Book Reviews: Breaking Free: A Prescription for Personal and Organizational Change

Abstract

1st ed. Holding up the image of the learner as the attainable ideal, Noer shows how to help those in the other categories pursue the learning path. The goal, he emphasizes, is to develop and maintain learning organizations that are responsive to change and appealing to the insightful, adaptive employees who will ensure the firm's survival. David Noer, a respected expert on the psychological effects of downsizing, is well known among executives, managers, and the business media for his methods in treating "layoff survivor sickness." Now, in Breaking Free, he introduces clear and accessible concepts for identifying ways of responding to change in today's work environment. Using detailed examples and engaging case studies, Noer describes four categories that characterize how individuals and organizations respond to change: the Overwhelmed, who withdraw from change or conflict; the Entrenched, who cling to the past and to behaviors that are no longer effective; the BSers, who try to con themselves and others with lots of swagger and little substance; and the Learners, who positively engage in change, constantly learning new and more relevant skills. Struggling with the new reality: The quest for glue -- Dealing with change: The R-factor types -- The overwhelmed -- The entrenched -- The BSer -- The learner -- Relating individual and organizational R-types: Assessing organizational R-types -- Facilitating the learning response -- Learning to learn: Liberation leadership -- Angling lessons -- Breaking free -- Appendix A.A frame of reference -- Appendix B. R-factor genealogy.