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This is the second book in the Systems Psychodynamics trilogy by David Lawlor and Mannie Sher. The first volume focuses on psychodynamic processes inherent to social systems such as groups and organisations, whilst the third gives voice to prominent scholars and practitioners.
In this volume, the authors apply systems psychodynamics to whole, complex systems in which continuous change and unpredictability have become the norm. As an organisational consultant, I was particularly attentive to how Lawlor and Sher translate psychodynamic concepts into approaches that can hold turbulence, fragmentation, and rapid adaptation at the level of the organisation-as-a-whole.
The book demonstrates how systems psychodynamics can enrich, and be enriched by, organisational development (OD) processes such as action research and evaluation, showing how these disciplines, when integrated, generate deeper insight and more sustainable pathways for organisational learning and change.
The book is organised into four parts, each building cumulatively towards a systems psychodynamic approach to organisational consultancy in conditions of continuous change.
Part One (Change) introduces the premise that contemporary organisations must be understood as open, sociotechnical systems operating in states of ongoing flux. The authors outline the theoretical roots of viewing organisations as sociotechnical systems and show the importance of psychoanalytic thinking in grasping the emotional, systemic and relational dimensions of change.
Part Two (Action research and evaluation) turns to organisational development practice, tracing the development and application of action research and evaluation. A distinctive feature becomes clear: the consultant's role is not to provide answers, but to hold and contain processes through which clients explore and solve their own dilemmas. The emphasis on evaluation underlines the commitment to learning and keeping the consultan