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  • 1.  The passing of the "Poet Laureate of Management," Peter B. Vaill (1936-2020)

    Posted 04-05-2020 15:30

    I apologize for cross-listing, but Peter's impact was very interdisciplinary. 

    Sadly, I share the news of the loss of a seminal figure in organizational behavior, management education, management spirituality, and other fields. 

    I'll only sketch Peter's career here and invite you to explore further, if you are interested. Peter was one of the "four horsepersons" who "saved" NTL (National Training Laboratoris) in the mid-1970s…. essentially launched the field of High Performing Systems in his Organizational Dynamics 1982 article …. coined the term "permanent white water" that caused a shift in OB research to more dynamic environments ….. was identified by his alum, the Harvard Business School as one of the top 10 organizational theorists in the world …. is profiled in The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers (2017) ….. was the editor of Organizational Dynamics from 1986-1989 … was a member of the Board of Governors of the Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, NC for a decade …. has been described as the "poet laureate of management," … and wrote several books including Managing as a Performing Art, Learning as a Way of Being: Strategies for Survival in a World of Permanent White Water, and Spirited Leading and Learning: Process Wisdom for a New Age. 

    For more information about Peter, please read "Peter B. Vaill: A Life in the Art of Managing and Leading Change" by David W. Jamieson and Jackie M. Milbrandt in The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers edited by David B. Szabla, William A. Pasmore, Mary A. Barnes, and Asha N. Gipson. 

    Peter's life was also an inspiration because he was paralyzed from the waist down since 2001. This greatly reduced his scholarship, but he was active until his last days with a regular podcast with friend and colleague Dave Fearon. You can hear these podcasts at: https://enactionresearch.com/podcast-page/   The one at the bottom is the tribute honoring Peter. 

    Finally, you can read my own personal eulogy at https://ericdent.wordpress.com/2020/04/03/tribute-to-peter-b-vaill-1936-2020/



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    Eric Dent
    Professor
    Florida Gulf Coast University
    Fayetteville NC
    (239) 220-6236
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  • 2.  RE: The passing of the "Poet Laureate of Management," Peter B. Vaill (1936-2020)

    Posted 04-06-2020 11:11
    Eric, 

    Thank you for sharing the news of Peter Vaill's passing.  Sad to say the least, but I consider my life blessed having had my life cross his. I only knew Peter virtually later in his life. I was a PhD student in the early 2000s when Peter was very active on the old MED & OBTS list servs.  His sage advice and willingness to provide support on those of us on these list servs was pure gold and a huge lifeline as I started this new career in the academy.  I am sure I am hardly alone in those who have benefited from Peter's caring and wise advice.  

    I can think of no more appropriate tribute than to sharing Dr. Peter Vaill's wise advice.  Dr. Vaill did a keynote at the 2010 MOBTS conference (known at the time as OBTC), which was pre-recorded as Peter was too sick to travel (and had planned for this contingency when asked to do the keynote).  I remember writing furiously during this talk taking in all the knowledge Peter was imparting.  When the link was shared post-conference which I saved and have shared numerous times over the years, especially to junior colleagues and those who wanted to improve their teaching.  I hope the MOBTS leadership does not mind me sharing this with our community, in the spirit of Peter's legacy of giving his knowledge freely with many of us.  

    https://vimeo.com/13203879

    Sympathies to the friends and family of Dr. Vaill and I pray he is resting in peace.

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    Rita Shea-Van Fossen
    Nova Southeastern University
    Ft Lauderdale FL
    (954) 262-5042
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