ROLE AND STYLE OF OD PRACTITIONER

• Change programs do not happen accidently.• They require leadership to function properly.• The OD practitioner facilitates the changes by

training, educating, and collaboratively designing new ways of functioning.

• Since the competitive forces of an org. are changing very rapidly, the OD practitioner tries to build a consensus among top management to initiate changes quickly.

OD Practitioner Styles

• Practitioner styles depend upon the degree of emphasis the practitioner places on the two things-

• Effectiveness: the degree of emphasis on accomplishment of goals

• Morale: the degree of emphasis on relationships and participant satisfaction.

• Based on these two factors, there are five styles of OD practitioners.

• CHEERLEADER PATHFINDER

• PERSUADER

• STABILIZER ANALYZER

• Five different types of OD Practitioners Styles and Roles have been identified:

• 1. The Stabilizer Style: This style is mainly found where the OD program is taken just for the sake of it. The management is not very keen on it . As a result, the OD practitioner is neither concerned about goal accomplishments nor employee moral.

• The Cheerleader Style: In this style, the practitioner is mainly concerned with the morale of the employees and is less concerned about the accomplishment of goals. The underlying assumption is that if the employees are satisfied, their effectiveness will be high.

• The Analyzer Style: This style is the reverse of Cheerleader style. The emphasis here is more on effectiveness and less on employee moral. The practitioner here is quite authoritative.

• The Persuader Style: This style focuses on both – the effectiveness as well as morale. The approach here is to achieve satisfaction and support of a majority of members and prepare them for change.

• The Pathfinder Style: This style believes that when all the members are involved, and work as a team, greater effectiveness is achieved. Thus the emphasis here is equally high for effectiveness as well as morale.

The Intervention Process

• OD is a collaborative process.• The OD practitioners perform the following

functions• 1. Helping the client determining its current

level or state• 2. Assisting in the analysis or problem areas

and planning strategies of change• 3. Intervening and facilitating change.

• In order to find out whether an organization is really prepared for an OD programme, the practitioner must first find out –

• 1. Are the learning goals of OD appropriate?• 2. Is the culture of the client ready for OD?• 3. Are the key people involved?• 4. Are the members of the organization

oriented to OD?

The Intervention

• Intervention is the coming of the OD practitioner among the members of an organization to effect a change.

• The purpose of intervention is to change the status quo.• These are planned activities undertaken by both client as

well as the practitioner.• The various steps in an OD process are :• 1.Developing practitioner-client relationship• 2.Diagnosing the problem• 3. Making action plans, strategies and Techniques• 4. Monitoring and stabilizing

• Who is a client?

Role of OD Practitioner

• The Basic assumption of any OD program is that a team is the building block of any organization.

• The OD practitioner analyses the team behavior in terms of

• - communication• - members’ role and function in groups• - group norms and growth• - leadership and authority

• The OD practitioner analyses as to how these processes occur in the organization.

• With the help of OD practitioner, the group is observed and the observations shared and improvements brought about.

• At the same time the client is also learning to observe and improving his problem solving abilities.

• Client participation in the process is very important.• The client may either have the requisite skills or he

may have the ability to develop them.

Skills required in a practitioner

• Following are the skills critical for the success of an internal practitioner:

• - Leadership: this skill is necessary to give direction to the team, monitor the progress and to keep the members focused on the company values.

• - Project management: involving all the right people and departments to keep the program on track

• - Communication: key values must be communicated to all the members.

• - Problem Solving: implementing a solution to an organizational problem. The practitioner must not only be skilled in solving the present problem, but must also be skilled enough to anticipate what problems the company is likely to face in future.

• -Interpersonal: giving the responsibility as well as the authority to everybody in the organization to be involved in the change process. This can be done if the practitioner is skilled in facilitating, building relationships and process skills.

• - Personal: the practitioner should have the confidence to help the organization take tough decisions, introduce new techniques and see if it works.

Forming the Practitioner-Client Relationship

• The practitioner-client relationship is a system of interacting elements. The elements are:-

• - The practitioner: is the one who initiates the change program aimed at improving the effectiveness.

• - Client sponsor or contact: is the person in the client group who has requested the practitioner’s help.

• The client target system: is the unit in the organization that are to be changed and the values and behavior that have been practiced.

• The first stage in the development of the relationship between the client and the practitioner is the interaction between the two parties.

• During this interaction, the practitioner determines whether or not to accept the relationship.

• He will try to evaluate whether the client organization is ready and committed for change or not.

• At the same time the client system also assesses the capabilities of the practitioner.

• In the initial stages, both the parties try to sell each other .

• Ideally the practitioner should be free of the pressure of needing the work. Only then he will be able to objectively decide whether the client requires his services.

• As the program progresses, the client may no longer feel the need of the practitioner, and would like to work independently.

• This situation must be allowed to flourish and may require altering the roles and letting the client assume a greater role.

Developing a Trust Relationship

• Development of openness and trust between the practitioner and client is very important.

• It facilitates communication and cooperation• The level of trust will depend on the openness

with which the members respond and also the style of the practitioner.

Creating a Climate for Change

• The basic value system of the practitioner must be compatible with the organization.

• The practitioner may have to iron out these differences .

• If the incompatibility is too great, then the practitioner may have to rethink his association with the organization.

Practitioner – Client relationship Modes

• There are 4 types of modes based on 1) the openness of the members and 2) the acceptance of responsibility of own behavioe of the members.

• 1. The Apathetic Mode. • 2. The Gamesmanship Mode• 3. The Charismatic Mode• 4. The Consensus mode