Here are the professional books I wrote or co-authored. Only the first five are still in print. If you purchase books through links on this site, you also support the global community work of Future Search Network.

Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There! Ten Principles for Leading Meetings That Matter
by Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff

A presentation of often contrarian insights into how to design meetings that actually accomplish something.

Productive Workplaces Revisited: Dignity, Meaning and Community in the 21st Century

San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2004. The new edition of this widely used text includes follow-ups to cases the author was involved in 15 to 30 years earlier–the first and only book of its kind. It also retains from the earlier edition accounts of the lives and work of Frederick Taylor (the “father of scientific management,” Kurt Lewin (the “practical theorist”), Douglas McGregor (of “Theory X, Theory Y) fame, Eric Trist and Fred Emery (developers of sociotechnical systems concepts), and how all these influenced the author’s own managing and consulting. It also offers a new practice theory for improving organizations under conditions of non-stop change, with many case examples and practical applications. Click here to purchase.

Future Search: An Action Guide to Finding Common Ground in Organizations and Communities

With Sandra Janoff, 2nd edition, San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2000. This is the definitive work on the history, theory, principles, and methodology of a 3-day planning meeting that is used throughout on world in planning for the arts, business, community and economic development, education, the environment, health care,  and many other sectors. Includes copious examples, case studies, and action tips from diverse cultures, plus a step-by-step account of the methodology. Click here to purchase.

Discovering Common Ground

With 35 International Authors, San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 1992. Chapters from around the world on the evolving theory and practice of “getting the whole system in the room,” laying the groundwork for the development of future search methodology and validating the insights of Emery, Trist, Ronald Lippitt, Eva Schindler-Rainman and other pioneers written about in Productive Workplaces. Click here to purchase.

Organizational Diagnosis: A Workbook of Theory and Practice

Reading, MA: Perseus Books (Addison-Wesley, now Perseus Books), 1978. A hands-on guide to understanding how purposes, structure, relationships, rewards, helpful mechanisms and leadership (the “six box model”) interact in organizations. Can be used by individuals, groups, organizations. Widely adopted as college text.

Productive Workplaces: Organizing and Managing for Dignity, Meaning and Community

San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1987. The original edition of this widely used text includes an account of the lives and work of Frederick Taylor (the “father of scientific management,” Kurt Lewin (the “practical theorist”), Douglas McGregor (of “Theory X, Theory Y) fame, Eric Trist and Fred Emery (developers of sociotechnical systems concepts), and how all these influenced
the author’s own managing and consulting from the 1960’s to the 1980’s. It also offers a new practice theory for improving organizations under conditions of non-stop change, with many case examples and practical applications. Replaced by Productive Workplaces Revisited in 2004. Out-of-print.

Improving Police Department Management Through Problem-Solving Task Forces: A Case Study in Organizational DevelopmentWith Howard Lamb and Allan Drexler. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1974, 79-page booklet, 8 1/2 x 11. Describes a year-long project with the Wilmington, DE, police force, based on the “collateral organization” design of Dale Zand. Now out-of-print, but photocopies are available from the author for contributions to Future Search Network.