David Gutmann is a highly successful consultant to leading institutions and organizations. In this enriching and challenging dialogue with the Italian journalist Oscar Iarussi, he brings his passion for life and unceasing search for true awareness for all to focus on the innovative principle of transformation. This book talks about transformation in a two-voice encounter resulting in a thought-provoking and rewarding read for laymen and academics alike. The tone of the account is philosophical, whilst being light and dense." I appreciated his approach of simultaneously mingling his thoughts about his work and his private life. This manifested that he was applying to himself what he was professing to his clients: know how to manage the inescapable uniqueness of your personality, at work as well as in your daily life." -- B Lescoeur, Chairman of London Electricity Group (1999-2002), from the Preface"For him it is essential that the interpretation must transform understanding into action, hence his coining of the word Transform-Action. In search for truth we live in a continuous struggle to transform the zig-zag pathway. Gutmann calls "zig" the progression, which we should strive to increase thereby decreasing the "zag," which refers to regression." -- Estela V Welldon from the Foreword'This book is an encounter with the Other... The book is written for every student of life and organisations, for every professional and leader struggling with the sweet turbulence, the zigging and zagging, of transformation.' -- Beverley Malone

Chronicling the evolution of David Gutmann's cross-cultural, empirical studies on which his developmental theories of aging are based, this volume reveals how descriptions of the developmental sequences (as they show themselves in older men and women) lead to identification of the psychological forces that drive these processes across the years. This book of new and previously published work first reports on the research that buttressed the more hopeful view of aging as a period of growth and then sets forth the broad, unifying ideas that came out of the empirical work. These concepts include the theory of the "Parental Imperative"-the engine of human development in early and later adulthood; observations on the "gentling" of the older man and the increased assertiveness of the older woman; essays about the unique qualities of aging leaders and the special role of the aged as representatives of the community to its gods; and ideas about the evolutionary basis of the third age-aging as a human adaptation, a legitimate life stage, rather than the grim prelude to death. The last group of selections focuses on the clinical perspective, applying developmental insights to the psychological disorders of later life, ultimately leading to a more hopeful view of these conditions as well as more effective approaches to their treatment. Each section contains original commentary placing the material in the context of current research. This text is for gerontologists, for all students of human development, and for all thoughtful readers who are concerned with the great themes of the human life-cycle-in-cluding their own.

The author is a highly successful consultant to leading institutions and organisations. In this enriching and challenging dialogue with the Italian journalist Oscar Iarussi, he brings his passion for life and unceasing search for true awareness for all to focus on the innovative principle of transformation. This book talks about transformation i

Chronicling the evolution of David Gutmann's cross-cultural, empirical studies on which his developmental theories of aging are based, this volume reveals how descriptions of the developmental sequences (as they show themselves in older men and women) lead to identification of the psychological forces that drive these processes across the years. This book of new and previously published work first reports on the research that buttressed the more hopeful view of aging as a period of growth and then sets forth the broad, unifying ideas that came out of the empirical work. These concepts include the theory of the "Parental Imperative"-the engine of human development in early and later adulthood; observations on the "gentling" of the older man and the increased assertiveness of the older woman; essays about the unique qualities of aging leaders and the special role of the aged as representatives of the community to its gods; and ideas about the evolutionary basis of the third age-aging as a human adaptation, a legitimate life stage, rather than the grim prelude to death. The last group of selections focuses on the clinical perspective, applying developmental insights to the psychological disorders of later life, ultimately leading to a more hopeful view of these conditions as well as more effective approaches to their treatment. Each section contains original commentary placing the material in the context of current research. This text is for gerontologists, for all students of human development, and for all thoughtful readers who are concerned with the great themes of the human life-cycle-in-cluding their own.

In a first book - already published in four languages - David Gutmann expressed what transformation means for him. He did not describe a new theory, but a very specific and useful approach. How can human beings tranform their life. conditions, roles, as well as institutions, mileu? In a second book, David Gutmann and his colleagues explored these basic issues in relation to disillusionment - seen as a liberating process - and its corolloary, lack of desire. From Transformation to TransformaCtion may constitute the follow-up of these first texts. it evokes the practical consequences of this approach and relates several interventions and reflections made by David Gutmann and his colleagues travelling all over the world and discovering other experiences, other countries and other cultures.This book is not conceptual. It is a vade mecum, almost a manual of instruction for those who want to deal with transformation ( which is nothing other than our daily experience ).Thus, although it appears like a book about practice for practitioners, this collection of texts has not been written only for managers, or people of working in institutions. It is about life and liberation; liberty and libido. It is written to accompany everyone in the process of building and transforming his, or her, own life.

This current volume by a successful consultant to leading organizations and institutions combines two of his recent papers. The first one looks at the phenomenon of illusion and disillusion in organizations. He believes illusions construct us, as opposed to us believing we create them. This is Gutmann s hypothesis which he examines in the book with help of examples from a personal and institutional point of view. He claims we can learn to recognize our own illusions and learn from them and this is the process he calls "disillusionment." The Dialogue of Lacks paper is a follow-up from the first paper and further elaborates on the process that is disillusionment and discusses the effects of the "lack of dialogue.""The trudging that each of us is engaged in -- over a shorter or longer distance -- whilst grappling with our own illusions is a fundamental journey, intimate and unique, passing through our own construction and touching on the very essence of our life. It is not only about knowing whether we are being manipulated, nor just how far these illusions can obscure our judgement, our rational and reasonable mind. Our freedom is at stake. It is about understanding where the boundary lies between survival (and its frantic analogue all too frequent these days that we refer to as "hyperlife") and a life of desire and creation.Our intention here is to formulate a starting hypothesis and to begin to unfold it in order to discover its consequences. It is based on our experience as advisers in leadership which invites us to work regularly with this kind of questions with leaders of organisations. Illusion is indeed as much an individual issue as it is a collective and institutional one." -- From the Introduction"

This current volume by successful consultants to leading organizations and institutions combines two of their recent papers. The first paper, 'Disillusionment', looks at the phenomenon of illusion and disillusion in organizations. The authors believe that illusions construct us, as opposed to the commonly-held view that we create them.

This book describes a journey of discovery from transformation to transformaction that extends and enhances the life of the organization. It serves as an exploration of transformation from its relation with chaos and the beginning to its currency with power and authority.