it depends on your definition of OD...
and I'm just starting to suss out the possibilities there. But in an interesting conversation I had this morning, I understood more clearly the parallels between personal change and growth and organizational change and growth - and it's hard for me to think of times when I changed and grew without being in conversation with those around me.
As the priveleged prize winner of the March meeting I'm charged with reporting back on the April 24 seminar on "the four D's of a dialogue culture". If there's anything that anyone wants me to especially pay attention to, let me know - I'd be glad to have assignments from the body that allowed me to participate!
Susan Loucks
posted by Susan L at 6:00 PM
2 Comments:
I appreciate your direct response, especially in bringing up the beginning OD perspective. I am not sure how conversations are NOT a part of OD, but that may due to my lack of knowledge about the ongoing conversations in the field. Conversations being a vital part of relationship (that Tom mentioned as foundational to having "action conversations"), I would see them as the building blocks of OD. Again, I would love to hear about what conversations have taken place in the field. Would anyone suggest a book or article that gives a good overview?
3:57 PM
Actually, what I said at the meeting was - or was meant to be - that on the face of it one not think of "conversations" as being an OD topic. After all, there many situations involving and many books written about conversations that have no reference to organizational issues.
But I surely concur that conversations are important "building blocks" of OD and that OD practitioners need to be good conversalionists. One of our Consulting Alliance teams was referred to by its client, who apparently had little knowledge of OD, as "communication experts". And there is kind of "school of thought" in change management that change is shown by, and in a sense is, different converations.
I cannot cite a specific book or article with an overview of the role of conversations in OD (though there are many that look at such in specific ways or in generalized contacts), but here is a book that may come close to that: http://tinyurl.com/3726n6 .
8:59 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home