Opening Space for Generative change
Menu
Opening Space for Generative change
Menu
The book is part of BMI Series in Dialogic Organization Development. (See BMI Publishing)
Initiating and Inviting Generative Change:
Entry and contracting for emergent outcomes in result driven organizations / Tova Avercuch
Ilustrated by Aliza Fruchtman
Watch: Book interview
The world had changed. If you find yourself in a need of a new way of being, thinking and doing as leaders, facilitators and consultants – this book is for you! It can serve as a guide to meeting complexity creatively, engaging diverse stake holders in path finding and creating a desired future together.
Watch: Prof. Gervase Bushe interviews Tova Averbuch about her book
The world had changed. If you find yourself in a need of a new way of being, thinking and doing as leaders, facilitators and consultants – this book is for you! It can serve as a guide to meeting complexity creatively, engaging diverse stake holders in path finding and creating a desired future together.
ENDORSEMENTS:
Dr. Diana Whitney, Co-Founder, The Taos Institute; Author, Appreciative Leadership; Author, Thriving Women, Thriving World
With each new book I read, I ask myself three questions: What is new? What can I learn? And what can I use? Tova Averbuch’s book Initiating and Inviting Generative Change answers all three questions in the affirmative.
With each new book I read, I ask myself three questions: What is new? What can I learn? And what can I use? Tova Averbuch’s book Initiating and Inviting Generative Change answers all three questions in the affirmative. It has much to offer that is new, easily understandable and immediately useful. From the start, Averbuch invites us to go beyond personal mindsets and enter into the realm of relational, dialogic processes. While it may seem small, it is a shift of significance. Collaboration, co-creation, and indeed actionable innovation happens in dialogue not in our minds! Kudos to Averbuch for pointing this out. Recognizing the echo of how we begin a consulting project with what transpires, she shows that entering into an ever-widening circle of dialogues enables a “co-creative flow from presence to emergent outcomes.” The identification of multiple relational centers of conversation – with self, client, management and a planning team – is an important reminder that to be successful we need to work systemically and inclusively. One of the most meaningful new contributions in Initiating and Inviting Generative Change is Averbuch’s Spiral Model of Emergent Change. Building on the work of Holman, Whitney, Trosten-Bloom and others, it addresses an essential question in the practice of dialogic OD – how is it that consultants join with the ongoing dialogues that constitute the organizations they are invited to help? Averbuch’s distinction between the purpose of a consulting contract, and the purpose of a dialogic OD process which is to generate conditions for a collaborative quest which results in a more adaptable and resilient system is a useful understanding for starting off in right relationship with clients and the project at hand. This book is a must read and must use text for anyone seeking to practice dialogic OD.
Peggy Holman, co-author, The Change Handbook and author, Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity
Packed with wisdom, heart, and clear information, Tova Averbuch’s mastery of engaging systems in creating their desired future is on full display.
She has captured elusive patterns of working with systems, making visible the art of being and doing generative change work.
Whether you are new to the field or a long-time practitioner, Initiating and Inviting Generative Change is filled with insights to take your work to a new level. This book is a love letter to the field.
Merav Yanai, VP of Human Resources
From her 40 plus years of experience, she has the creative perspective to understand the meta-changes in organizations and culture, and to address the current challenges we face.
“
Being an Organization Development (OD) practitioner and expert means you need to learn both the dynamics of an organization and its potential for change.
How can you do that?
Tova has been my guide and coach, when I was OD consultant and later on a senior manager, for the last 22 years, discussing these kinds of challenges.
I learned from Tova how not to know, how to let go and how to trust an emergent process. She also taught me how to lead by dialog.
So I thought: “nothing will be new for me in this book” as we have a close and long relationship of sharing ideas and learning.
I was wrong!
Tova’s ability to pack the known practices in an innovative and holistic way, her modesty and sharpness, the way she “plays with words” and makes it accessible to all, is outstanding.
For a long time now I have moved from being a consultant to lead and manage in organizations. In this book Tova offers me and others new perspectives, terms and practical steps to follow on our way of becoming better managers, better organizations..
From her 40 plus years of experience, she has the creative perspective to understand the meta-changes in organizations and culture, and to address the current challenges we face.
This book is a gift for people who do not have time but want to be better!
”
Harrison Owen, creator of Open Space Technology (OST)
Tova writes from her heart and soul … with a great deal of thought. Most importantly, she writes from her experience which is deeply rich — and you will be enriched by engaging her world. Read the book.
Birgitt Williams, author of The Genuine Contact Way (GC): Nourishing a Culture of Leadership
She writes for those who want to evoke intense creative energy to build a future together.
“This beautifully written and clearly laid out book by Tova Averbuch guides the reader into a deeper understanding of Dialogic Organizational Development. Theory, stories and step by step guidance are all offered and clearly written from the heart. She writes for those who want to evoke intense creative energy to build a future together. With Tova guiding you through essential steps, you will learn this interactional intervention in which a different kind of thinking, participating, and leadership are required. This is a book for these complex times offering a way forward for finding solutions together, making use of generative development with guidance for working from emergence along the way.”
Kathy Minardi, Executive Director, Whole School Leadership Institute
Putting that process into such precise and practical language is a gift to all OD practitioners and leaders.
“
This book is a stunning experience describing the journey of facilitating the dialogic process to guide generative emergent organizational change. Putting that process into such precise and practical language is a gift to all OD practitioners and leaders. It inspires confidence to enter this realm of enormous complexity and unpredictability organizations live in today. As a school leadership consultant and facilitator, I look forward to sharing with colleagues the author’s insights and advice for deepening the generative process in the educational world where change is challenging and necessary. Tova Averbuch’s stories exemplify being deeply authentic and vulnerable as she guides this process with such integrity and dignity.
”
Edgar H. Schein, Professor Emeritus, MIT Sloan School of Management. Author with Peter Schein of “Humble Leadership,” (2018) and “Humble Inquiry, Rev. Ed.” (2021)”
The book highlights that organizational help is a perpetual cyclical swirling spiral of joint learning, a process that is neither predetermined and linear, nor a process of an expert gathering data and then advising a client what to do.
“To provide real and lasting help to organizations requires the philosophy and practice of dialogic organization development. In this book the author bridges and connects OD and social theory roots with her recent practice. With many concrete examples and clear concepts, this short book does a wonderful job of showing how the practitioner functions from the beginning to the end of a project in a dialogic mode to build, maintain, and use the personal relationship that is developed with the client into a joint learning and action process—a ‘covenant relationship’ – that is critical at every stage. The book highlights that organizational help is a perpetual cyclical swirling spiral of joint learning, a process that is neither predetermined and linear, nor a process of an expert gathering data and then advising a client what to do. In showing how this works in detail, the author helps to demystify the essence of the dialogic OD process.
Toke Paludan Moeller, CEO, InterChange TOMO I/s. Co-founder of Interchange, The Art of Hosting (AoH), The Flow Game and the Practicing for Peace dojo
This book is a rare gift for those of us who do – or feel called to embark on – work in this field and of this caliber.
Tova has, with much care and clarity, distilled and formulated rare insights, natural patterns and a clearer path to the subtle spiraling Art.
This book is a rare gift for those of us who do – or feel called to embark on – work in this field and of this caliber.
Tova has, with much care and clarity, distilled and formulated rare insights, natural patterns and a clearer path to the subtle spiraling Art of initiating, inviting and setting the conditions for generative, wiser understanding and action to harmonize and succeed in the life of leaders, partners and organizations.
It originates in deep personal experience, commitment and perseverance to bring heart and quality to the practice of caring for the beginnings – middles and endings – in professional relations – focusing on purposes that matter.
The next generations of process host practitioners and Dialogic OD consultants will benefit immensely from reading, digesting and putting this wisdom into practice.
And so will the clients.
I bow in respect.
ENDORSEMENTS:
Edgar H. Schein, Professor Emeritus, MIT Sloan School of Management. Author with Peter Schein of “Humble Leadership,” (2018) and “Humble Inquiry, Rev. Ed.” (2021)”
The book highlights that organizational help is a perpetual cyclical swirling spiral of joint learning, a process that is neither predetermined and linear, nor a process of an expert gathering data and then advising a client what to do.
“To provide real and lasting help to organizations requires the philosophy and practice of dialogic organization development. In this book the author bridges and connects OD and social theory roots with her recent practice. With many concrete examples and clear concepts, this short book does a wonderful job of showing how the practitioner functions from the beginning to the end of a project in a dialogic mode to build, maintain, and use the personal relationship that is developed with the client into a joint learning and action process—a ‘covenant relationship’ – that is critical at every stage. The book highlights that organizational help is a perpetual cyclical swirling spiral of joint learning, a process that is neither predetermined and linear, nor a process of an expert gathering data and then advising a client what to do. In showing how this works in detail, the author helps to demystify the essence of the dialogic OD process.
Harrison Owen, creator of Open Space Technology (OST)
Tova writes from her heart and soul … with a great deal of thought. Most importantly, she writes from her experience which is deeply rich — and you will be enriched by engaging her world. Read the book.
Dr. Diana Whitney, Co-Founder, The Taos Institute; Author, Appreciative Leadership; Author, Thriving Women, Thriving World
With each new book I read, I ask myself three questions: What is new? What can I learn? And what can I use? Tova Averbuch’s book Initiating and Inviting Generative Change answers all three questions in the affirmative.
With each new book I read, I ask myself three questions: What is new? What can I learn? And what can I use? Tova Averbuch’s book Initiating and Inviting Generative Change answers all three questions in the affirmative. It has much to offer that is new, easily understandable and immediately useful. From the start, Averbuch invites us to go beyond personal mindsets and enter into the realm of relational, dialogic processes. While it may seem small, it is a shift of significance. Collaboration, co-creation, and indeed actionable innovation happens in dialogue not in our minds! Kudos to Averbuch for pointing this out. Recognizing the echo of how we begin a consulting project with what transpires, she shows that entering into an ever-widening circle of dialogues enables a “co-creative flow from presence to emergent outcomes.” The identification of multiple relational centers of conversation – with self, client, management and a planning team – is an important reminder that to be successful we need to work systemically and inclusively. One of the most meaningful new contributions in Initiating and Inviting Generative Change is Averbuch’s Spiral Model of Emergent Change. Building on the work of Holman, Whitney, Trosten-Bloom and others, it addresses an essential question in the practice of dialogic OD – how is it that consultants join with the ongoing dialogues that constitute the organizations they are invited to help? Averbuch’s distinction between the purpose of a consulting contract, and the purpose of a dialogic OD process which is to generate conditions for a collaborative quest which results in a more adaptable and resilient system is a useful understanding for starting off in right relationship with clients and the project at hand. This book is a must read and must use text for anyone seeking to practice dialogic OD.
Toke Paludan Moeller, CEO, InterChange TOMO I/s. Co-founder of Interchange, The Art of Hosting (AoH), The Flow Game and the Practicing for Peace dojo
This book is a rare gift for those of us who do – or feel called to embark on – work in this field and of this caliber.
Tova has, with much care and clarity, distilled and formulated rare insights, natural patterns and a clearer path to the subtle spiraling Art.
This book is a rare gift for those of us who do – or feel called to embark on – work in this field and of this caliber.
Tova has, with much care and clarity, distilled and formulated rare insights, natural patterns and a clearer path to the subtle spiraling Art of initiating, inviting and setting the conditions for generative, wiser understanding and action to harmonize and succeed in the life of leaders, partners and organizations.
It originates in deep personal experience, commitment and perseverance to bring heart and quality to the practice of caring for the beginnings – middles and endings – in professional relations – focusing on purposes that matter.
The next generations of process host practitioners and Dialogic OD consultants will benefit immensely from reading, digesting and putting this wisdom into practice.
And so will the clients.
I bow in respect.
Peggy Holman, co-author, The Change Handbook and author, Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity
Packed with wisdom, heart, and clear information, Tova Averbuch’s mastery of engaging systems in creating their desired future is on full display.
She has captured elusive patterns of working with systems, making visible the art of being and doing generative change work.
Whether you are new to the field or a long-time practitioner, Initiating and Inviting Generative Change is filled with insights to take your work to a new level. This book is a love letter to the field.
Kathy Minardi, Executive Director, Whole School Leadership Institute
Putting that process into such precise and practical language is a gift to all OD practitioners and leaders.
“
This book is a stunning experience describing the journey of facilitating the dialogic process to guide generative emergent organizational change. Putting that process into such precise and practical language is a gift to all OD practitioners and leaders. It inspires confidence to enter this realm of enormous complexity and unpredictability organizations live in today. As a school leadership consultant and facilitator, I look forward to sharing with colleagues the author’s insights and advice for deepening the generative process in the educational world where change is challenging and necessary. Tova Averbuch’s stories exemplify being deeply authentic and vulnerable as she guides this process with such integrity and dignity.
”
Birgitt Williams, author of The Genuine Contact Way (GC): Nourishing a Culture of Leadership
She writes for those who want to evoke intense creative energy to build a future together.
“This beautifully written and clearly laid out book by Tova Averbuch guides the reader into a deeper understanding of Dialogic Organizational Development. Theory, stories and step by step guidance are all offered and clearly written from the heart. She writes for those who want to evoke intense creative energy to build a future together. With Tova guiding you through essential steps, you will learn this interactional intervention in which a different kind of thinking, participating, and leadership are required. This is a book for these complex times offering a way forward for finding solutions together, making use of generative development with guidance for working from emergence along the way.”
Merav Yanai, VP of Human Resources
From her 40 plus years of experience, she has the creative perspective to understand the meta-changes in organizations and culture, and to address the current challenges we face.
“
Being an Organization Development (OD) practitioner and expert means you need to learn both the dynamics of an organization and its potential for change.
How can you do that?
Tova has been my guide and coach, when I was OD consultant and later on a senior manager, for the last 22 years, discussing these kinds of challenges.
I learned from Tova how not to know, how to let go and how to trust an emergent process. She also taught me how to lead by dialog.
So I thought: “nothing will be new for me in this book” as we have a close and long relationship of sharing ideas and learning.
I was wrong!
Tova’s ability to pack the known practices in an innovative and holistic way, her modesty and sharpness, the way she “plays with words” and makes it accessible to all, is outstanding.
For a long time now I have moved from being a consultant to lead and manage in organizations. In this book Tova offers me and others new perspectives, terms and practical steps to follow on our way of becoming better managers, better organizations..
From her 40 plus years of experience, she has the creative perspective to understand the meta-changes in organizations and culture, and to address the current challenges we face.
This book is a gift for people who do not have time but want to be better!
”
© 2018 All rights reserved
Made with ❤ with Elementor