Practicing Organization Development (A guide for Consultants) - Part 63. 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 | THE PERSONHOOD OF THE CONSULTANT 591 It is one thing to be aware of one s strengths and not to be open about them. But it is another not even to be aware of some of one s talents. After all Grandma Moses didn t begin painting until her later years. Even genius may be wasted it is known that Albert Einstein in an early class in arithmetic had a teacher who belittled his performance. What if he had not become a physicist I have been saddened to see practitioners and interns who have so much more to offer than those possibilities of which they are presently aware. How comfortable are you with acknowledging and engaging your own strengths in your client work Discomfort with Intimacy As two individuals relate to one another the question arises often without awareness How close can I let myself get to this other person It is interesting to observe two people shaking hands. This social custom in one instance is acted out by hand contact with arms fairly stiff then a bending of the elbows until the parties are relatively physically close to each other then one of the persons disengages and puts his hand on the other person s shoulder then they might embrace. Another instance starts out the same but then the arms are held straight out and remain stiff. Implicitly the message is Don t come any closer to me. Near or far or something in between that is the question. Closeness or distance can involve mental physical or emotional issues. Many factors can enter into the consultant s preference for or dislike of intimacy. Knowing what the factors are can give you a better understanding of yourself and more choice in your work with others. Without this awareness and choice you may tend to interact with clients or associates in ways that are limited by your own assumptions attitudes or apprehensions. What concerns emerge for you as you develop an appropriate interpersonal distance closeness with clients How flexible are you about this with different clients or at different stages in
