ABSTRACT
Change can be understood both from the impact of technology and from the social system required to make use of such technology. This dual concern with the social and technical system is known as joint optimisation; peak performance can only be achieved when the needs of both systems are met.
Joint optimisation entails commitment to self-managing work teams. Whole tasks mean that work is not broken up into many operations. The task is organised into a meaningful whole. As a task system, every group and organisation survives and adapts through interaction with its environment.
The sentient system refers to the needs of the individuals, and the feelings, beliefs, stories and practices in which they invest feelings. Effective change requires sophisticated effort, diagnosis, conceptualisation, planning and implementation.
