Featured Sessions
Fireside Chat
Sit in on a stimulating conversation with 2008 OD Network Award winners on Monday afternoon. Honor their noteworthy contributions to advancing the theory and practice of organization development in this inspiring “fireside” session. Learn from these exceptional OD practitioners and organizations who embody key OD values, principles, and practices in exemplary ways.
Get Published!
If you want to write for one of the OD Network’s celebrated publications, spend lunchtime on Monday with the managing editor of OD Network publications, Marilyn Blair; the new Editor of OD Practitioner, John Vogelsang; the Editor of Practicing OD, Dave Jamieson; and members of the editorial review boards for OD Network’s publications. Bring your case experiences, the processes, tools, and theory you are developing to share with your colleagues in roundtable conversation. Writing for a professional journal is a tremendous opportunity to communicate your ideas, contribute to the field, and further your career. You’ll have your questions answered and get the lowdown on how to submit and get articles published.
Early Morning Eye Openers
Mindfulness Meditation with David Glaser
Mindfulness meditation is an intentional strategy designed to help people become more present, more open-hearted and more at home in themselves. The regular practice of meditation can be a profound support to one’s consulting practice. Mindfulness is a natural practice for OD folks because it is based on values and approaches that are consistent with those underlying the use of Action Research. This session will touch on those similarities, present basic meditation methods, and provide guidance in practicing them.
Yoga with Jennifer Robin
The Sanskrit word Yoga means “union.” It mirrors in a physical practice what many of us do day to day in the OD field by acknowledging and celebrating polarities and holding them in the same space at the same time. Specifically, many yoga asanas require that practitioners demonstrate a precise combination of strength, balance, and flexibility. In this session, we will explore the natural polarities in yoga asana both intellectually and physically. All are welcome: Beginners to yoga and those with a beginner’s mind.
Seishindo Embodied Presence with Charlie Badenhop
Seishindo is a human potential discipline designed to help people become more present, aware, compassionate, and solution-oriented. Aren’t these the very qualities we strive to embody as OD practitioners? This session will introduce several practices you can use in your daily life to help you feel calm, resourceful, and connected. We particularly welcome people who are just beginning to explore alternative modalities.
NEW! The Kurt Lewin Master Class Series:
Applying Theory to Practice
In these interactive conversations, you’ll talk with seasoned practitioners about how they consciously integrate theory into their client work and consulting engagements. Each session has a unique focus as practitioners explore their personal approaches to connecting theory with practice. For instance, what applied behavioral science theories have had the most value for them or had the most impact on their practice? What theories do they believe may have been either under- or over-exposed? What familiar consulting conundrums might best be understood through a particular theoretical lens? Most importantly, you’ll have a chance to talk with these master practitioners about using theory more intentionally to create effective strategies for learning and change.
The 2008 Series*:
Frank Friedlander, faculty at Case Western Reserve University and the Fielding Graduate University for many years, and Don Bushnell, founding dean of the Human and Organization Development Program at Fielding Graduate University and a principal consultant for the Institute for Social Innovation, talk about the difficulties of building and applying theory that is relevant to organization change. They offer examples of theory induced from practice and by the application of “Positive OD” theory to practice.
Brenda Jones teaches in the masters program in organization development at American University and is faculty for the Gestalt OSD Center, Cleveland, Ohio. Brenda is a board member of The Lewin Center and co-editor of The NTL Handbook of Organization Development and Change. She believes that having a strong theoretical base represents a bridge that we draw on as we address organizational issues cutting across social and behavioral sciences. Brenda provides insights into her work in relation to Gestalt and other theories, tracking the impact that the intentional and focused use of theory has in her practice.
Barbara Mink shares her experiences with the “9 Windows” model, a comprehensive systems model for transforming organizations that focuses on action research and integrated interventions at the individual, group, and organizational level. 9 Windows is based on concepts from action science, open systems, change theories, group development models and action research. Barbara is an international organizational change consultant, a professor at Fielding Graduate University and on the Board of Austin Community College District.
Ed Nevis, a self-described “organizational historian,” talks about connecting intimate and strategic interactions in organizations. Edwin C. Nevis recently completed 17 years at the Sloan School of Management of MIT, where he taught courses in organization change and has practiced organizational consulting internationally for more than 40 years. He is president of the Gestalt International Study Center in Cape Cod and founder of the OSD and the International OSD programs at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland.
Tony Petrella, Executive Director OD Network, 1975 – 1985 and co-founder in 1976 of Block, Petrella, Weisbord, shares his wisdom and robust convictions about OD and its relationship to the fulfillment of organizational purpose, accumulated over 40 years of consulting experience. Through dialogue with a classical master of consulting practice, engage Tony’s rubric of assuring “O” maintains its preeminence in OD.
Glenn Varney talks about the ways in which OD practitioners function as “organizational physicians,” seeking to help organizations stay healthy by solving problems, building on organizational strengths, and improving human performance. Professor Emeritus and founder of the Master of Organization Development program at Bowling Green State University, Glenn has conducted research in change theories/processes, with the intention of “building organization development and change (ODC) as an academic discipline.” He believes that, above all, we must be able to rigorously use action research as a form of scientific inquiry.
Sunday BONUS Sessions
Back to Basics: Principles for Powerful Practice
Edith Seashore & Michael Broom, Center for Human Systems
Too often the very fundamentals of organization development technology are glossed over—creating problems for practitioners, clients, and the field. Back to Basics offers a practical definition of OD along with a pungent review of a metamodel of planned change. Conducted by leading practitioners Michael Broom and Edie Seashore, Back to Basics reinforces fundamental OD skills and provides a call for renewal through focusing on the basics.
The Future of Management Ideas
Art Kleiner, Editor-in-chief, strategy+business
OD practice had its roots in ideas that challenged mainstream thinking about organizational effectiveness, human potential, group dynamics, and diversity. Join Art Kleiner in examining management ideas that might fuel the next wave of corporate effectiveness. These, too, may be countercultural as they encompass brain research, cultural identity, global access, financial literacy, and more. Using a modified scenario planning process, we’ll propose ideas, examine their roots, and come to a common understanding.
Sunday Evening Community Session: Music-Making and Appreciative Conversation with One World Music
Start the conference with an inspiring, engaging experience. Connect with colleagues and unleash creativity on a journey that blends music-making and appreciative conversation. Explore practices world-class ensembles use to optimize performance! Experience music as a powerful metaphor for innovation and change. You’ll also discover ways to cultivate leadership and teamwork in organizations. Instruments will be provided. No musical experience needed.
* These sessions run concurrently.