OD Practitioners: "Organizational Physicians"?

The system of organizations is very similar, if not the same as, the system of human
beings -- after all, organizations are made up of humans! Therefore, when trying to
understand the field of organization development, it might be useful to compare aspects
of the field of organization development to aspects of the field of medicine.

For example, the study of the theories and structures of organizations (often in courses
called "organizational theory") is similar to the study of anatomy and physiology of
human systems. Similarly, the study of organizational behavior is similar to the study of
psychology and sociology in human systems. Finally, the study and field of organization
development compares to the study and field of medicine regarding human systems.

That is, in OD, practitioners might work in a manner similar to "organizational

physicians" intending to improve the effectiveness of people and organizations by:

1) Establishing relationships with key personnel in the organization (often called

"entering" and "contracting" with the organization);

2) Researching and evaluating systems in the organization to understand dysfunctions

and/or goals of the systems in the organization ("diagnosing" the systems in the
organization);

3) Identifying approaches (or "interventions") to improve effectiveness of the

organization and its people;

4) Applying approaches to improve effectiveness (methods of "planned change" in the

organization),

5) Evaluating the ongoing effectiveness of the approaches and their results.

An Old Standard Definition of OD

The nature and needs of organizations are changing dramatically. Correspondingly, the
profession of organization development (OD) has been changing to meet the changing
needs of organizations. Therefore, it may be most useful to consider several definitions of
organization development. Here's a standard definition. The next section gives some
contrasting definitions.

For many years, the following definition was perhaps the standard definition for OD. The
following definition was developed in 1969 at a time when an organization was
considered to be much like a stable machine comprised of interlocking parts.

“Organization Development is an effort planned, organization-wide, and managed from

the top, to increase organization effectiveness and health through planned interventions in
the organization's 'processes,' using behavioral-science knowledge.”
-- Beckhard, “Organization development: Strategies and Models”, Reading, MA:
Addison-Wesley, 1969, p. 9.

New Definitions of OD
Today's organizations operate in a rapidly changing environment. Consequently, one of
the most important assets for an organization is the ability to manage change -- and for
people to remain healthy and authentic. Consider the following definition of OD:

“Organization Development is the attempt to influence the members of an organization to

expand their candidness with each other about their views of the organization and their
experience in it, and to take greater responsibility for their own actions as organization
members. The assumption behind OD is that when people pursue both of these objectives
simultaneously, they are likely to discover new ways of working together that they
experience as more effective for achieving their own and their shared (organizational)
goals. And that when this does not happen, such activity helps them to understand why
and to make meaningful choices about what to do in light of this understanding.”
-- Neilsen, “Becoming an OD Practitioner”, Englewood Cliffs, CA: Prentice-Hall, 1984,
pp. 2-3.

Experts might agree that the following definitions of OD represent the major focus and
thrust of many of today's OD practitioners.

"Organization development is a system-wide application of behavioral science

knowledge to the planned development and reinforcement of organizational strategies,
structures, and processes for improving an organization's effectiveness."
-- Cummings and Worley, "Organization Development and Change", Sixth Edition,
South-Western Publishing, 1997, p.2.

"Organization Development is a body of knowledge and practice that enhances

organizational performance and individual development, viewing the organization as a
complex system of systems that exist within a larger system, each of which has its own
attributes and degrees of alignment. OD interventions in these systems are inclusive
methodologies and approaches to strategic planning, organization design, leadership
development, change management, performance management, coaching, diversity, and
work/life balance."
-- Matt Minahan, MM & Associates, Silver Spring, Maryland

Holistic Organization Development: A Paradigm for the

Future
Written by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright
1997-2007.
Traditional Definition of Organization Development
(OD)
Social scientists have learned that our paradigms have a powerful effect on how we
interpret the world around us. The following definition of organization development is
rather standard.

“Organization Development is an effort (1) planned, (2) organization-wide, and (3)

managed from the top, to (4) increase organization effectiveness and health through (5)
planned interventions in the organization's "processes," using behavioral-science
knowledge” (Beckhard, “Organization development: Strategies and Models”, Reading,
MA: Addison-Wesley, 1969, p. 9).

The definition was developed in 1969 at a time when an organization was considered to
be much like a stable machine comprised of interlocking parts. OD diagnoses an
organizational problem and then prescribes an intervention to fix it, much like a
traditional medical doctor treats a body today. The above definition is often cited when
describing the field of OD. OD courses explain methods in terms of diagnosis,
interventions and evaluations.

Traditional View of OD Must Change

Today’s organizations are experiencing change like never before. Many of us
practitioners now find that after we’ve “treated” one organizational problem, another
soon surfaces. This cycle occurs despite our efforts to diagnose the client’s problem.
Some of us view our recurring interventions as if we’re peeling off layers of an onion to
get to the real cause of the client’s problem. Others view recurring problems as inherent
in the turbulent environments of today’s organizations.

This ongoing dilemma in OD is similar to that in medicine. Physicians rely on empirical

forms of research based heavily on the scientific method. They work from a linear model
in which the practitioner analyzes a symptom, makes a diagnosis, treats the apparent
problem with an intervention of some sort and then waits to see what difference the
intervention made. When the symptom goes away, the practitioner concludes that the
problem is “fixed”. Particularly in today’s high-stress environment, the patient soon
experiences other problems with other symptoms. Too often, the patient tragically
assumes that discomfort is what life is all about and resigns to a lower quality of life than
could otherwise be had.

Features of Holistic Medicine

Many people now seek remedies in alternative, holistic forms of medicine. Fortunately, a
new paradigm seems to be developing in medicine that accommodates and integrate new
forms of treatments. Medical schools recognize this new paradigm. We in OD must now
do the same.

Holistic medicine works from a systems perspective rather than the linear model of
traditional medicine. Service providers in holistic medicine consider the patient to be so
dynamic that cause-and-effect perspectives can’t grasp the true nature of the patient
“system”. Providers consider all aspects of the patient, including physical, mental,
emotional and spiritual. Providers harbor no illusions of “fixing” anything. Instead, they
work toward wellness, toward improving the overall quality of life for the patient.
Providers believe that the patient’s system knows how to take care of itself. That is, the
wisdom is there, but the provider and patient must work together to let this wisdom come
out.

Holistic services include varied forms of treatment, for example, training about stress
management, exercise, adjustments to diet, counseling, massage, acupuncture, herbal
medicine, etc. Often these treatments are highly integrated into comprehensive treatment
programs, including ongoing support to patients as they accomplish necessary life
changes. There’s concerted effort on the part of service providers to train about methods
of holistic treatments. Courses are held in homes and communities.

Beginnings: Holistic OD
Actually, developers have been adopting various forms of holistic development for
several years. Many practitioners now take a systems view of organizations. They focus
as much on the processes between the parts of an organization as on the parts themselves.
They talk of patterns in organizations rather than events. They talk of paradoxes and
polarities, rather than fixing. They count on guiding principles as much as verified facts
from social sciences.

Self-organizing systems and self-managed teams are now mainstream in the literature.
Spirituality in the workplace has become a common topic. Many management books
reference principles from Eastern philosophies. Management development programs now
include forms of self development as well. Dialogue groups enhance meaning for
members. Interventions, such as coaching and peer-coaching seem to be on the rise.
Consultants specialize in facilitating the rituals inherent in managing change. Consultants
promise “learning relationships” with clients.

Yet to Be Done
However, much remains to be done. We recognize that leaders are faced with many
anxieties while facing constant change. Yet we provide few avenues for leaders to get
ongoing support to deal with these anxieties. Research indicates that adult learning is
very organic in nature and occurs from ongoing actions, reflection and feedback. Yet too
many of us resort only to traditional classroom techniques for leadership development.
We recognize that change takes time. Yet we cave in to client demands to shorten the
length of projects. Too many of us see only those symptoms that match the treatments
only we can provide. Many continue to question why MBA programs include few, if any,
courses in OD.

In addition, we need a new definition of OD -- a definition that integrates and

accommodates new methods to enhance the effectiveness of our organizations. It may not
be a definition at all. It may be a set of guiding principles around which the field of OD
self-organizes for now.

One New Definition of OD

Today, OD is counted on to improve organizations that are operating in a quite different
environment than that of the 1960s. The nature and forms of organizations are changing
dramatically. The field of organization development requires its own evolution to
accommodate the evolution of organizations. Consider the following rather novel
definition of organization development.

“Organization Development is the attempt to influence the members of an organization

to expand their candidness with each other about their views of the organization and
their experience in it, and to take greater responsibility for their own actions as
organization members. The assumption behind OD is that when people pursue both of
these objectives simultaneously, they are likely to discover new ways of working together
that they experience as more effective for achieving their own and their shared
(organizational) goals. And that when this does not happen, such activity helps them to
understand why and to make meaningful choices about what to do in light of this
understanding” (Neilsen, “Becoming an OD Practitioner”, Englewood Cliffs, CA:
Prentice-Hall, 1984, pp. 2-3).

This definition places priority on "candidness" of organization members and their taking
"greater responsibility for their own actions.” This definition places priority on nurturing
the authenticity needed for members to continuously learn from themselves and each
other. As Terry asserts: “authenticity self-corrects” (from “Authentic Leadership: Courage
in Action”, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1993). This definition is probably one of
several that could serve as basis to define or suggest what OD is today.

A recent discussion in the online ODNET discussion group discussed whether OD has a
credibility problem or not. One of the major outcomes from the discussion was that the
profession of OD means many things to many people. As with most things in life, this
ambiguity has its advantages and disadvantages. As with most things in life, the benefit
from this struggle comes not from the solution itself, but from the struggle.