Re-Imagining the Future of OD
"Some people want it to happen, some wish it would
happen, others make it happen." Michael Jordan
What’s (Y)OUR Role in This?
OD Network of Chicago Program, September 13, 2018
Dr. Julie Benesh, Bruce Mabee and Maggie Shreve, facilitators
Goals for Tonight
Get to know one another
Connect our OD past to our possible OD future
Decide on a few things we can do
Connect our Chicago thinking to the OD
Gathering in Baltimore
Agenda
Framework: Future of OD for me?
My fears and hopes
My own OD legacy
What to do about it?
Baltimore OD Gathering pitch
Announcements, offers
Examining OD & ourselves—a brief history
Future of OD: 04 panel, 17 & 18 programs (plus others)
Disruptions: uncertainty, change fatigue, polarization…
What could help? positive approach, integrity, awareness,
listening/being curious, continuing to grow the community…
Baltimore OD Gathering: From Founders to Future
• Dialogue, not “conference”
• 2.5 days. 125 people, mostly east coast
• December spots for Chicagoans
Chicago & Baltimore
April 2018
• Baltimore 2017
• Founders
• Observations
• Where to?
May 2018
• Open Space
• Current State →Future State
• Technology
• Changing work place
September 2018
• What’s next?
• Hopes & Fears
• Legacy
• Baltimore, 2018
Founders. From April, 2018 ODN/C meetingFavorite Founders OD Focus Area
Harrison Owen Open Space
Barbara Bunker T-Groups, conflict resolution, Gender, Trust
Marv Weisbord Self-directed work teams, 6 box model
Elaine Kepner Gestalt Group Process
Fritz Steele Design, Innovation & OD
Kurt Lewin Change Model, Action research
Mary Parker Follet Participative Management
Douglas McGregor Intervening variables, Theory X- Y
Rensis Likert Surveys – "5-Point Likert Scale"
Blake & Mouton Managerial Grid: Task/People
Dick Beckhard Formula for Change
Conflict or Polarity?
Calling
• Personal (use of self)
• Internal
• Subjective
• Values-driven
• “Touchy-Feely”
• Mission/community oriented
Profession
• Scientific (impersonal)
• External/business-like
• Tasks and design
• Values-free
• “Professional”
• Profit/corporate oriented
You?
Us?
OD Network of Chicago –60+ members, 900 subscribers
The Alliance: ATD, ChAPT,
ACMP, CODIC, Chicago ISPI, ICF,
NSA-IL, STC
Big associations: SHRM, etc.
Internet-based groups:
e.g., HR Mastermind (65,872
members), one of 305 OD Meetup
Groups:
Chicago’s Agile Business
Forum
Futurists
StrengthFinders
Positive Psychology
Holacracy
Org. Communications
People Analytics
Self-Organizing Teams …
Maggie’s Thoughts…
What is OD? (handout)
70 to 90% of all change efforts fail (Why?)
Fragmentation vs re-organizing?
Must we fall apart to come back together?
(chaos theory & fractals vs stasis)
My Hopes & Fears
Think about your hopes and fears
Hope: think about your “preferred future of the
world/work and OD
What would be nice?
Call outs
Fear: think about what could go in a less desired
direction or get in the way of your hope.
What are those directions or barriers?
Call outs
My Own OD Legacy
A legacy I’d hate for us to have:
_________________________
I’d love on my tombstone:
_________________________
My role in shaping OD’s future
What can I do?
What / Who might help?
OD GatheringBaltimore, December 4 – 6
Help shape:
What is OD’s value
proposition today?
Future implications?
Planning Group
Bob Marshak
Bridget O’Brien
Fred Miller
Ilene Wasserman
Judith Katz
Matt Minahan
Norm Jones
Thanks for coming!
Announcements
Something to offer our community?
Something to ask of our community?
Evaluations
A Taste of Peer Coaching
October 11th Alan Niebanck & Kristen English
