Practicing Organization Development (A guide for Consultants) - Part 21. Organization development (OD) is about planned change. As change has turned into the only constant, many managers and other people are pursuing change strategies with vigor. OD is a major strategy for leading and managing change at the individual, group, intergroup, organizational, interorganizational, and large systems levels. This book is about what it takes to be an effective change manager, change leader, and OD consultant | ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT FROM THE VIEW OF THE EXPERTS 171 strategies structures processes and human systems and enhanced profitability and competitiveness. 3. The newer definitions tend to confirm many of the principles of the more traditional definitions but place a stronger emphasis on the following The change process and developing organizations that are capable of adapting to dynamic change and repeatedly transforming and reinventing themselves. Positive change and finding ways to unleash human potential. Values and building humane organizations that find the balance between organization effectiveness and individual fulfillment in a rapidly changing environment. Accelerated change. The term long term traditionally used to describe OD efforts was not mentioned in any of the new definitions. I do not interpret this to mean that long term and sustainable efforts are not important but rather to recognize the need to accelerate OD efforts in today s fast-moving environment of mergers acquisitions and constant change and to understand that having the luxury of two to five years to affect significant organization change is seldom an option in today s fast changing environment. Top-down bottom-up change. Another traditional term that did not appear in any of the new definitions was top-down change or managed from the top. Anyone involved in OD would support the idea that change is greatly accelerated and infinitely more sustainable when it has top-level support and involvement. However OD seeks both top-down and bottom-up support and involvement and although it is a calculated risk is sometimes pursued with minimal or initially no involvement of top-level managers. A global and idealistic perspective in some of the more unique definitions that did not appear in the final new definitions list. These definitions focused on using OD to resolve world issues build a better society and to develop more egalitarian organizations where power wealth and choice are more equitably
