The Future of OD?: A Hopeful View of Where We Could Go

MN OD Network June 7, 2012 David W. Jamieson University of St Thomas [email protected]

● 310-699-3060  David W. Jamieson, 2012

The Topic

I have taken a stab at this during three other decades. Amazingly, much of what I talked about in the 70s, 80s & 90s has happened!

This topic and field have become too large and complex to do them justice in these short comments, but… This opportunity does provide a chance to share my recent perceptions & hopes and start a conversation among the MNODN

Background

The field of OD is not that old (60years) and has never been able to establish it’s own discipline (in academia) or a fully-credible position in organization work.

 Much internal debate with varying identities  Includes a wide swath of topics, knowledge and skills making it hard to bound  Is and is not part of many other functions  Was actually founded as a multi-disciplinary practice

Background

Many OD values, practices & methods have gone mainstream and become included in other fields work  team-building  participation  facilitation  coaching  diversity & inclusion  use of democratic processes  Use of feedback  more humanistic management practices

Background

During our history, not enough attention has been paid to some important issues that are necessary to establish any field:  concrete results  evaluations of OD outcomes  making connections between what OD does and what organizations need  Making our concepts and knowledge-base clear conceptually for all to understand

A Hopeful Look to the Future

Bring OD theory & practice into more common use by integrating better with other disciplines and roles:  Make it more regular in management education, leadership development, HR education, project management skills, public administration programs, etc.

  Keep it as a field of study (for more depth), but translate much of it for use more broadly Don’t let the other fields dictate what it is and how it’s used! Be proactive  The goal is to equip more people who can create healthy & effective organizations

A Hopeful Look to the Future

Stop debating what OD is. Let’s outline a flexible definition and framework for what OD brings to any party AND JUST DO IT!

 A working definition and way of talking about OD on next slides  Highlight the value OD knowledge and skills adds to organization, group, and interpersonal success  Ground our work in concrete issues and needs such as all the change that is needed or integrating technology, work and people or M&A or global efectiveness

What is OD?

a process of planned and emergent intervention(s) utilizing behavioral and organization science principles to change a system and improve its effectiveness, conducted in accordance with values of humanism, participation, choice and development, so that the organization and its members learn and develop

adapted from Jamieson & Worley (2008)

What is OD?

A series of actions (interventions) in a planned & emergent process Using theory & methods from behavioral sciences (e.g., economics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, social psychology) and organization sciences (e.g., organization theory, organization design, systems theory, management theory)

What is OD?

To understand systems & behavior; and to take action for change, effectiveness and improvement Conducted in accordance with

certain values

:  humanism  participation  choice  development

What is OD?

So that the organization & its members learn & grow (develop capacity & their potential)

What is OD?

A

mindset

(way of seeing the organization world) A set of

value-based perspectives

A

philosophy

changing of organizing, managing and An

integration

, across disciplines, of theories, concepts and methods, for understanding & changing human systems A

field

of study & practice

What are OD Perspectives?

An

open, socio-technical, human systems

perspective on organizing & organizations A

cyclical, participative, action research

orientation to inquiry, diagnosis & change An

inclusive

perspective on planning, problem solving & change A

humanistic

perspective on relationships, managing & ethics A

developmental

perspective on individual & collective improvements

What is OD?

Defined by how we

view

the world, organizations, people & change Defined by

what

we focus on Defined by

how

we take action Defined by central guiding

concepts-in-use

Defined by the

values

shaping our behavior, methods & desired outcomes Defined by the

learning and transfer

orientation

What is OD?

OD specifically brings into focus:

 The systems context  Inter-relationships and dependencies that affect outcomes  Human dynamics that contribute to outcomes  Relationships between human levels 

Understanding & changing

human systems   Inquiry/data needs Stakeholders: who’s involved and affected

A Hopeful Look to the Future

Improve documentation, research and causal links. Help to make the case for the what, how, when & why of OD in relation to organizational & societal outcomes people care about  Collect more data. Ask more participants about their experience. Talk about it and write it.

 Make whatever causal or correlational connections you can. Patterns, common outcomes from similar processes and experiences where ‘B’ usually happens after ‘A’ or with ‘A’ will bring credibility

Some Implications

For Education:

 Moving across disciplines. Influencing other programs  What to include in masters & doctorates in OD  Mixing different concepts and language

For Professional Associations (MNODN):

 Who brings a different representation of what’s needed?

 Early adopters of OD in other fields  Search for research and data that adds value to the case

Some Implications

For You:

 How broad is your knowledge and skill set?

 What disciplines or functions can you integrate with?

 What developmental edges could you pursue?

 What can you do to make OD more universally accessible?

THE ONE WITH THE LARGEST VIEW WINS!

Jamieson

If possible open this video clip for use at end

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1_zu _GUvzM Good way to see continuing need for OD work