IDM Press New Release
Measuring Hidden Dimensions of Human Systems: Foundations of Requisite Organization (MHD volume 2)
IDM Press, March 2009, by Otto Laske Ph.D.
Contents Reviews Details & Ordering
Measuring Hidden Dimensions of Human Systems is the fruit of a decade of work and a life time of engagement with dialectical thinking. For the first time, it reveals the powerful influence of people’s thinking on their world view, their mental health, and their decision making in life and work.
The book is a textbook whose narrative is arresting but not light reading. It addresses both curious practitioners and researchers in cognition. In 15 cogent chapters and an appendix containing a Manual of Dialectical Thinking, the book teaches “changing your mind” in systematic and powerful ways. The pivotal methodology taught is CDF, IDM’s Constructive Developmental Framework.
The central concern of the book is tracing adults’ life-long development of ‘thinking’ across four eras: Common Sense, Understanding, Reason, and Practical Wisdom. The book changes the current narrative of adult development by treating cognitive development as an equal to social-emotional development, and showing the influence of the former on the latter.
The book has three essential core themes (and thus is three books in one):
- A cognitive theory of work and organizations based on a dialectical theory of cognitive development (chapters 4-13).
- A practical guide to capability management in organizations and public institutions (chapters 1-3 and 14-15).
- A manual of dialectical thinking.
Beginning with a cognitive theory of human capability and of organizations, gleaned from Elliott Jaques’ work, the book traces the steps by which human thinking matures from Common Sense to Understanding to Reasoning, moving eventually to Practical Wisdom. The book teaches a new kind of interviewing that focuses on the interlocutor’s Inquiring System. It is a textbook for learning “dialectical listening” by which one can probe, challenge, coach, and improve the way in which an interlocutor presently thinks. It is also the basis of teaching leaders and executives to be more innovative and pro-active, by freeing the innate dialecticism of their thinking.
In addition to many new research questions, the book introduces a slew of research-based practical suggestions for managing human resources in public institutions and organizations. By separating cognitive from social-emotional development, it opens a new vista on issues like “immunity to change,” “being in over one’s head,” “thinking globally, acting locally” and “becoming a leader.” The book comes at the right time for a “hot, flat, and crowded” earth in need of systemic thinking about who we are.
How to Order
- Measuring Hidden Dimensions of Human Systems: Foundations of Requisite Organization (664 pages) is available in both soft-cover bound format ($65) and e-book format ($40)
- In both formats, the book contains a manual of dialectical thought forms which is additionally available as a stand-alone e-book in pdf format, priced $25.00. If you order the soft-cover or ebook YOU DO NOT NEED TO ORDER THE MANUAL.
Shipping & Handling
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- International Customers (outside North America): shipping is $30
- Canadian Customers: Enter coupon code CAN2 to reduce the shipping by $12.50 (shipping is $17.50)
- US Customers: Enter coupon code USA2 to reduce the shipping by $30 (shipping is free)
If ordering both MHD-1 and MHD-2 at the same time, enter both coupon codes, one at a time.
Order MHD-II Soft-cover Bound Format (includes Manual of Dialectical Thought forms)
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Order MHD-II E-Book Format (PDF) - includes Manual of Dialectical Thought forms
Click the PayPal logo below to order the PDF version of the book ($40.00).
Order MHD-II Manual of Dialectical Thought Forms E-Book Format (PDF)
Click the PayPal logo below to order the PDF version of the Manual ($25.00).
Table of Contents
Avant-Propos by Rainer v. Leoprechting
Preface
Acknowledgements and DisclaimerIntroduction
Section I: Cognitive Foundations of Work and Work Performance
Chapter 1: Leading Indicators: Measurement across time, not in time
Chapter 2: A cognitive-developmental theory of work capability
Chapter 3: A cognitive theory of organizations
Section II: The Opening of Adults’ Mental Space across the Lifespan
Chapter 4: Modifications of truth over the life span
Chapter 5: What is your Inquiring System?
Chapter 6: The concept of dialectic: A framework for its practical use
Chapter 7: How well tempered is your thought clavier?
Chapter 8: A process model of social-emotional development
Section III: The Three Houses of Work
Chapter 9: The anatomy of the internal workplace
Chapter 10: Dialectical thinking in the workplace
Chapter 11: How Donald constructs his internal workplace
Chapter 12: How to administer a competent cognitive interview
Chapter 13: Using thought forms as Mind Openers
Section IV: Entering the Hidden Dimensions of HumanSigma
Chapter 14: Creating organizational structure based on capability potentials
Chapter 15: A Methodology for HumanSigma Interventions
Epilogue
Manual of Dialectical Thought Forms (DTF), Section A
Table of Thought Forms
Section A1: Process Thought Forms (with exercises)
Section A2: Context Thought Forms (with exercises)
Section A3: Relationship Thought Forms (with exercises)
Section A4: Transformational Thought Forms (with exercises)
DTF Scoring Materials, Section B
Section B1: Table of Questions about Thought Forms
Section B2: Table of Thought Forms as Mind Openers
Section B3-4: Thought Form Selection Sheet and Coding Sheet
Section B5: Cognitive Behavior Graph (CBG)
Section B6: Cognitive Interview Agreement
Bibliography, Glossary of Terms, Index