Understanding and Transforming Human Systems - The Role of Power and Love: A Conversation with Barry Oshry
This is the 35th video produced in the ‘Just in Case…’ mini-series sponsored by Quality and Equality. In this video we are once again joined by Barry Oshry, a distinguished educator/scholar/practitioner and a pioneer in the field of human systems thinking. Barry’s mission is to create robust human systems - systems of Power and Love. His research, writing and teaching have focused on the identification of patters of human systems power dynamic arising when people work together in organisations, communities, groups, and families. He has also explored how such patterns can – without awareness – deteriorate into a dysfunctional and conflict laden system. His research has led him to develop hope through growing partnership between different parties when they understand their dynamic patterns, therefore giving rise to life-giving system. Barry has made a huge impact in our field, and we are grateful to his continuous contribution.
Barry’s first video is a deep dive into seeing systems, exploring patterns we fall into, and how we can look beneath the veil to see those patterns: What Lies Beneath - A Human Systems Perspective: A Conversation with Barry Oshry (https://youtu.be/TGF4dBzZ2Fc)
Barry’s second video builds on his first video by taking us into a deeper understanding of human systems, with the focus on systems as wholes, and how the tops, middles, and bottoms of these systems exist, interact, and can transform. Barry shares intricate details and dynamics that can help leaders, middle managers, and people at the junior level of systems learn how to build civil relationships in the workplace. My request to all OD Practitioners is to keep learning and do our part to support organisations to substitute judgement with curiosity, distain with love, blindness with seeing – as Barry often exhorts us to do.
Articles, Books, and Resources
‘Seeing Systems: Unlocking the Mysteries of Organizational Life
Context, Context, Context: How Our Blindness to Context Cripples Even the Smartest Organizations
Oshry, B. (2020). What Lies Beneath. Organization Development Journal, volume 38, Number 3, 11-32
Biography
Barry Oshry is a distinguished educator and a pioneer in the field of human systems thinking. His mission is to create robust human systems - systems of Power and Love. Barry serves this mission through transforming systems blindness into system sight. His research, writing and teaching have focused on the human systems dynamics arising when people are in top, middle, bottom, and customer relationships with one another. His research has also led him to investigate the dynamics at play when dominant cultures interact with "other” cultures. Barry is the developer of the Power Lab, a weeklong total immersion leadership development experience, the Organization Workshop on Creating Partnership, and the When Cultures Meet Workshop. Barry is the author of Seeing Systems, Leading Systems, and Context, Context, Context. He is also a playwright whose stage productions include "What A Way To Make A Living,” "Hierarchy” and "Peace.” In 1975, Barry and his wife and partner, Karen Ellis Oshry, founded Power+ Systems Training, Inc. in Boston, from which they retired in 2017. It continues to be the organization from which much of his work continues.
Contact
Email: oshrybarry@gmail.com