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

djamieson@stthomas.edu ● 310-699-3060David W. Jamieson, 2012

The TopicI 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 resultsevaluations of OD outcomesmaking connections between what OD does

and what organizations needMaking our concepts and knowledge-base

clear conceptually for all to understand

A Hopeful Look to the FutureBring 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: humanismparticipationchoicedevelopment

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 of organizing, managing and changing

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 FutureImprove 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 ImplicationsFor 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