David Hurst

Topics

Change Organizational Development

Presentations

The Creative Organization: Strategy, Leadership and Change
This presentation uses a novel conception of the creative process derived from looking at organizations as natural systems.

Boxes and Bubbles: The Management Crisis
This presentation deals with management's reactions to the bewildering world in which they found themselves and how they changed their concepts and their practices to successfully handle the turbulence. The lessons drawn have wide application to all kinds of organizations undergoing rapid, discontinuous change.

Hunters and Herders; Team and Team Work 
In this presentation, the hunter's egalitarian mode of life is contrasted with that of the herders and their hierarchical structure. The social dynamics and physical contexts which compel hunters to become herders and shown to exist within our modern organizations.

Summary Profile

A speaker, writer and business practitioner with a unique niche in the management field, David Hurst presents highly innovative ideas from his ground-breaking book Crisis & Renewal: Meeting the Challenge of Organizational Change.

Using models and metaphors from anthropology, mathematics and biology, Hurst discusses the nature of management and organizations as he builds a radically different view of how successful organizations evolve and change. He tracks organizations from their conception and birth through their growth, decline and destruction as well as their possible renewal.

The implications for management are profound as Hurst demonstrates the rational model of action - which is taught in most business schools - is often either impossible to follow or destructive of creativity and commitment. Instead, he champions the idea of changing performance organizations back into learning organizations.

Client Testimonials

"The insight you provided to community, government and industry leaders was highly relevant and germane to the forest industry's current and long-term challenges. We appreciated both the candid style of delivery and the well-researched content of your presentation."

Interior Lumber Manufacturers' Association