Transforming Work, Second Edition

Book excerpt: Transforming Work was the first book to explore the concept of transformational change, its principles, dynamics, and technologies. In 1982, many organizational consultants began using the concept of "transformation" because they found it more descriptive of their work than the concept of "development." Changes in organizational life and processes had become more complex, and the outcomes less certain, than the traditional practice of "Organizational Development" could address. This Second Edition of Transforming Work contains the original collection of 17 chapters from these pioneering consultants, plus their updated reflections on their work at the turn of the century. John D. Adams, Ph.D. is a professor, speaker, author, consultant, and seminar leader. He has been at the forefront of the Organization Development and Transformation profession for over 35 years. His early articulation of issues facing organizations has provided a guiding light for the evolution of organization and change management consulting. Adams currently serves as the Chair of the Organizational Systems Ph.D. Program at the Saybrook Graduate School (San Francisco), and is a guest faculty member at The Bainbridge Island Graduate Institute in the MBA in Sustainability program. He also served as editor for two seminal works, Transforming Work and Transforming Leadership, both widely held as defining a new role for the Organization Development profession in a rapidly transforming world.