What the Heck is "Organizational Development" Anyway? And Why Do I Hear About It All The Time?

In recent years, it seems most large organizations want "OD" specialists (and no, these are not people who handle all your drug addicts).  We hear the word "Organizational Development" tossed about as the latest and greatest cure-all for every organizational issue.  Yet, I'm not so sure many people within those organizations (even the ones that think they need OD) know exactly what OD is or how it can help them.


Organizational Development in it's purest sense is a systemic approach to helping organizations diagnose and implement solutions for problems.  I like analogies so if I use an analogy for OD, it would be like a doctor is to a sick person.

 

Here is an example:


Company has a problem.  The problem could be anything from low profits to a specific department that has performance issues.  The company typically thinks they know not only what the problem is but also what the solution is.  After all, that's what we all do when we go to the doctor don't we?  We know what's wrong and we just need the doctor to write a prescription so we can feel better.  The interesting thing is, as humans, we sometimes don't dig deep enough to get to the root cause of the problem.  And sometimes we are too close to the problem to consider all of the alternatives.  That is the beauty of an OD professional.  They listen to the symptoms, do some digging, analyze some data (i.e. lab work), and viola', they may find something you didn't even consider (diagnoses).


Unfortunately, there are too many organizations who want to say they have OD so they hire someone to construct performance reviews and provide leadership training.  That is not true Organizational Development (although it could be part of it).  And other organizations think the OD person just helps them implement change more effectively.  That is partially true because there is a huge change management component involved in OD. In order to effectively diagnose a problem and implement a solution there is likely to be change involved and a good OD practitioner should be equipped with tools to facilitate that implementation.   But to hire an OD professional to just focus on performance reviews is like hiring a doctor to only analyze your visible symptoms (without the use of x-rays, blood work, MRI's, or even a stethoscope).  It's just an inefficient use of their knowledge and skill.  


In order for a company to truly utilize a Organizational Development person effectively there has to be a great deal of trust in the capability of the OD practitioner as well as the process.  The reality is, the OD practitioner will be privy to all your organizational "dirt."  In an effort to get to "root cause" they need to see data and interview people and they can't always share the details with the executives.  


OD has become especially important recently because companies are experiencing more change than ever before.  They are dealing with issues that are unprecedented - a global economy, four generations in the workforce, a recession, technology bursting at the seams, and the list goes on.  There has been no better time than now for companies to place an emphasis on getting to root cause and sustaining change.  


And if you happen to need a good, qualified OD professional, email me and I can hook you up.  


Mari