Carol Sanford has been a business advisor and consultant for over thirty years. She is the author of The Inner Game of Work and Indirect Action, which was named one of five best business books by Inc. magazine in 2001. In her latest book, Indirect Work: A Regenerative Change Theory for Businesses, Communities, Institutions and Humans (Berrett-Koehler 2013), she puts forth a new way to think about work that can be applied at any level – from an individual working on developing their career goals to entire companies undergoing a transformation process. Drawing on systems thinking principles as well as her own insights gleaned from experience with clients across all industries worldwide, Sanford presents readers with what may be the most fundamental change theory they will ever encounter—one that explains how everything is connected and that teaches us how to shift our focus away from simple numerical growth strategies towards creating total system regeneration Indirect Work provides clear steps for making this kind of systemic change using four essential elements: understanding your starting place; clarifying where you want to go; discovering how you need to change along the way; and enacting those changes wisely….A central idea in [the] book is that we need both indirect action–working beneath or around the system to change it–and direct action, which engages the system head-on.
For who is this book for ?
This book is for business professionals, entrepreneurs, community organizers and anyone who wants to make a systemic change in their life or work.
Pros :
- The book offers a new way to think about work, which can be applied at any level
- The author draws on systems thinking principles as well as her own insights
- The four essential elements for making systemic change are explained clearly
Cons :
- The book may be too complex for some readers
- May require a lot of prior business knowledge to understand certain concepts
- Not everyone will agree with the author’s perspective
Learn more about the author
Indirect Work is a transformative change theory for businesses, communities, institutions, and humans written by Carol Sanford. The book draws on systems thinking principles as well as the author’s own insights garnered from experience with clients across all industries worldwide. It presents readers with what may be the most fundamental change theory they will ever encounter- one that explains how everything is connected and teaches us how to shift our focus away from simple numerical growth strategies towards creating total system regeneration in four essential steps: understanding your starting place; clarifying where you want to go; discovering how you need to change along the way; and enacting those changes wisely.
Reader Reviews
“A must-read for anyone interested in systemic thinking, organizational dynamics or simply making lasting change.”
“A must-read for anyone who wants to make a real difference in the world. Carol Sanford has distilled her decades of experience into a powerful and elegantly simple theory of change that is destined to become one of the great classics on business and human affairs.”
“Indirect Work is a much-needed addition to the business canon. Carol Sanford provides clear steps for making systemic change and offers readers a new way of thinking about their work, one that has applicability at any level.”
“There is a lot of great guidance in this book for anyone seeking to initiate change – either on their own or within an organization. Sanford offers powerful insights and actionable steps that will help any individual or team navigate the often complex process of transformation.”
