Seeing Systems: Unlocking the Mysteries of Organizational Life by Barry Oshry

Seeing Systems: Unlocking the Mysteries of Organizational Life by Barry Oshry is a comprehensive guide to helping leaders and professionals understand the structural dynamics at play in their organizations. Utilizing decades of empirical research into organizational behavior, Oshry offers a wealth of knowledge and insight into the complicated networks of relationships and dynamics that make up organizations. Through this book, Oshry intends to provide a holistic view of the systems that enable organizational success and, in reverse, the causes of organizational failure. It focuses on the relationship between leader and follower, between decision-maker and implementer, and between colleagues.

Oshry begins by describing various system frames – including communities and societies, organizations, interstate systems and economics – and their components. He then describes the “Super-System,” which is the encompassing frame in which all of the other systems operate. He explains how each system is affected by all of the other systems and the various power dynamics that come into play. Through this analysis, Oshry is able to dig deep into the networks of interactions and interdependencies that exist within all organizations.

Oshry then dives into how leaders and followers interact in these systems and the importance of understanding the roles of each. He emphasizes the difference between leaders as taskmasters and relationship-oriented leaders, as well as argument-makers and helpers. According to Oshry, “Leaders cannot control their followers by power, they can only influence by inspiring.”

Oshry devotes the rest of the book to discussing the way these systems interact and intertwine to create complex organizational puzzles that, if solved, can help a leader unleash their organization’s potential. He covers topics such as the power of unlocking the secrets of a team’s interaction, the benefit of both centralizing and decentralizing power, and how to see the roles and responsibilities that each person holds in an organization. He also dives into the paradox of how both conformity and nonconformity are necessary within an organization.

Overall, Seeing Systems: Unlocking the Mysteries of Organizational Life by Barry Oshry provides a comprehensive overview of the interconnected subsystems comprising an organization. It emphasizes the importance of not only understanding these networks, but also looking beyond roles and responsibilities to uncover the true potential of an organization. In doing so, leaders and followers alike have a greater chance of reaching their goals. This book provides an invaluable look into the inner-workings of organizations and offers invaluable advice to those in leadership roles.