Practitioner and Affinity Groups
Self-organized group meetings are an OD Network Conference tradition. Practitioner and affinity groups bring together people with common identity, interests, roles or challenges. Groups spend time in reflection, connection, transformation, stimulation and renewal.
As group meetings are scheduled, we’ll post them here; a schedule will also be provided on site.
Practitioner Meetings
Affinity Groups
Affinity Groups
If you are interested in hosting, creating or facilitating an affinity group, please contact Chris Kloth, who is coordinating group meetings and can help you identify the best time to meet.
| Sunday, October 22 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 a.m.-Noon | The21st Global Forum | Karen J. Davis and IODA |
| 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. | gODparents | Denny Gallagher |
| 2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m. | GLBT Professionals in OD | Paul Cadario |
| 2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m. | Coaching in Complex Adaptive Systems | Mallary Tytel |
| Monday, October 23 | ||
| 7:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m. | White OD Practitioners Confronting Racism | Beth Applegate & Alison Welch |
| 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. | The21st Global Forum | Karen J. Davis and IODA |
| 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. | Social Justice and OD | Chris Kloth |
| 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. | Men in OD | David Glaser & Matt Minahan |
| 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. | Newer Practitioners Networking & Learning (NPNL) | Cherie Del Carlo |
| 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. | Coaching and OD | Mary Wayne Bush, The Foundation of Coaching |
Note: also see Networking schedule for Sponsor |
||
| Tuesday, October 24 | ||
| 12:15 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. | Practitioners in the Nonprofit/NGO/Third Sector | Chris Kloth |
| 12:15 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. | Latinos/as in OD | John Vegas |
The21st Global Forum
We invite you to celebrate our 21st year of connecting at the OD Network Conferences. As someone working worldwide, or interested in doing so, come share your stories and passions about global OD - and discover new colleagues.
gODparents
The purpose of the gODparents' gathering is for nourishment and re-creation, focusing the collective spirit and power of our work within ourselves, with our colleagues and for the world. Experienced practitioners will spend time reconnecting, looking at critical issues in their lives and ways they can assist new and younger professionals in OD. We will also explore the values and evolving directions in the field --- specifically speaking to some of the concerns described by Dave Bradford and Warner Burke in their most recent book, Reinventing Organizational Development. Later in the day, many of the gODparents will participate in the Dick Beckhard Mentoring Program.
GLBT Professionals in OD
An informal gathering to meet each other, where we share interests and expectations about the conference, and talk about how we bring who we are to what we do. GLBT professionals in OD, and friends and allies, are welcome to this event, held this year for the first time before the Conference's formal opening reception.
Coaching in Complex Adaptive Systems
Effective coaching brings out the best in people and in this radically changing world new habits, skills, and capacity are required. The more the world around us is in flux, the more we must be certain about what matters. Join us for a discussion of the role of the coach in Complex Adaptive Systems and how we as coaches can continue to promote continuous resilience and performance in individuals and organizations.
White OD Practitioners Confronting Racism
As whites and as OD practitioners, we need to take greater responsibility to educate ourselves about our role in racial dynamics and racism rather than rely on people of color to teach us. Come join the 5th annual White Affinity Group where we will connect in an effort to take responsibility to confront racism in ourselves and in others and work for racial justice. We will be “in the moment” using our experiences at the conference to create a dialogue around issues related to white privilege, racism, inclusion, and being allies to people of color. Whether you're new to considering these issues or not, you're invited to participate in this opportunity to learn more about and practice use-of-self and one's presence as an OD practitioner.
The21st Global Forum
We invite you to celebrate our 21st year of connecting at the OD Network Conferences. As someone working worldwide, or interested in doing so, come share your stories and passions about global OD - and discover new colleagues.
Social Justice and OD
Whether you start with Kurt Lewin or the Old Testament story of Jethro, social justice has been part of the roots of OD for a very long time. This new practitioner group will provide colleagues who have a passion for exploring the potential connections between social justice, OD and OD Network with an opportunity to engage in dialogue. Please join us as we take our first steps on a new journey.
Men in OD
Participants are typically men, mostly in their 40s and 50s. We typically open with poetry or a song to set the tone, we invite the participants to talk about what's uppermost on their minds, from which we develop an "agenda" or a theme for the session. At the end, we inquire about participants' plans for next year and seek feedback about the session.
Newer Practitioners Networking & Learning (NPNL)
Are you a newer OD Practitioner looking to meet, learn from and network with other professionals? If so, please join us for an interactive networking and learning experience! The second-half of the NPNL will take place on Wednesday. There’s no requirement to be at both sessions. This two-part event is designed to bring together those with five (or fewer) years of OD experience to help you build new relationships, learn more about our field and expand your OD career.
On Monday evening, we’ll begin by networking and identifying the key learning we desire from our experience together at the conference. The session, supported by a number of mid-level and senior OD professionals and members of the OD Network Board, will then turn to an exploration for the answers to our questions and desired learning as we explore the general conference. In coming back together on Wednesday morning, we will report out on our findings, share our insights, and celebrate our new connections as we build a virtual network to take us beyond the conference over the next year. Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Coaching and OD
Calling All Coaches! Please join us for an affinity group session for OD Network coaches, hosted by The Foundation of Coaching (www.thefoundationofcoaching.org). If you are a coach, or are interested in coaching and OD, you are invited for networking and a lively discussion of current issues in organizational and executive coaching. We will share best practices, learn about new resources that are available, and discover different ways of thinking about our work. Light refreshments will be provided.
Practitioners in the Nonprofit/NGO/Third Sector
Many OD practitioners working in the Nonprofit/NGO/Third Sectors find there are some aspects of their work that are quite similar to any other OD work and some that seem quite unique. Organizations in this sector come in every size and have missions that may include service delivery, social justice advocacy and more. The sector is becoming increasingly significant as a social and economic force globally. Join colleagues as we continue our journey to understand and give voice to our contributions to the field.
Latinos/as in OD
This is a wonderful opportunity to meet and spend time with other Latino's or strong supporters of advancing the interests of Latino's in the field of OD. If you are interested in spending time with other members of the OD Network community who are interested in exploring the benefits, challenges and issues facing Latino's in the field of OD, this is a terrific forum.
Practitioner Groups
- Regional OD Network Leadership Initiative Meeting
- People of Color & Aboriginal People in the Applied Behavioral Sciences
Regional OD Network Leadership Initiative Meeting
If you’re an active member of a regional network, you won’t want to miss the gathering of regional leaders on Saturday, October 21, 1:00–4:00 pm. Over the last two years, the Regional Leadership Initiative has conducted regional focus groups, and this information, combined with OD Network’s Pulse Survey, gives us plenty of fascinating data to share. We’ll explore how regional networks can work together to build capacity, address common challenges and strengthen the relationship between the regional networks and the OD Network. This is an opportunity to explore the life cycles of regional networks. Whether you have best practices to share, are creating a new regional network, or want to make an existing regional network more vital, please join us. Dinner together that evening is optional; if you can join us, please pre-register.
People of Color & Aboriginal People in the Applied Behavioral Sciences
Join us on Sunday, October 22, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, to reconnect with old friends, make some new ones, and continue planning for an event in 2008 where People of Color and First Peoples will come together to build capacity within our communities, within organizations, and in the larger society, and to coalesce as a network. For questions or more information, email Arnold Minors.