Grid OD

Pramod Dhawan

Introduction
Designed by Blake and Mouton.
It is a 6 phase program lasting about 3-5
years.
In this, an organization can move
systematically from the stage of examining
managerial behavior and style to the
development and implementation of an
ideal strategic corporate model.

Phases
Pre-phase
Phase 1: The Managerial Grid
Phase 2: Teamwork Development
Phase 3: Intergroup Development
Phase 4: Developing as Ideal Strategic Corporate
Model
Phase 5: Implementing the Ideal Strategic Model
Phase 6: Systematic Critique

Pre-phase
Selected key managers in the organization
attend Grid seminar.
It is a week long experience based laboratory.
Managers learn about Grid concepts, assess their
own styles using Managerial Grid questionnaire.
They learn both what the Grid OD program and
how to conduct it in their own company.
At a Grid OD Seminar, participants are taught the
materials involved in phases 2 to 6.

Phase I - Managerial Grid

Phase I (Contd.)
A Grid Seminar, conducted by in-company managers, is
given to all the managers of the organization.
The focus of training:
1. Assessing an individuals managerial style
2. Problem solving
3. Evaluating
4. Communication skills
5. The skills of synergizing teamwork are learned and

practiced.
6. Managers learn to become 9,9 managers.

Phase 2: Teamwork Development

The goal is perfecting teamwork in the
organization through analysis of team, culture,
traditions.
Also in developing skills in planning, setting
objectives and problem solving.
Feedback is given to each managers about his
or her individual and team behavior.
This allows manager to understand how others
see his or her strengths and weaknesses in the
team working.

Phase 3: Intergroup Development

The phase includes building operational plans
for moving the two groups from their actual
state to an ideal state of intergroup relations.
The dynamics of intergroup cooperation &
competition are explored.
Often only selected members of the teamspeople who have close working relations with
the other team- take part in the exercises and
activities.

Phase 4: Developing an Ideal Strategic

Corporate Model
The focus shifts to corporate strategic planning,
with the goal being to learn the concepts and the
skills of corporate logic necessary to achieve
corporate excellence.
The top management groups engages in the
strategic planning activities of this phase.
The charge of top management group is to
design an ideal strategic corporate model that
would define what the corporation would be like
if it were truly excellent. Using the comparisons
of ideal corporate versus real corporate logic.
Top mgt. team is better able to recognize what

Phase 5: Implementing the Ideal Strategic Model

The org. implement the model of corporate excellence

developed in Phase 4.
Logical components of the corporation are designed (profit
centers, geographical locations, product lines etc.).
Each component appoints a planning team whose job is to
examine every phase of the components operation to see how
the business may be moved more in line with the ideal model.
In addition, a phase 5 coordination is appointed to act as a
resource to the planning teams.
The planning teams thus conduct conversion studies to see
how the components must change to fit the ideal strategic
corporate model.

Phase 6: Systematic Critique

The results of the Grid OD program, from pre
phase 1 to post phase 5, are measured.
Systematic critiquing, measuring and
evaluating lead to knowledge of what progress
has been made, what barriers still exist and
must be overcome and what new opportunities
have developed that may be exploited.
This phase is begun after phase 5 is going well
and is beginning to convert the organization to
ideal model.
Taking stock of where the corporation has
been, how far it has come, where it currently is
thus represents a new beginning from which