Leopold Vansina is an organizational consultant and a part time professor at the Universities of Leuven and Louvain-le-Neuve in Belgium. His experiences in group dynamics (N.T.L. Institute, U.S.A. and the Tavistock Institute, UK) and his training in psychoanalysis became an integrated part of his consulting practice in organizations all over the world. He is a member of the International Association of Psychology, The Academy of Management, the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organisations, and the Tavistock Institute Association. He has published numerous journal articles and is co-author (with Gilles Amado) of The Transitional Approach in Action published by Karnac books in 2004. Marie-Jeanne Vansina-Cobbaert is a psychoanalyst in private practice in Belgium.

"Vansina and Vansina-Cobbaert (and the two other contributors, Gilles Amado and Sandra Schruijer, who co-author one chapter each in the more "empirical" third part of the book) make a quite good point on why even people who do not hold a great belief in psychoanalysis and the subconscious processes among people - those that either hinder, or even can be made to help, change and learning in organizations - should understand these processes and learn to read them." (Journal or Workplace Learning)

• About the Authors xiContributors xiiiAcknowledgements xvGeneral Introduction 1Part One A Psychoanalytic Perspective on Groups and Organisations 9Introduction 11Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertChapter 1 Original, Primary Mental Processes 20Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertIllustrations 22Stepwise transformations 25References 27Chapter 2 Languages from Another World 28Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertThe language of images 29The language of actions 32The language of relations 38Putting the information from ‘atlantis’ to use 49References 55Chapter 3 Supportive ‘Process Structures’ 57Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertHolding and containment 58Transitional phenomena 64References 67Chapter 4 Defensive Processes and Behaviour 68Marie-Jeanne Vansina-Cobbaert and Leopold VansinaIndividual defence mechanisms 68Defence mechanisms in groups 71Social defences 74Social repression 76Defensive strategies 77Working with and through defences 79Conclusions 85References 86Chapter 5 The Capacity for Creative Living and Its Importance in Organisational Life 88Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertOrigins and functioning of the capacity for creative living 88Destructiveness in the context of creative living 95References 100Part Two A Psychodynamic Approach 103Introduction 105Leopold VansinaChapter 6 Psychodynamics: A Field of Study and an Approach 108Leopold VansinaSome major differences with psychoanalysis 108An attempt to define psychodynamics 113Creating supportive process structures 126Small things that matter: a look at some neglected potential benefits of a psychodynamic approach to organisational issues 145Finalising comments 148References 150Chapter 7 ‘Me’ in the Problem Situation 156Leopold VansinaThe problem with problem definition 157Building continuation 167‘Me’ in terminating a project 168What about transference and counter-transference in our practice? 172References 176Chapter 8 Groups as the Tip of an Iceberg: Locating Issues in Their Context 178Leopold VansinaIntroduction 178Management teams as the tip of an iceberg 184The iceberg in project teams 194Import and export mechanism of problems 197Summary 206References 207Chapter 9 Being in and Working with Experiences in the ‘Here-and-Now’ 210Leopold VansinaVarious mental modes of being present 214The relevance of working with or without specific frames in the ‘here-and-now’ 220From interpretations to sense making 232Conclusions 238References 239Chapter 10 The Art of Reviewing: A Cornerstone in Organisational Learning 242Leopold VansinaReviewing 242What could be reviewed? 246When to review and with what frequency? 251Special or institutionalised reviews 254How to review? 255Conditions for reviewing 262The role and stance of the person(s) leading the review 264Limits to learning from reviewing 265References 266Part Three The Psychodynamic Approach in Consulting and Action-Research Projects 269Introduction 271Leopold VansinaChapter 11 Understanding and Working with Organisational Dynamics: Coping with Organisational Growth 273Leopold Vansina and Gilles AmadoPart 1: Creating Awareness and a Base for Action within the Organisation 280The pilot workshop 280The second workshop 285The third workshop 291The relevance of the design 298Part 2: Working Through the Draft Blueprint 305The six two-day workshops 306Understanding and working with organisational dynamics: discussion 313References 319Chapter 12 Transformations: Hope, Illusions and Reality. Transformations within a Family-Owned International Corporation 321Leopold Vansina and Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertPart 1: The Consulting Project 323The actors within the system 325‘Minimal structures’ and ‘time and space’ 328Part 2: Making Sense of the Work 346Transformation 346What can be learned from the consulting experience and conceptual clarifications for advancing the practices of organisation consultants and managers? 352References 356Chapter 13 Participative Redesign: Action-Research into the Strategic Restructuring of a Plant 358Leopold VansinaPart 1: The Project 360History and context 360My role, approach and intentions 361Phase one: exploring the company in its environment 365Phase two: engaging the employees to redesign the operations to meet the new production strategy 368Phase three: change in ownership and implementation 372Part 2: Organisational Results and Research Findings 375Results from the participative redesign 376The process of successful organisational change 377Learning from the action-research itself 378Conclusions 385References 387Chapter 14 Working Across Organisational Boundaries: Understanding and Working with Intergroup Dynamics 390Sandra G.L. Schruijer and Leopold VansinaIntroduction 390Part 1: The Psychological Difficulties of Working Across Organisational Boundaries 391The meaning of collaboration 391The yacht club 393Part 2: Helping Groups and Organisations in Developing Successful Collaboration 396Shellfisheries: conflicts of interest between nature and economy 396Collaboration in the building sector 397Organisational change of a nursing home 397Medical call centre 398Part 3: Dynamics, Practices and Principles 399Working with the whole system 399Working with the psychodynamics of conflict and collaboration 402Leading collaboration 405Exploring the ‘why?’ 407Concluding remarks 408References 409Glossary 413Index 427

Leopold Vansina is an organizational consultant and a part time professor at the Universities of Leuven and Louvain-le-Neuve in Belgium. His experiences in group dynamics (N.T.L. Institute, U.S.A. and the Tavistock Institute, UK) and his training in psychoanalysis became an integrated part of his consulting practice in organizations all over the world. He is a member of the International Association of Psychology, The Academy of Management, the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organisations, and the Tavistock Institute Association. He has published numerous journal articles and is co-author (with Gilles Amado) of The Transitional Approach in Action published by Karnac books in 2004. Marie-Jeanne Vansina-Cobbaert is a psychoanalyst in private practice in Belgium.

"Vansina and Vansina-Cobbaert (and the two other contributors, Gilles Amado and Sandra Schruijer, who co-author one chapter each in the more "empirical" third part of the book) make a quite good point on why even people who do not hold a great belief in psychoanalysis and the subconscious processes among people - those that either hinder, or even can be made to help, change and learning in organizations - should understand these processes and learn to read them." (Journal or Workplace Learning)

• About the Authors xiContributors xiiiAcknowledgements xvGeneral Introduction 1Part One A Psychoanalytic Perspective on Groups and Organisations 9Introduction 11Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertChapter 1 Original, Primary Mental Processes 20Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertIllustrations 22Stepwise transformations 25References 27Chapter 2 Languages from Another World 28Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertThe language of images 29The language of actions 32The language of relations 38Putting the information from ‘atlantis’ to use 49References 55Chapter 3 Supportive ‘Process Structures’ 57Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertHolding and containment 58Transitional phenomena 64References 67Chapter 4 Defensive Processes and Behaviour 68Marie-Jeanne Vansina-Cobbaert and Leopold VansinaIndividual defence mechanisms 68Defence mechanisms in groups 71Social defences 74Social repression 76Defensive strategies 77Working with and through defences 79Conclusions 85References 86Chapter 5 The Capacity for Creative Living and Its Importance in Organisational Life 88Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertOrigins and functioning of the capacity for creative living 88Destructiveness in the context of creative living 95References 100Part Two A Psychodynamic Approach 103Introduction 105Leopold VansinaChapter 6 Psychodynamics: A Field of Study and an Approach 108Leopold VansinaSome major differences with psychoanalysis 108An attempt to define psychodynamics 113Creating supportive process structures 126Small things that matter: a look at some neglected potential benefits of a psychodynamic approach to organisational issues 145Finalising comments 148References 150Chapter 7 ‘Me’ in the Problem Situation 156Leopold VansinaThe problem with problem definition 157Building continuation 167‘Me’ in terminating a project 168What about transference and counter-transference in our practice? 172References 176Chapter 8 Groups as the Tip of an Iceberg: Locating Issues in Their Context 178Leopold VansinaIntroduction 178Management teams as the tip of an iceberg 184The iceberg in project teams 194Import and export mechanism of problems 197Summary 206References 207Chapter 9 Being in and Working with Experiences in the ‘Here-and-Now’ 210Leopold VansinaVarious mental modes of being present 214The relevance of working with or without specific frames in the ‘here-and-now’ 220From interpretations to sense making 232Conclusions 238References 239Chapter 10 The Art of Reviewing: A Cornerstone in Organisational Learning 242Leopold VansinaReviewing 242What could be reviewed? 246When to review and with what frequency? 251Special or institutionalised reviews 254How to review? 255Conditions for reviewing 262The role and stance of the person(s) leading the review 264Limits to learning from reviewing 265References 266Part Three The Psychodynamic Approach in Consulting and Action-Research Projects 269Introduction 271Leopold VansinaChapter 11 Understanding and Working with Organisational Dynamics: Coping with Organisational Growth 273Leopold Vansina and Gilles AmadoPart 1: Creating Awareness and a Base for Action within the Organisation 280The pilot workshop 280The second workshop 285The third workshop 291The relevance of the design 298Part 2: Working Through the Draft Blueprint 305The six two-day workshops 306Understanding and working with organisational dynamics: discussion 313References 319Chapter 12 Transformations: Hope, Illusions and Reality. Transformations within a Family-Owned International Corporation 321Leopold Vansina and Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertPart 1: The Consulting Project 323The actors within the system 325‘Minimal structures’ and ‘time and space’ 328Part 2: Making Sense of the Work 346Transformation 346What can be learned from the consulting experience and conceptual clarifications for advancing the practices of organisation consultants and managers? 352References 356Chapter 13 Participative Redesign: Action-Research into the Strategic Restructuring of a Plant 358Leopold VansinaPart 1: The Project 360History and context 360My role, approach and intentions 361Phase one: exploring the company in its environment 365Phase two: engaging the employees to redesign the operations to meet the new production strategy 368Phase three: change in ownership and implementation 372Part 2: Organisational Results and Research Findings 375Results from the participative redesign 376The process of successful organisational change 377Learning from the action-research itself 378Conclusions 385References 387Chapter 14 Working Across Organisational Boundaries: Understanding and Working with Intergroup Dynamics 390Sandra G.L. Schruijer and Leopold VansinaIntroduction 390Part 1: The Psychological Difficulties of Working Across Organisational Boundaries 391The meaning of collaboration 391The yacht club 393Part 2: Helping Groups and Organisations in Developing Successful Collaboration 396Shellfisheries: conflicts of interest between nature and economy 396Collaboration in the building sector 397Organisational change of a nursing home 397Medical call centre 398Part 3: Dynamics, Practices and Principles 399Working with the whole system 399Working with the psychodynamics of conflict and collaboration 402Leading collaboration 405Exploring the ‘why?’ 407Concluding remarks 408References 409Glossary 413Index 427

Leopold Vansina is an organizational consultant and a part time professor at the Universities of Leuven and Louvain-le-Neuve in Belgium. His experiences in group dynamics (N.T.L. Institute, U.S.A. and the Tavistock Institute, UK) and his training in psychoanalysis became an integrated part of his consulting practice in organizations all over the world. He is a member of the International Association of Psychology, The Academy of Management, the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organisations, and the Tavistock Institute Association. He has published numerous journal articles and is co-author (with Gilles Amado) of The Transitional Approach in Action published by Karnac books in 2004. Marie-Jeanne Vansina-Cobbaert is a psychoanalyst in private practice in Belgium.

"Vansina and Vansina-Cobbaert (and the two other contributors, Gilles Amado and Sandra Schruijer, who co-author one chapter each in the more "empirical" third part of the book) make a quite good point on why even people who do not hold a great belief in psychoanalysis and the subconscious processes among people - those that either hinder, or even can be made to help, change and learning in organizations - should understand these processes and learn to read them." (Journal or Workplace Learning)

• About the Authors xiContributors xiiiAcknowledgements xvGeneral Introduction 1Part One A Psychoanalytic Perspective on Groups and Organisations 9Introduction 11Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertChapter 1 Original, Primary Mental Processes 20Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertIllustrations 22Stepwise transformations 25References 27Chapter 2 Languages from Another World 28Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertThe language of images 29The language of actions 32The language of relations 38Putting the information from ‘atlantis’ to use 49References 55Chapter 3 Supportive ‘Process Structures’ 57Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertHolding and containment 58Transitional phenomena 64References 67Chapter 4 Defensive Processes and Behaviour 68Marie-Jeanne Vansina-Cobbaert and Leopold VansinaIndividual defence mechanisms 68Defence mechanisms in groups 71Social defences 74Social repression 76Defensive strategies 77Working with and through defences 79Conclusions 85References 86Chapter 5 The Capacity for Creative Living and Its Importance in Organisational Life 88Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertOrigins and functioning of the capacity for creative living 88Destructiveness in the context of creative living 95References 100Part Two A Psychodynamic Approach 103Introduction 105Leopold VansinaChapter 6 Psychodynamics: A Field of Study and an Approach 108Leopold VansinaSome major differences with psychoanalysis 108An attempt to define psychodynamics 113Creating supportive process structures 126Small things that matter: a look at some neglected potential benefits of a psychodynamic approach to organisational issues 145Finalising comments 148References 150Chapter 7 ‘Me’ in the Problem Situation 156Leopold VansinaThe problem with problem definition 157Building continuation 167‘Me’ in terminating a project 168What about transference and counter-transference in our practice? 172References 176Chapter 8 Groups as the Tip of an Iceberg: Locating Issues in Their Context 178Leopold VansinaIntroduction 178Management teams as the tip of an iceberg 184The iceberg in project teams 194Import and export mechanism of problems 197Summary 206References 207Chapter 9 Being in and Working with Experiences in the ‘Here-and-Now’ 210Leopold VansinaVarious mental modes of being present 214The relevance of working with or without specific frames in the ‘here-and-now’ 220From interpretations to sense making 232Conclusions 238References 239Chapter 10 The Art of Reviewing: A Cornerstone in Organisational Learning 242Leopold VansinaReviewing 242What could be reviewed? 246When to review and with what frequency? 251Special or institutionalised reviews 254How to review? 255Conditions for reviewing 262The role and stance of the person(s) leading the review 264Limits to learning from reviewing 265References 266Part Three The Psychodynamic Approach in Consulting and Action-Research Projects 269Introduction 271Leopold VansinaChapter 11 Understanding and Working with Organisational Dynamics: Coping with Organisational Growth 273Leopold Vansina and Gilles AmadoPart 1: Creating Awareness and a Base for Action within the Organisation 280The pilot workshop 280The second workshop 285The third workshop 291The relevance of the design 298Part 2: Working Through the Draft Blueprint 305The six two-day workshops 306Understanding and working with organisational dynamics: discussion 313References 319Chapter 12 Transformations: Hope, Illusions and Reality. Transformations within a Family-Owned International Corporation 321Leopold Vansina and Marie-Jeanne Vansina-CobbaertPart 1: The Consulting Project 323The actors within the system 325‘Minimal structures’ and ‘time and space’ 328Part 2: Making Sense of the Work 346Transformation 346What can be learned from the consulting experience and conceptual clarifications for advancing the practices of organisation consultants and managers? 352References 356Chapter 13 Participative Redesign: Action-Research into the Strategic Restructuring of a Plant 358Leopold VansinaPart 1: The Project 360History and context 360My role, approach and intentions 361Phase one: exploring the company in its environment 365Phase two: engaging the employees to redesign the operations to meet the new production strategy 368Phase three: change in ownership and implementation 372Part 2: Organisational Results and Research Findings 375Results from the participative redesign 376The process of successful organisational change 377Learning from the action-research itself 378Conclusions 385References 387Chapter 14 Working Across Organisational Boundaries: Understanding and Working with Intergroup Dynamics 390Sandra G.L. Schruijer and Leopold VansinaIntroduction 390Part 1: The Psychological Difficulties of Working Across Organisational Boundaries 391The meaning of collaboration 391The yacht club 393Part 2: Helping Groups and Organisations in Developing Successful Collaboration 396Shellfisheries: conflicts of interest between nature and economy 396Collaboration in the building sector 397Organisational change of a nursing home 397Medical call centre 398Part 3: Dynamics, Practices and Principles 399Working with the whole system 399Working with the psychodynamics of conflict and collaboration 402Leading collaboration 405Exploring the ‘why?’ 407Concluding remarks 408References 409Glossary 413Index 427