Archived news

We collect older news for reference. Please note that dates mentioned in these articles are no longer valid.

Utah Transit Authority is planning its third Future Search Conference

The theme of this conference is Community Transportation for All. This issue at the heart of this conference is: How does a community, not just a local transit authority, provide safe, efficient and effective transportation for citizen who can least afford it and need it the most.

» Read more about the Future Search in Salt Lake City in 2008

The Four Rooms of Change expands internationally

On October 15th, an English language certification program started in Stockholm, Sweden with participants from Finland and Sweden, all with international assignments. In 2008 we will also release Claes Janssen's basic book, The Four Rooms of Change – a practical everyday psychology in the English Language.
» Read more about The Four Rooms of Change

Bordeaux Energy Colloquium

In September of 2007, forty of the most creative, progressive and forward thinking professionals in the world of energy and electricity gathered in Cap Ferret Bordeaux, France for the Bordeaux Energy Colloquium annual meeting. They met to discuss the future of energy, how we use it and how support people in remote regions of the world to have more of it and also to support the paradigm shift that is happening among people who have access and yet they are more concerned about the impact that the use is having on the planet. They came from around the world, not to give lectures or to sell solutions. They came to look at the issues from a personal as well as a professional perspective. Looking at what they know about our fragile planet and the politics of energy as well as the industrial point of view. They explored the issues from a personal and professional level to find and own up to any denial, self-censorship or confusion, and also to find enough inspiration to act. The work was built on the principles of Future Search and The Four Rooms of Change. The outcomes of the meeting were first of all to continue to strengthen the Colloquium and to work together on certain projects that will help to achieve the goal of not disguising the problems but to act on them. They also agreed to invite participation from other part of the energy sector and the consumers to join them in this important work.
Drusilla Copeland
Consultant and facilitator of the meeting

Future Search Learning Workshop in Stockholm

Consultants, facilitators and managers came from four continents to participate in Marvin Weisbord's and Sandra Janoff's classical workshop Managing a Future Search. It took place in Stockholm on August 26-28. Please contact us if you are interested in trying a Future Search in your organization.

Alinda Nortje (pictured above with Sandra and Marvin) travelled from South Africa to participate in the workshop. She was very pleased and have already signed up to participate in the 2007 Future Search Learning Exchange which will be held in South Africa November 8 through 10.

If you missed this chance to meet Marvin and Sandra in Stockholm you will have a new opportunity the same time and at the same place in 2008. Meanwhile, why not read their new book on managing meetings that matter; Don't Just Do Something, Stand There!

One of the most fascinating ingredients during the workshop were the many initiatives to collaboration that came up spontaneously among the over 40 participants from four continents.

Marvin Weisbord at the User Forum

Marvin Weisbord visits with the 2007 annual Four Rooms of Change Users Forum. About forty users of The Four Rooms of change and a number of clients got inspired by Marvin's story of working with groups and about his new book; Don't Just Do Something, Stand There! Marvin is pictured above with Eva Widegren and Bengt Lindstrom from Ander & Lindstrom Partners.
» Read more about the Four Rooms of Change

The Ander & Lindstrom Partners School Days

On October 10 and November 21 we invite you to participate in our school demonstration days. During these days, we will present the state of the art of the Four Rooms of Change in the context of schools, from pre-school to high school and all the amazing results that have been achieved such as:

• significantly increased learning results
• much better social classroom climate
• much better, more confident and reliable relation between each student and his or her teacher and maybe most amazing of all
• no or almost no bullying tendencies

The place will be Ander & Lindstrom Partners' office at Drottninggatan 55 in Stockholm, Sweden.
Call our project manager Eva Widegren at +46 70 58 11 528 or Bengt Lindstrom at +46 70 37 34 388 or drop us a line at theschool@andolin.com.
» Read more about the Four Rooms of Change

The Four Rooms of Change to South Africa in October

Two different certification programs for the Four Rooms of Change will be launched in South Africa this fall, one in Johannesburg and the other in Cape Town.
» Read more

Have you started giving your patients real power and authority?

On April 20th 2007, the last day of the annual Health Care Assembly, Eva Widegren and Bengt Lindstrom of Ander & Lindstrom Partners conducted an interactive workshop. The theme was democracy, bureaucracy, autonomy and realistic freedom in relation to the health care system; and especially in the meeting with the patient and his or her system. The challenging title to the members of The Swedish Association of Health Care Professionals was »Have you started giving your patients real power and authority?«

Here are two flip charts from the workshop:

Left: Are the conditions at your workplace democratic? How is that observable?
Right: Does that include the patients and their close relations? How is that noticeable?

No renewal without a period of real confusion

Bengt Lindstrom and Eva Widegren conducted an interactive workshop at the Swedish Health Care General Assembly. This is what the invitation looked like:

»This workshop invites all of you who are interested in finding out more of what makes renewal and development possible in the health care system and what makes it impossible and also you who are inspired to make the pieces fit together, both the organizational and the human aspects. You will be introduced to Bridger/Vansina's Pentagram for organizational diagnosis. With that as a screen or looking-glass you will be introduced to the Four Rooms of Change to get an even broader understanding of what forces make organizations and its people get stuck from time to time and what must be done to unlock a frozen system. The workshop will consist of active work in small and large groups«.

Bengt Lindstrom at Uppsala University:
»Good Practice in Professional OD Consultation«

Good Practice in Professional OD Consultation was the topic of the day when Bengt Lindstrom visited the Psychology Program at Uppsala University, Sweden. For more than 10 years Bengt has been lecturing there on topics like this and on Practical Models and Tools for Organizational Diagnosis, The Process of OD Consultation and Consultative Positions in OD.

These inputs are given to the students in a phase of their training when they are about to go out in real life and practice OD consultation as an action learning project.

The 31st Four Rooms of Change Certification Program has started

On January 8, 2007 the 31st Four Rooms of Change Certification Program started in Stockholm, Sweden. 14 OD consultants and leaders begun their part one of the almost year-long program to become certified in using the basic Four Rooms of Change tools. Eva Widegren (above) is, together with Bengt Lindstrom, one of the facilitators.

	The participants tries one of the tools out on themselves...
	...in a very action learning oriented training workshop.
	The Organizational barometer, a diagnostic tool aiming at increasing the self-awareness in any given group or organization, is under thorough scrutinizing.

Four Rooms of Change Certification in New York

A Four Rooms of Change Certification program has now been launched exclusively for the UN branches Unicef and UNDP in New York.

The third Life Awareness Index Certification Program is now running

A group of twelve internal and external OD consultants and managers are now taking part one of the Life Awareness Index Program. They are already certified on the basic tools of The Four Rooms of Change and have decided to add more knowledge and tools to their competence. The aim of delivering the Life Awareness Index to a single client or to groups is to give them a chance to reflect on themselves and thereby increase self-awareness. From that point it is desirable to take decisions on what to make of it and hopefully take action to influence or change the life situation.

Nonviolent Communication in Stockholm

Around November 1 Marshall B. Rosenberg visited Sweden for a week to facilitate a number of seminars in and with his well-known model Nonviolent Communication – in Sweden also known as »the giraffe language«. Four consultants from Ander & Lindström Partners participated in a 2-days seminar arranged by Towe Widstrand: Walter Löthman, Agneta Sandström, Eva Widegren, and Stig Zandrén. We were immediately confronted by the basic question to consider as we meet another human being: What is alive in you? By approaching other people with compassion and honesty we create conditions for trustful and constructive communication and problem solving.
For more about Marshall B. Rosenberg and Nonviolent Communication visit:
» www.cnvc.org

Follow a Future Search conference

We have posted pictures from our latest Future Search conference, held in San Francisco late October, 2006: The Future of Filipina Women in the US Workplace.
» Read more about the conference

Learn how to manage a Future Search and to facilitate large groups

Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff are two of the worlds leading experts in whole system change and intervention. They are coming back to Sweden in August 2007 to conduct two workshops; the classic Managing a Future Search and the new Don't just do something – stand there! Their new book with the same title is expected in early 2007. Take advantage of our early bird offer...
» Learn more about the workshops

The Four Rooms of Change User Forum 2006 - day 3

Day three of the Four Rooms of Change User Forum 2006 started by the whole group of users reflecting on experiences from day one and particularly day two, the day with the clients. There was a common and almost overwhelming sense of humbleness and thankfulness to the clients and their employees and students who had provided us with this opportunity for practice, feed-back, learning and colleagueship. There were also some concerns expressed as to whether or not the clients had been properly informed about the methodology used in the late afternoon meeting between clients and consultants/users - the reflective team exercise or fishbowl. If or when we do this next time we have to make sure that we are to the point on this. Other than that the whole client focus of the user forum seemed to fulfill its pupose: to increase Four Rooms Quality to the end user, the client and the client system.

Four Rooms in Schools
Ulla Janssen presented her work with the Four Rooms theory with children of the age of 6 throuh 11. A group of about seven teachers at Vasaskolan in Strängnäs have been working with their school classes for more than five years now, all in a manner that Ulla Janssen invented in the late 1990s. She presented the methodology and the results that they have observed so far: The Children's Four Rooms of Change - empirical findings:
* improved learnings in classes using the Four Rooms
* better climate in the classroom
* increased and deepened contact between the teacher and the student; and maybe most astonishing of all
* no bullying, not one case in these classes. The experience and part of the explanation is that conflicts are moved from the school yard into the classroom where, with the help of the Four Rooms of Change they can be made accurately known, interpreted and acted on.
Ulla Janssen's strong recommendation is that to be able to work effectively and sustainable with the children's Four Rooms of Change you have to have integrated the adult's Four Rooms of Change into yourself and your life to be able to better support the children.

The Four Rooms of Change used long term in Hosjöskolan in Falun
Kerstin Hindricks, headmaster at Hosjöskolan, presented a long-term use with all the adults in the school. Kerstin have been working with Agneta Sandström as the interernal consultant and with Eva Widegren as the external consultant for about two years now and pointed specifically at the contracting phase as the most important part for her and her staff to be grounded enough to manage to put the Four Rooms of Change into practice in the entire school.
Also she mentioned a specific technique that she had developed for using the Four Rooms in conjunction with performance appraisals which led to a great interest among the users.

Four Rooms in large scale long term use
Drusilla Copeland from Salt Lake City, USA, presented how the Four Rooms of Change has been used for a period of seven years now at UTA, Utah Transit Authority. The theory, the model and the tools have been used in every corner of the company, on all levels and with all categories of employees. And it keeps spreading because it proves to produce action and noticeable effects.
Reasons for why the Four Rooms is so successful in an organization this size is, according to Drusilla Copeland:
* Integrity and humbleness from internal and external consultants. You just have to take the time and effort to understand where the client is and start from there rather than impose some special concept on them.
* To have the top management, in this case the CEO and General Managers, understand and actually take the initiative to the process has been crucial in these seven years.
* To not contaminate or embellish the Four Rooms with other processes.
* And to have patience and confidence and to trust the process of the Four Rooms.

Open Space Learning Groups minutes
The third round of Open Space took place in the morning of the third day. Lots of learnings where shared and quite a few actions where decided. Minutes will be spread to the entire User Forum through the list-server to which all active members are connected.

New Tools and Methods Interests
A series of new tools and applications have seen the light of day recently. Therefore the project management of the Four Rooms of Change project - Bengt Lindström, Eva Widegren, Drusilla Copeland and Claes Janssen - invited users from the forum to mark their interest in participating in some form in the continuing development and releases of these new tools and applications. Groups started to form around:
* The Gender Equality Barometer
* The Family Barometer
* The Sports Team Barometer
* The Four Rooms of Change in Schools, Whole System Interventions
* Translation of tools and materials to other languages
* Promotion of the Four Rooms of Change in new countries and other parts of the world
* Promotion of the use of the Four Rooms of Change in Large Scale Change Projects

Photos from Day 3:

All users and clients who made this meeting with all its challenges and learnings possible - thank you and we'll hopefully see you next year.
Special thanks to Ulla Janssen, Kerstin Hindricks and Drusilla Copeland for presenting interesting and pioneering work. Special thanks also to the one's of you who came from half around the world to learn and engage, Hind Masri from Amman, Jordan; Yuval Dror from Israel; Deborah Wilcox from Ohio, USA; Jacqueline Mc Mcray, Ohio, USA; Janet Allen, Ohio, USA and of course Deborah's son Chris who came along to learn more about this part of the world and who at this writing is playing drums at a jam session at the famous jazz club Stampen in Stockholm.

The Four Rooms of Change User Forum 2006 - day 2

In the morning of the second day of the Four Rooms of Change User Forum 2006 users visited client organizations in pairs and tryads to introduce businesses to the Four Rooms of Change by using the Introduction to the Four Rooms. Businesses were an HR department in a large corporation, a parent-cooperative pre-school, a department within a trade union, two school classes, one project involving long term unemployed, a publishing house and a few more.
In the afternoon the members of the user forum worked on their learnings, we shared information about important updates, new projects and more.
* The Family Barometer
* The Sports Team Barometer
* The Gender Equality Barometer
* The Class Room Barometer
Later in the afternoon almost all of the clients joined us to give and receive feedback. The other part of clients meeting with consultants were to actually closely listen to the clients experiences. This was achieved by using a methodology called Reflective Teams during which the consultants listened closely to the clients perspective and after that the clients listened to the consultants trying to understand the structure as well as the process.
There was also a get-together in the court yard of Drottninggatan 55 which was very nice.
The third and last day - Friday - is supposed to contain reflection on the learnings yesterday, a huge segment with a school focus. Examples of work that has been done with children of the age of 6 through 10 and other examples of work with adults in schools.

Photos from Day 2:

The Four Rooms of Change User Forum 2006

Approximately 40 active users have gathered in Stockholm, at the Four Rooms of Change home at Drottninggatan 55, to learn more from former experiences, present client work and from trying to understand and relate to the social systems the Four Rooms of Change are intervening in. Also to be tuned in on new and updated tools and ongoing research and development projects.
Claes Janssen, the originator, is present and is about to present his view of the development of the Four Rooms of Change over the past 10-15 years and what impact and effect that have had and what there is to learn from all of this.
Thursday morning there will be concrete client work in pairs/tryads and exchange of learnings in the afternoon. Some of that will be with the actual clients present in the room.
To be continued...

Photos from Day 1:

The Ander & Lindström Partners Development Days continues

During the second day of the Ander & Lindström Partners Development Days the group used the time to continue consultations with each other, doing proposal planning and writing, furthering the conversations on collaborations across cultural boundaries and the pros and cons of that. Finally we welcomed a new associated consultant - Walter Löthman from Västerås, Sweden.

Ander & Lindström Partners Development Days...

From left: Yuval Dror, Tel Aviv, Israel; Deborah Wilcox, Dayton, Ohio, USA; Hind Masri, Amman, Jordan; Walter Löthman, Västerås, Sweden; Eva Silverberg, Göteborg, Sweden; Janet Allen, West Chester, Ohio, USA; Irene Bauman, Kalmar, Sweden; Jacquelyn McCray, Cincinnatti, Ohio, USA; Drusilla Copeland, Salt Lake City and New York, USA; (with the back to the camera) Eva Widegren, Falun, Sweden; (behind the camera) Bengt Lindström, Stockholm, Sweden.

The Ander & Lindström Partners Development Days takes place every second month when the Partners meet for common internal work. Now, August 21-22 we are joined by friends from three continents. Common concerns have been, among others, Exploring OD Consulting on three continents: Who am I? Who are we? Why are we here? Will be continued Tuesday. Then another question will be: What do we want to do - individually and together?

The Four Rooms of Change goes global

Consultants from Israel, Jordan and the United States all gathered in Stockholm, Sweden to start their certification process that will bring the Four Rooms of Change to many more social systems. This will give more individuals and groups access to their own Four Rooms of Change. And as it has proven hundreds and hundreds of times, it helps making a difference. Participants are:

• Hind Masri, Amman, Jordan
• Yuval Dror, Tel Aviv, Israel
• Deborah Wilcox, Centerville, Ohio, USA
• Jacquelyn McCray, Cincinnatti, Ohio, USA

» Read more about the globalization of the Four Rooms of Change theory (opens new window)

The 30th Certification
Training Program the largest ever

In June 2006 we started our 30th Certification Training Program in Stockholm since the program was launched in 1996. It was the largest group of participants so far with its 24 professional internal and external consultants, managers and trade union leaders and staff gathering to learn about the Four Rooms of Change and its associated tools with the aim of getting personal certification on the use of them.
» See more from the 30th Certification Training

Social science internship

Olle Lindstrom, studying social science at the University of Lund paid a one week visit at Ander & Lindstrom Partners as an intern. The purpose of the very short internship was to observe and learn about the profession of Organizational Development Consultation and especially with the focus on change. Here Olle is participating together with a group of OD Consultants in the Four Rooms of Change Cetification workshop, part 2. We hope to be able to publish Olle's document with learnings and observations from his week with us at andolin.com shortly.

Development days for
Ander & Lindström Partners

Related to the development days of Spring 2006, the board and staff of Ander & Lindstrom Partners had common days in Goteborg, Sweden. The main agenda item was an organizational diagnosis on the group based on the Four Rooms of Change Team Barometer. The Team Barometer is developed to mirror both the Four Rooms of Change and Wilfred Bion's group theory.

Ander & Lindstrom Partners
at the A.K. Rice Forum 2006

April 5-9, A.K. Rice Institute for the Study of Social Systems met in Chicago for their Spring 2006 Forum. The theme was Advancing new thinking and learning about different ways to apply Group Relations concepts in the world. Drusilla Copeland together with Bengt Lindstrom lead an action learning and consensus building process whereby the participants were introduced to the Four Rooms of Change theory and one of its associated tools, the Team Barometer, and the congruence of that instrument with Wilfred Bion's theory of group relations. In the presentation, the participants learned how the Four Rooms of Change theory might be used to help groups move from »As If« toward »Working Group« or to put it in Four Rooms of Change terminology to move through Denial and Confusion and into Renewal and Contentment.
The Four Rooms of Change Theory and Wilfred Bion's Theory of Group Relations seems to be two of the most congruent theories of group and organizational psychology that the world have experienced so far. Wilfred Bion developed his theory in the UK during World War II and Claes Janssen developed the Theory of the Four Rooms of Change in Sweden in the late 60's and early 70's.

Swedish American Chamber of Commerce celebrates 100 years

Wednesday, April 5, 2006 Drusilla Copeland and Bengt Lindstrom of Ander & Lindstrom Partners attended the 100th board meeting of the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce in New York City. Although we have been members of the chamber for several years, this was our first opportunity to gather with other members of the chamber on this momentous occasion. It was interesting to learn more about the history of the chamber and to participate in the meeting. We are glad to help the chamber celebrate its centennial year.
Since Ander & Lindstrom Partners have been co-located with the chamber on Lexington Avenue for the last five years we have special reasons to take this opportunity to wish the chamber much success for the next 100 years!

»Shamelessly, imaginatively, honestly«

»Shamelessly, imaginatively, honestly«
This is the way frames and expectations were phrased when a group of people with different kinds of connection to Ander & Lindstrom Partners met on March 15 in a focus group on the theme: »In what ways - if any - can Ander & Lindstrom Partners expand its business and enterprise at a decent pace with increased profitability, still securing its value base«.
Some conclusions from the discussion:
· more clarity in the value base
· continue dare to be difficult to your clients
· dare to be exceptional and outstanding
· dare to choose, to choose not to and talk about how you makes your choises
· you have the capacity to take the lead of the market
The next step is another focus group in Goteborg, Sweden on April 19th.

Learning Exchange within the External Speaking Partner Project - ESP

On Thursday, February 23, consultants from within the ESP Project met to perform the first of the two development workshops in 2006. Examples of agenda items were: What's unique with ESP in how we secure quality towards the end customer, the client? What does it mean in practice in each specific Speaking Partnership that we say we have a psychodynamic foundation? What are the consequences ?

Åke Lantz, Psychologist and Psychoanalyst, gave the group an input using his long experience in psychoanalysis and dynamic psychotherapy and contributed to each and everyones enlightened understanding of the dialogue as the tool and in particular the relation between the Speaking Partner and his or her client and how that evolves.

» Read more about the External Speaking Partnership services

A new group meets with the OD Consultant Apprenticeship Project

On Monday February 13, 2006 a new group of professionals met within the framework of the OD Consultant Apprenticeship Project. The aim was to get to know more about the possibilities and the limitations of the project and how it might be helpful to them on their road of exploring how to establish themselves as OD practitioners and consultants.

The User's Forum in North America

Friday, January 20, 2006 Drusilla Copeland and Bengt Lindstrom of Ander & Lindstrom Partners together with Claes Janssen  convened the first North American Four Rooms of Change User's Forum.  Those who participated were Cecilia Engquist, Donna Singer, Ellen  Rabion,  Larry Knox and Yael Zofi.
The one and one-half day meeting  was in a word inspiring.  The users had an opportunity to listen to Claes Janssen Ph. D. tell his story of how he came to create the Four Rooms of Change Theory.  They also had an opportunity to work on other questions related the theory and its associated tools.  The meeting closed Saturday at noon.
Claes Janssen summed it up this way:
During his time as a student working on his thesis, Claes was talking to his faculty advisor Professor Trankell.  The phone rang and it was someone requesting Professor Trankell presents in Reykjavik. When it stood clear to him that someone wanted him to come to  Reykjavik, he put his feet up on the desk and said with a smile then I want to bring my wife. And as I, Claes was overhearing this conversation I thought Reykjavik, yes that sounds great but I want to go to New York and San Fransisco.

Members of Group Daniel
stands up for their autonomy

A meeting-place for collaborating autonomous OD consultants have just worked on the following issues:
- What will the OD Consulting Profession and its business look like in the future?
- Will there be room for the new and broader competencies within the old and narrow organizations?
- How can one be independent and autonomous when one in fact lacks lots of experience?
By meeting and having conversations and dialogues on these and related issues, the members of the group, together with staff from Aner & Lindstrom Partners, tries to give their contribution to the development of each member, the OD community and the profession.

Certification training parts 2 and 3

Certification training in the Four Rooms of Change tools was held January 19-20, 2006 in New York City with participants from the eastern, southern and western parts of the USA.
Here Cecilia Engquist from Houston, Texas and Larry Knox from Santa Fe, New Mexico is practicing facilitating the Organizational Barometer on the training group.
» Learn more about the Four Rooms of Change

Claes Janssen in New York City

Ander & Lindstrom Partners has invited Claes Janssen, Ph.D., psychologist, author, and originator of the Four Rooms of Change Theory and its associated tools to New York City, to participate in the first Four Rooms of Change User's Forum in North America.
In conjunction to the User's Forum, Ander & Lindstrom Partners are also hosting an Open House with Claes Janssen, on Sunday evening, January 22. The meeting will be held at our New York Office, 570 Lexington Avenue.
If you are interested in coming to the Open House and for more details, please contact Drusilla Copeland at drusilla@andolin.com. Spaces are limited.

The Four Rooms of
Change in Costa Rica

On a sunny paradise island on the Caribbean coast in Costa Rica Anna Tienhaara of Ander & Lindström Partners facilitated the Introduction to The Four Rooms of Change. Participants were involved in a sea turtle saving project called La Tortuga Feliz.

From left: Anna Schuster (Austria), Sandrino Lo Grasso (Germany), Paul Lepoutre (Costa Rica), Jolyn Molenaar (Netherlands) and Angelique den Outer (Netherlands).

Anna Tienhaara reports: »The discussion about the Four Rooms became really meaningful and interesting when we understood that most of the participants are experiencing the »Confusion« room where they are searching for answers and for the way in to their future. The theory and their experience of the Four Rooms of Change helped them to understand the importance and possibilities in Chaos and Conflict. At the same time, it is important to be aware of the possibilities of making conscious choices on the road to renewal and inspiration.

Office space to rent in Stockholm

We have office space to rent in Stockholm City Center. Access to conference rooms, kitchen, internet access and a nice and professional environment. Contact us.

Learning and Development in
Ander & Lindstrom Partners

The Ander & Lindstrom corporate group has decided to have regular development days to continuously review and manage business and projects. This has been working very well for the last years and we are planning to keep doing this in 2006.

On October 25-28, employees, part-owners, associated and affiliated consultants of Ander & Lindstrom Partners met for a four days session. The days were aiming to meet around the enterprise we are building, who we are and what the organization looks like. We will both reflect and learn from the past as well as vision and plan for the future.

The Four Rooms of Change in Mexico

Anna Tienhaara of Ander & Lindstrom Partners facilitated the Introduction to The Four Rooms of Change in Mexíco, at the Private School of English and Computer Skills, Cetec, located in Xalapa, Veracruz. The School has 800 students.
» Read more

The Four Rooms of Change User Forum

The certified users of the Four Rooms of Change theory held their annual Forum and Learning Exchange in Stockholm, Sweden this August. Different ways of sharing experiences was on the agenda this year in a unique way. The members who attended this meeting went, two and two, doing consultations with the Four Rooms of Change in different client organizations. Members of the User Forum then met together with these clients who attended the learning exchange. They discussed common experiences and learnings of using the Four Rooms of Change. The design was very successful, for everyone who participated.

Claes Janssen in Trondheim, Norway

For ten years, the Four Rooms of Change theory has been one of the theories used by the Department of Pedogogy at Trondheim University in Norway. In July 2005, Claes Janssen visited the university regarding the essay Det relasjonelle mennesket (The relational human being - a critique of Claes Janssens »The Four Rooms of Change« with a starting point in Martin Bubers Me-You philosophy), by Kathrine Nilsen.

Ander & Lindstrom Partners has moved

As of July 18, 2005 Ander & Lindstrom Partners has moved from 599 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1200 New York City to 570 Lexington Avenue, 20th Floor, New York City.
We are still in the same neighborhood; just a couple blocks down the street. Our phone numbers are the same and we still have office collaboration with the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce, SACC, in New York.
» Read more about our offices
Number 570 Lexington Avenue is a lovely skyscraper whose art deco architectural style is visible in the foyer and on its spirals.

New office in Malmo

Ander & Lindstrom Partners has moved the office in Malmo, Sweden to Kalendegatan 18. We now share the office with Vectis Development who is one of our collaboration partners in the region Malmo-Copenhagen.
» Address and phone numbers

Facilitators to be — in the Four Rooms of Change

With the growing demand for the Four Rooms of Change theory and associated tools throughout Sweden and all around the world. We, Ander & Lindstrom Partners and Claes Janssen, are experiencing an increased need for certification programs. To meet this growing need, some of our most experienced users of the Four Rooms of Change tools have been invited to enlarge the group of competent facilitators who can manage the Four Rooms of Change Certification Program. They are now participating in a train-the-trainer process together with Bengt Lindstrom, Eva Widegren and Marie Stenman of Ander & Lindstrom Partners.

A new training in
the Four Rooms of Change

June 20 and June 21, 2005 marked the beginning of the third Four Rooms of Change Certification Program in Stockholm, Sweden this year. The participants in this first part of the Certification Program are internal and external consultants from all over Sweden. They have gathered to explore the Four Rooms of Change theory and some of its tools. They represent various sectors of society, like athletics, businesses and public administration.

Nonviolent Commuication around the world

Nonviolent Commuication around the world was the headline for the seminar held by Dr Marshall Rosenberg, the originator of the Nonviolent Communication, at Rinkesta Castle, Sweden, May 23rd 2005. Eva Widegren and Bengt Lindstrom of Ander & Lindstrom Partners participated, met friends, collegues and connected with some new people in the network. Marshall talked about the growing of the network over the last 20 years; more than 250.000 people have been introduced to NVC last year. Marshall's book, Nonviolent Communication - A Language of Compassion, is now translated to 20 languages, you can buy the Swedish version from us (information in Swedish) at Ander & Lindstrom Partners.

Group Daniel - Autonomous Consultants in cooperation

The group Daniel has had its first working meeting. The aim was to further explore the personal autonomy in relation to different kinds of authorities and to real and fantasized expectations from other people. To be responsible for your needs, to find your driving force, your own idea about contributing and together with others explore the role of the consultant, were some of the issues which the Daniel group discussed at this meeting.

The OD Consultants Apprenticeship Network keeps on growing

The network and the working group of The OD Consultants Apprenticeship is developing and growing. May 23rd, Ander & Lindstrom Partners arranged another meeting for these new consultants. The group consists of both students, trying to find their profession, and others who have an ambition to take new steps in their career, both with an interest for the OD profession. The consultants of the future get the opportunity to explore these different tracks together with Ander & Lindstrom Partners, with a lot of energy and engagement in the value base and the consultation.

The Four Rooms of Change at the 35th Annual Information Exchange of the OD Institute

The Organization Development Institute is a non-profit educational association. It was organized in 1968 to promote a better understanding and disseminate information about organization development. Its founder and president Dr. Donald W. Cole, RODC has been busy promoting peace around the world for nearly forty years.

The theme of this year's Information Exchange is What's New in OD and Human Resource Development? Although the Four Rooms of Change is not new to the field of organization development, the tools associated with the theory have only been in used in North America for seven years. This year Drusilla Copeland of Ander & Lindstrom Partners introduced this group of distinguish scholars, internal and external organization development consultants to the Four Rooms of Change theory and its associated tools. Since Copeland's presentation was on the first day, the participants could use the theory and the model frequently during the conference when they navigated their way through the difficult questions is organization development dead? and what is the future of the Organization Development Institute? Many participants expressed their appreciation for Copeland having shared this very powerful yet simple theory. Read more about the Information Exchange at mikechaseleadership.com.

Drusilla Copeland has been asked to write an article for the Organization Development Journal - the most quote organization development journal around the world.

Expansion for the External Speakingpartner

The network and working group External Speakingpartner is growing and more consultants are now affiliated to the group. Ander & Lindstrom Partners are framing and ensuring the quality of this concept with the ambition of making it available for more people.

Continuous growing in Ander & Lindstrom

On May 16-17, employees, associated and affiliated consultants in Ander & Lindstrom Partners met to talk about the common ground and the future within the company. The growth and expansion of Ander & Lindstrom Partners makes it possible for the development projects to get some new attention and energy. Some of these projects are Group Development by Tavistock, Nonviolent Communication to develop the communication skills in organizations and Democracy in workplaces and in organizations. The consultants are also planning to write articles about the common value base and the theoretical base used within Ander & Lindstrom.

Establishing the
Four Rooms of Change in India?

Drusilla Copeland (left) and Bengt Lindstrom of Ander & Lindstrom Partners met with Bapu Deolalika (right) in Washington, D.C. to explore the possibilities of introducing and establishing the Four Rooms of Change theory and its associated tools in India. They also explored the recently opened Museum of American Indian History, which are the natives of the USA.

The Four Rooms of Change
in New York City

In April 21-22, 2005 a new certification training in the Four Rooms of Change started in New York City. The training was held in our office at the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce on Manhattan.
» Learn more about the Four Rooms of Change

The Four Rooms of Change at Ashridge

One of the worlds leading management institutes, Ashridge in London, have continued and deepend their movement in the Four Rooms of Change. In March Ander & Lindstrom Partners started a certification training with staff and consultants connected to the Institute.
» Read more about Ashridge
» Learn more about the Four Rooms of Change

Kick-off for Ander & Lindstrom Partners

With the aim to gather around the common task and to explore the system of Ander & Lindstrom Partners in relation to the individual needs and driving forces, we had a kick-off in Gothenburg in March 14-15, 2005. With the company vision as a leading light we made some concrete action plans for the continuous development.

We will publish more information on this website while the process continues together with the collaborating consultants.

A Planning meeting for Group Daniel

On March 17th a planning group met to create a frame-work for the meetings of Group Daniel this year. The aim of Group Daniel, to explore the professional and personal autonomy of the participants, is clear and ideas about how to do that have been discussed. The meeting clarified the undertaking of the participants, the division of responsibilities in the group and a plan for the next meetings.
» Click to enlarge image

Another meeting with
the Mentoring Program

The consultant mentoring program is a network - or rather a workgroup - of younger consultants who are searching for their identity as consultants. The aim of this is to support new consultants in their professional identity-process and to build opportunities for new jobs and experiences, for both them and our company. How to make the novelty a competitive part of competence is a big issue for this group.

Future Search in Salt Lake City

Ander & Lindström Partners have been involved in a Future Search conference in Salt Lake City; a conference arranged by the Utah Transit Authority and the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 382 as a result of the 2004 labor negotiations convened a Future Search conference. The theme of the conference was What is the Future of Bargaining Unit Seniority at Utah Transit Authority?
» Read the report of Ander & Lindström Partners' Bengt Lindström and Drusilla Copeland
» The Future Search conference's website

Report from the Future Search training in Bangalore, India

Managing a Future Search is a learning workshop with Sandra Janoff and Marvin Weisbord held in Bangalore, India. Anna Tienhaara from Ander & Lindström Partners are one of the participants and she reports directly from the conference. Anna Tienhaara began her employment at Ander & Lindstrom Partners in February 2005.
» Read Anna's reports from Bangalore
» Directly to Day 2
» Directly to Day 3

Anniversary for Bengt Lindstrom at the University of Uppsala

This year Bengt Lindstrom celebrates the 10th anniversary as lecturer at the Institute for Psychology at the University of Uppsala. During this eighth semester of university studies, Bengt gives the students an introduction to organizational psychology using several well-known organizational diagnostic models, for example, the Six Box Model by Marvin Weisbord and the Pentagram by Harold Bridger and Leopold Vansina. Bengt also gives the students a lesson in the consultative process, value based consulting and the possibilities and the needs of psychologists in organizations and for profit companies.

A new training in the Four Rooms of Change

January 10-11, 2005, seventeen participants begin their training on the Four Rooms of Change theory and its associated diagnostic tools. During part I, they learned to use the Introduction to the Four Rooms of Change and the Organizational Barometer assessments. The Four Rooms of Change learning is based on the participant's experiences; therefore during the training the participants try out the tools on themselves and the training group while under supervision. This approach enables two parallel development processes to occur; 1) the participant reflect on their own application of the tools and 2) their integration with the Four Rooms of Change Theory.

The Certification-training in Karlstad

The training group, studying to be certified in the Four Rooms of Change tools, in Karlstad, Sweden have recently done the second part of their training. The group were reflecting and gave each other feed-back on the rich and diverse experience of using the tools they learned in Part 1. In this part, they also learnt the basics of the theory and the tool Personal Dialects with the Outsider Scale. The participants were using the materials on themselves under supervision and before part 3, they are going to practice the tool on individuals and groups in different situations.

The 23rd training group has just started their journey towards certification

We have just started our 23rd group training for certification in the Four Rooms of Change theory. During Part 1, the participants learn about the Four Rooms of Change theory and they try out two of the tools on them selves under supervision. During this workshop, the participants work with the Introduction to the Four Rooms of Change and the Organizational Barometer and they now have three moths to work with the tools with their clients, individuals and groups. During Part 2 they share their experiences and reflect on their process. Then they continue with the Personal Dialectics and the Outsider Scale.

Certification program in Los Angeles

On September 27 and 28 a Four Rooms of Change Certification Program started in Los Angeles, USA. On the picture is Ellen Raboin from San Francisco and Larry Knox from Santa Fe (click for larger view) taking a loop in the Four Rooms guided by Drusilla Copeland and Bengt Lindstrom. The training took place at Pepperdine University, Culver City, California.

Program part 1.	The personal Four Rooms of Change as developed by the participants.	The Organizational Four Rooms of Change as developed by the participants.
Notes on the consulting context in which the Four Rooms of Change is very often a part.

New training in
Life Contentment Index, LCI

The Life Contentment Index, the latest tool in The Four Rooms of Change theory, gives an indication of how a person experiences his or her life; to what extent he or she feels contentment and satisfaction with what it looks like today, what is missing or needs to be developed or changed. The LCI-questionnaire contain questions that look at what the life situation is about as a whole. A score is given and it is used as a starting point for the continuing work of personal development.
» Read more about the training

The Four Rooms of Change at the University of Malardalen

During two workshops, the students who studies their sixth term of Innovation Technology, will be introduced to the Four Rooms of Change theory. In the course Idea and Concept Develpoment, the Four Rooms of Change will be a part of the students personal development and also a part of the development of Innovation Technology as a program of courses in the University.
» Read more about the workshop.

Enlarge	Enlarge

Update: During the second workshop on the University of Malardalen, 16 students chose to work with the Personal Dialectics with the Outsider Scale. Others discussed the Four Rooms of Change in connection to themselves as students and to their education in Innovation Technology.

To introduce the Four Rooms of Change to the students of the University of Malardalen was a very exciting and useful learning experience. There were lots of feelings and questions involved. We believe that it is a good idea for the students to meet new tools and perspectives on change, as well as it benefit the Four Rooms of Change to meet new groups of users and their thoughts and questions.

Bengt Lindstrom at
the University of Uppsala

Since many years, Bengt Lindström (above) of Ander & Lindström Partners has been active as a lecturer at the Institute for Psychology at the University of Uppsala. September 3rd, Bengt had a lecture for the students, term 8, about Organisational Psychology with Organisational Diagnosis. Bengt's lecture was named Introduction to Organisation Models and was focused on Organisational Diagnosis as a tool and a model, where Bengt presented Marvin Weisbord's Six Box Model and The Pentagram by Bridger and Vansina. Bengt also discussed the students opportunity to work as consultants and with organisational issues after graduation. In that discussion, Marie Stenman presented her self and her way into the company Ander & Lindstrom Partners and what she thinks is important to do when leading your self into the working life.

Ander & Lindström Partners trains Nonviolent Communication

Participants with autism uses Nonviolent Communication in training with Marshall B Rosenberg.

In August 2004, Eva Widegren and Bengt Lindström spent one week in Basel, Switzerland to learn more about and to train their skills in Nonviolent Communication (NVC). The training was managed by the founder, Dr. Marshall B Rosenberg (pictured above together with Eva Widegren). NVC is a very concrete tool for communication, and an attitude equal to our value-base in Ander & Lindstrom Partners. NVC is applied to all kinds of systems, all over the world.

The Four Rooms of Change now available in Norwegian and Russian

The demand for the Four Rooms of Change Tools is steadily growing in different parts of the world. Translation of the basic tools Introduction to the Four Rooms of Change, Personal dialectics and the Outsider Scale to the Norwegian and Russian languages is currently being performed. Consultants from Norway and Russia are presently undertaking certification training. A noticeable increase in the interest for the Four Rooms of Change has lately come from places like Singapore, Nepal, Israel, England, South Africa and Scotland.
» Read more about the Four Rooms of Change

Renovating the Stockholm office

The renovation of our main office in Stockholm is near completion. It is beginning to look like an office instead of a construction site. We are proud of our new look and would like to give you a small tour.

We are starting to feel quite content with our new look.

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Four Rooms of Change User's Forum

The User's Forum had its fourth annual meeting August 15 through 17 in Sandhamn in the Swedish archipelago. 22 user's met to exchange learnings, to discuss the consultants role in organizational diagnosis and comparing experiences from different cultures. We were especially fascinated hearing a report on how the tools had been used in a large group setting with almost 400 people in New York. Claes Janssen, the originator, joined and shared his ideas for new books and tools.

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A triple Future Search

In September 2000 NBV (The Educational Association of the Sobriety Movement) arranged a huge Future Search concerning its own future. About 230 people worked through the organization's history, its present situation, its ideal future scenario, its values and common ground. Three parallel conferences were run and they ended up in a common action planning focused on both the short and the long term actions. This was probably the largest and most complex conference ever held in Scandinavia. The results were according to the stakeholders remarkable, powerful and a living example of working democracy, a theme that this organization values highly, you might say that it is one of its trade marks.

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NEW BOOK
Better meetings with less work
Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff show you how to arrange more meaningful meetings by »doing less«. You'll find Don't Just Do Something, Stand There in our book store.
» Read more