fine mess you've gotten me into: effective leadership in a difficult place Raman Kapur
11 Leadership and "Another fine mess" by Raman Kapur
Morris Nitsun
12 Creative chaos: containing transforming space in Kid's Company and other stories
Farideh Dizadji
V Inside the practitioner's mind: how we frame praxis
13 Inside out Chris Powell
14 Context and the interpretive act: developing the language of the matrix for working in and with organizations Christine Oliver
15 Joining the organisational game: five questions Margaret Smith
VI Praxis and ethical issues in team working
16 Turning a blind eye: on personal and professional boundaries in mental health settings groups Ewa Wojciechowska
17 Values in practice: dilemmas in reflective practice Ian Simpson and Gwen Adshead
18 Working with multi-cultural groups in organisations: issues of power and difference Vince Leahy and Abdullah Mia
VII Working with whole organisations
19 A conversation with Earl Hopper Earl Hopper and Christine Thornton
20 Creating thinking spaces in organisations: dynamic administration in groups large and small Cynthia Rogers
21 Large groups the group analytic way Gerhard Wilke
22 Whole organisations, mergers and the matrix: translucent boundaries and 'tweaking' culture creatively
Christine Thornton and Gerhard Wilke
23 Translucent boundaries, leaders and consultants: how to work with whole organizations Gerhard Wilke and Christine
Thornton
VIII The ending
24 The end is in the beginning: perspectives from two group analytic consultants Christine Thornton and Gerhard Wilke