Gilbert Steil, MSOD, is an organization and management consultant with over 20 years experience, both nationally and internationally, specializing in whole system change – the development of strategies, plans, and designs through the engagement of whole organizations and their key stakeholders.
After many years managing product development organizations in the competitive high-tech world, Gil became increasingly interested in defining the key ingredients of high-performance, high-satisfaction organizations. This quest led him to a mid-career exploration of social psychology and a degree in organization development. Ultimately a career change allowed him to devote himself to helping organizations of all kinds to be more effective.
Most importantly, graduate work led Gil to the work of two generations of social psychologists – pioneers Kurt Lewin, Fred Emery, Eric Trist, and Solomon Asch – and adapters Merrelyn Emery, Kathy Dannemiller, Robert Jacobs, Harrison Owen, Donald Klein and Marvin Weisbord. Gil’s practice, drawing on the work and methods of these pioneers has enabled him to work with large groups of 40, 100, 300, or 1,000 in ways that were not possible in the past. These methods have revolutionized the ability of large organizations to quickly realign around common goals, collaborate across organizational and cultural boundaries, to focus competitive energy on the real competition, and in general to continuously adapt organizational life to ongoing change without undue cost to the people in those organizations.
Prior to his consulting practice, Gil managed small and large Product Development Groups for Honeywell; Telefile Computer Corporation, of which he was a founder; and Digital Equipment Corporation. His own management experience has grounded Gil in the difficulties that many corporations confront when setting course in an increasingly chaotic and rapidly changing world.
Gil holds degrees in mathematics from Case Institute of Technology (now Case Western Reserve) and in Organization Development from The American University. In addition he received extensive training in group dynamics and applied behavioral science from NTL Institute (National Training Laboratories) and numerous other professional development organizations. In addition to consulting, Gil teaches courses on Group Dynamics, Organization Development and Change, and Interpersonal Communication.