Breaking Free: A Prescription for Personal and Organizational Change

by David Noer

Faced with an uncertain climate of rapid, unsettling change, both individuals and organizations tend to react in predictable, self-defeating they feel overwhelmed and victimized, they dig in their heels and work harder as though nothing’s changed, or they try to fake their way along. Breaking free shows how learning to learn is the best tool for growing. David Noer, a respected expert on psychological effects of downsizing, is well known among executives, managers, and the business media for his methods in treating “layoff survivor sickness.” Using detailed examples and engaging case studies, Noer describes four categories that characterize how individuals and organizations respond to 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 other with lots of swagger and little substance; The Learners, who positively engage in change, constantly learning new and more relevant skills. Holding up the image of the learner as the attainable ideal, Noer shows how to help those in other categories pursue the learning path. The goal, he emphasizes, is to develop and maintain learning organizations that are responsive to change and appealing and insightful, adaptive employees who will ensure the firm’s survival. Employees and organizations alike are now faced with crucial choice between clinging to the dysfunctional constraints of the past of breaking free from conditioned behavior to embrace individual and organizational learning and freedom. According to Noer, the essence of leadership is the ability to facilitate transitions from the old—paradigm bureaucracy to a more flexible and self-directed workplace.

Hardcover