Barry Oshry

My work has been to shed light on the destructive stories that continue to play out in our relationships whether in the organization or society. These recurring stories result in great harm to individuals, organizations, and society - broken relationships, lost opportunities, diminished personal and organizational contributions, a dehumanizing of ourselves and others with, at times, catastrophic consequences.

I believe that a deep understanding of how these destructive stories develop also reveals the path to creating less destructive and more satisfying, creative, and productive human interactions. Developing such a deep understanding of ourselves as systems creatures is what my work is about. To this end, in addition to my writings, I have developed powerful educational programs including the Power Lab, the Organization Workshop on Creating Partnership, and the Merging Cultures Workshop. My publications include Seeing Systems, Leading Systems, Power and Position, In the Middle, The Possibilities of Organization, and Context, Context, Context.

In my early years I have been a cartoonist, greeting card developer, bartender, and playwright whose stage productions include “What a Way to Make a Living,” “Hierarchy,” “Power Play,” and “Peace.” In 1975 my wife and partner, Karen Ellis Oshry, founded Power+Systems, Inc. whose worldwide network of trainers continues the work of transforming destructive relationships into creative ones.

In 2013 Power and Systems launched The Worldwide Week of Partnership during which Power+Systems trainers across the globe conduct pro bono partnership events for educational, charitable, advocacy, and service organizations in their local communities.

Karen and I retired from Power+Systems in 2018. We now spend winters in Sarasota, Florida where I continue to write, dream of new possibilities, and absorb the city's many cultural offerings.