Embedded Files
What's included:
What's included:
A definition of what organization development is, as well as what it isn't.
A description of what an organization development practitioner does and the process they follow.
Two well-known and highly-regarded organization development professional networks - Organization Development Network and Association for Talent Development.
What is Organization Development? What isn't Organization Development?
What is Organization Development? What isn't Organization Development?
Organization development (OD) can be defined in several ways because of its changing nature over time. Simply put, OD is the field of assisting organizations, either in a small, individual scope or on a large, wide-spread scale to improve its effectiveness and efficiency by using methods and theories based in different disciplines such as social sciences, psychology, communication, and business (Anderson, 2019, p. 3).
Conversely, OD is not...
human resources because OD utilizes science to improve on an organization's capacity by making changes and reassessing certain processes within it (American Talent Development, 2021).
management consulting because OD works together with the organization to see the changes thoroughly and shares knowledge and tactics so they can solve the problem on their own (Anderson, 2019, p. 126).
training and development because the objective of OD is not learning and not teaching new skills or systems to organization members.
short term because it's intended to be long term or permanent (p. 11).
using a toolkit because it's more of a procedure based on social and behavioral sciences to move organization members from point A to point B (p. 12).
The OD Practitioner & Process
The OD Practitioner & Process
Now that you have a general understanding of what OD is (and isn't), it's important to identify what an OD practitioner does and the process they undertake in making organization changes.
An OD practitioner enhances productivity and efficiency among organization members by creating and incorporating various plans. Additionally, they point out and solve issues that involve member engagement, productivity, and performance. The way the OD practitioner does this is by leading programs that promote better management and personal, professional, career, and leadership development.
There are five steps to the OD process:
ENTRY: initial contact with the organization in which a concern is presented, explored, and identified.
DIAGNOSIS: data is gathered about the concern to be analyzed and reviewed.
FEEDBACK: evaluation of data for clarification and understanding in order to explore possible solutions.
SOLUTION: the design, development, and application of the solution to address the concern.
EVALUATION: collecting summary data important in deciding if the intended goals were met (ATD, 2021).
OD Professional Networks
OD Professional Networks
Organization Development Network (ODN): The largest group of OD practitioners in the world, with members that include consultants for corporations, entrepreneurs, community leaders, professional academics, and professional businessmen and women (ODN, 2021).
Association for Talent Development (ATD): OD professionals who assist each other in knowledge, ability, and skill enhancement. Members include talent development managers, trainers, instructional designers, performance consultants, frontline managers, and workplace learning professionals (ATD, 2021).
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