Editor’s Welcome Welcome to the November issue of the ODNC Beacon. Once again, we’re here to remind you how exciting Organization Development is in Chicago these days! Highlights in this issue include: - A provocative description of the October ODNC meetings, "OD Nightmares--the case of NASA," below. - A guide for keeping yourself energized and focused to do your best work, in "Cultivating Excellence," Page 2. - An update on the fast-approaching 2003 Impact Awards event, honoring and celebrating the best in Chicago OD, Page 2. - A recap of the hot topics at the national ODN conference this year in Portland, Page 3. - Descriptions of upcoming ODNC programs you won’t want to miss -- Strength Training for Leadership (Page 4) and Assessing and Creating an Ethical Environment (Page 5). Plus the usual assortment of OD updates to keep you in touch with the extended OD community. Enjoy! --Christine Buss, Editor Moving Beyond OD NIGHTMARES: The Case of NASA Media coverage of the Columbia disaster struck a nerve with several members of ODN/C’s Board, particularly when repeated references to NASA’s culture were made in the final report of the independent investigating body. A team of three Board members emerged with the mission to engage the membership in a dialogue about how OD professionals could contribute to helping NASA move forward. Jim Sweet, Adjunct Professor at Benedictine University, brought his considerable understanding of organizational culture to the discussion. Joe Merton brought his technical systems background and extensive research on the Challenger incident to bear. Katharine Nathan, an independent consultant who grew up near Cape Kennedy, brought her knowledge of NASA’s history and organizational communications to the topic. The conversations took place at Underwriters Labs in Northbrook and Harris Bank headquarters in Chicago. Participants pondered four themes that emerged from independent investigatory bodies in the wake of Challenger and Columbia: leadership, culture, communications, and processes and systems within NASA. LEADERSHIP As one participant observed, someone is ultimately accountable when disaster strikes. NASA leadership is trapped in an unsavory "sandwich" which demands that they satisfy public expectation, congressional oversight and the demands of a highly technical and complicated endeavor. Even though leadership stepped up to respond to the incident, important questions linger in the minds of our group: Who defines success? NASA? External groups? If NASA embraced the recommendations of the investigative body, would that be tantamount to an admission of guilt? How are terms (priorities) defined? Are those changing? How does management handle polarities? CULTURE Both the Rogers report (Challenger) and the report of the CAIB (Columbia) level harsh criticism at the agency for embracing recommendations and then failing to make lasting changes. It is clear that a resistant and embedded NASA culture contributed to both disasters. NASA’s tradition, founded in its historic 1969 mission to the moon, has created an image of "the best organization that human beings could create to accomplish selected goals." Over time, this led to short cuts that affected safety. Engineers would note ruefully, "we got away with that last time." Several questions arose within our discussions: How can NASA move from a defensive/"top secret" culture to a proactive/open culture? What role does the drive for power play in establishing NASA’s culture? Should the potential downside of NASA’s 90’s mission ("Better, Faster, Cheaper") be explored? COMMUNICATION One of our group members noted that the scientific method is all about open communication and the ability to replicate results. NASA appears to act in a manner that is diametrically opposed to the scientific method. Chris Argyris’ concept of organizational defensive routines captures the essence of NASA’s communications. "Any action, policy, or practice that prevents organizational participants from experiencing embarrassment or threat at the same time, prevents them from discovering the cause of the embarrassment or threat. To do this, individuals learn to communicate inconsistent messages, act as if the messages are not inconsistent, make the previous actions undiscussable, and make the undiscussability undiscussable." (Argyris, Overcoming Organizational Defenses, 1991) Questions associated with this area included: Were communication channels shut down? Is it possible to create a method for negative information to be heard and acted upon? Is NASA communications policy controlled by PR objectives? Should NASA clearly accept the risk of its programs and define "acceptable risk"? FACTORS INFLUENCING ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS/PROCESSES Several external factors have played decisive roles in shaping NASA’s history. These include a steadily declining budget, the expectation that regular and more frequent shuttle flights would be made, and more objectives to fulfill (the space station, Hubble telescope and Mars exploration). Organizational defensive routines have also led to a number of outcomes. For example, in the Challenger experience, Morton Thiokol engineers who attempted to surface concerns about the O-rings were told that unless they could quantify the level of risk, they could not report their fears. Our groups raised several significant related issues: Has the use of outside contractors added to potential risk? Should NASA develop a process to reconcile conflicting priorities and budgets? Is there a way to align external deadline pressures with best practices and safety? What can NASA do to identify a crisis in the making? The right questions often lie at the heart of effective OD interventions. Our groups did an excellent job of framing key questions at the heart of an action research approach to helping NASA move forward. This session offered ODN/C members a chance to participate in a case study discussion. Some group participants have suggested we conduct a second NASA discussion. Others suggested we develop other programs in which we hold similar discussions around other topics. What do you think we should do? Let me hear from you. Send your e-mail to me at: KANDAN2000@aol.com Cultivating Excellence "If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, Here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well." – Martin Luther King, Jr. What does it take to do Organization Development with such brilliance that the hosts of heaven and earth will sigh? One thing’s for sure, day to day pressures and frustrations can make it hard to stay devoted to an attitude of excellence. Here are a few suggestions that may help you bring out the best you have to offer and make your OD contributions something to exclaim about. Engage your passion. You chose to do OD work because you care. You care about the quality of work life and about people’s ability to be successful at what they do. It’s helpful to continually remind yourself about the enthusiasm [translation: “filled with God”] that motivates your work. What do you care passionately about? What is it about OD work that makes you feel alive? “Decide what you stand for... and stand for it.” That’s the advice Pat Russo, now CEO of Lucent Technologies, gave for how to be successful. Being clear about the difference you want to make energizes your efforts. Consider crafting a mission statement and keeping it close by to remind yourself what you stand for. "In the world to come, I will not be asked, 'Why were you not Moses?' Instead, I will be asked, 'Why were you not Susya?'" Reb Susya, 19th Century Rabbi. Celebrate your accomplishments. When you do make a difference, however small, take a moment to appreciate it. Sometimes we set standards for ourselves pretty high and judge everything we do as not enough. We all love to have concrete, measurable, large-scale impact, but ultimately the little things may end up mattering the most anyway. Mark Twain said, "When you cannot get a compliment any other way pay yourself one." Keep up your enthusiasm by allowing yourself to recognize the good work you do. Cultivate awareness. Spend time regularly in activities like journaling and meditation that heighten your moment- to-moment awareness of what’s going on inside and outside yourself. We do our best work when we’re alert to our own internal feelings and processes, responding consciously and intentionally rather than out of habit or reactivity. When we’re present in the moment, we act wisely. Dr. David Kundtz describes a useful practice in his book Stopping. A "stillpoint" is a brief pause taken several times a day during which you breathe deeply and intentionally, check in with your body and mental state, and connect with what’s important. You may spend the moment reminding yourself of your mission, experiencing gratitude, or just getting some perspective. It takes only a moment, but brings you back to your work conscious and refreshed. It’s all important. One of the most enlightening moments of my career came when I complained to a friend that I was now being "forced" to go to a series of technical meetings that I wasn’t interested in, with a group that was demotivated and demoralized. My friend considered this and asked me, "What would it be like if you thought of those meetings as just another place to do your work?" In that moment, I was startled out of whining and into seeing how important it was to be the person I wanted to be no matter what the specific content of the job was. It transformed who and how I was in those meetings and in many other situations. However you understand "your work," even if you have only the vaguest sense of what it is, every day provides many opportunities, as Gandhi said, to "be the change you wish to see in the world," and contribute to your corner of it. Then, streetsweeper or OD professional, you’ll make the hosts of heaven and earth sit up and take notice. --Christine Buss Individual and Team Excellence Christine@cmbuss.com The 2003 ODNC Impact Awards A Showcase of Compelling Organization Development Results And the Winner is... Be among the first to know who won ODNC’s 2003 IMPACT AWARDS. You’ll get the answer when you attend ODNC’s 2003 Impact Awards ceremony. You’ll hear from our panel of judges why the winners were selected, and you’ll also have an opportunity to hear from the winners themselves. Mark your calendar now for Friday, November 21, 2003. Breakfast begins at 8:00 A.M. and the ceremony kicks off at 8:30 A.M. The event will be held in the Gleacher Center of the University of Chicago (450 North City Front Plaza). There is a $15 charge for the event that will be used to help fund next year’s program. Master of Ceremonies for the event will be Julie Truck, Business Editor of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. In addition, ODNC Patrons for the event, The Northern Trust and Fulcrum Network, will share their thinking about the contribution OD is making to organization health and effectiveness. Announcing The Keynote Speaker Dr. Daniel R. Denison will be the featured keynote speaker for the 2003 ODN/C Impact Awards. Dr. Denison holds a Masters in Sociology and a PhD in Organizational Psychology. He is currently working as Professor of Organization Development at the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland. Prior to his time at IMD, he was Visiting Associate Professor of Organization Behavior and Human Resource Management at the School of Business Administration at the University of Michigan. The central focus of Dr. Denison's work has been researching the connection between corporate culture and organizational effectiveness. He is the creator of the Denison Culture Study which links organizational culture to such bottom line performance measures as return on investment, sales growth and innovation. With over 15 years of experience, a client list of over 100 Fortune 500 and international companies, and tracking data from hundreds of publicly traded companies, Dr. Denison brings the strength of "normal science" to the argument for OD. Register for The Awards Ceremony Go to www.odnetwork.org/odnc/reg.doc, print the form and mail it in. 2003 ODN Conference – Portland, OR The general 2003 OD Network Annual Conference was held in Portland, Oregon from October 12 - 15. “Intensives” (workshops) were held before and after the conference, so the entire event spanned October 10 – 16. ODN/C Board member Ross Schifo represented our regional chapter at this conference. He brings back the following observations: Although we typically think of ODN/C’s parent organization, ODN, as a national organization, its conference attracts an international audience. My observation was that most attendees were from the USA, but many were from Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, etc. Attendance was probably in the range of ~ 700. This was my third consecutive ODN conference. Like the others, the action was non-stop. If one has the energy, it is possible to be immersed in OD learning from 7:00 AM to past 10:00 PM daily. With over 50 different activities, many simultaneous, there is no way for one person to take it all in . . . but that didn’t stop me from trying! The conference theme was "Sustainable Organizations." Most organizations focus on the bottom line as the ultimate measure of performance. For traditional organizations, “bottom line” refers to profits. In Portland, however, numerous case studies were presented of organizations that maintain a “triple bottom line.” That is, they measure financial + social + environmental performance. Classical MBAs may be quick to point out that without a strong financial performance, organizations will cease to exist, and thus social and environmental impacts are secondary. Representatives from organizations like Nike, Norm Thompson (a successful mail-order firm), and the State of Oregon demonstrated how they have achieved success by rejecting such "either/or" thinking. In an open meeting, the ODN Board shared a draft of its new Mission Statement for comment (also posted at the ODN website). The strongest theme from the audience’s feedback seemed to be that it’s a good start AND it needs to go further to address the ODN’s role in social change, particularly as related to oppression, diversity, and inclusion. The Board also shared that ODN is facing financial challenges. It’s traditional revenue model, which focuses on membership and conferences, needs to be revisited. Members of the audience and Board expressed the feeling that competition exists between various professional societies for membership (and the dollars they bring). I suggested a collaborative model. It appeared to me that we are metaphorically fishing in a desert pond that’s evaporating. The way to catch more fish isn’t to use bigger worms, but to enlarge and restock the pond. We can do this by creating/expanding the market for OD services. Over the course of the week, I discussed how we might do this with ODN Board members, other Regional Board members, representatives from AU/NTL, etc. (more on this in the future...) A real golden nugget emerged at the Wednesday plenary session. Dr. Roosevelt Thomas discussed the implications of diversity and inclusion for sustainability. (See http://www.rthomasconsulting.com) He showed a video he created about the fable of "the giraffe and the elephant." I highly recommend this resource, especially for those who still don’t "get it." The condensed version is that the giraffe builds himself a house with a workshop in it. He needs help with his woodworking business, so he invites the elephant to join him. Because the house is built to accommodate a giraffe, not an elephant, all sorts of challenges arise. Dr. Thomas has written five books, and I suggested a sixth to him: a children’s book, based upon this excellent fable. -- R. Schifo, RODP November Program--Strength Training for Leadership with Stedman Graham Building to become a superior leader can be likened to building to become a superior athlete. Both processes aim for resilience, performance, strength, endurance, etc. Both require relentless discipline and self-awareness. Stedman Graham is both an athlete and an international expert on the topic of leadership. He has arrived at each new level in his life through unyielding attention to why, what, where, with whom, and for whom. A few years ago, he looked back and asked himself how did I manage this? Once he saw the pattern, he expressed it in his book You Can Make it Happen, A Nine Step Plan for Success. Mr. Graham brings his nine principles to the Organization Development Network for conversation and discovery of refreshing ways to strengthen the leadership muscles. His philosophy is unique and his visual portrayal is simple yet brilliant. You will be sure to gain new insights into leadership and life challenges from Mr. Graham's vantage point and perspective. Don’t miss this session. Mr. Stedman Graham is Chairman and CEO of S. Graham and Associates, a management and marketing consulting firm serving the corporate and education markets. As an adjunct professor and distinguished visiting professor, he teaches courses on leadership at local and national Universities. In addition to corporate education and consulting in the area of leadership, Mr. Graham is committed to youth and community. He is founder of the Leadership Institute of Chicago, a nonprofit education and research organization dedicated to promoting effective leadership throughout society. He is also founder of Athletes Against Drugs, a nonprofit organization of athletes and other civic leaders committed to developing leadership in youth. Mr. Graham earned a bachelor's degree in social work from Hardin- Simmons University and a master's degree in Education from Ball State University. He has been awarded an honorary doctorate in Humanities from Coker College and has been recognized by the American Advertising Federation as an "Industry Influential" for his work in support of diversity. Mr. Graham’s presentation will be: Thursday, November 20, 2004 Harris Bank, 111 W. Monroe, 20th floor 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Welcome to New Members! We’d like to welcome those members who joined recently. Please take the opportunity to get to know ... Jackie Baldyga McDonald's Corp. 1 McDonald's Plaza Oak Brook, IL 60523 (630) 623-5394 jackie.baldyga@mcd.com Heather Berman The Pallas Group, LLC 230 S. LaSalle St, Ste 400 Chicago, IL 60604 (312) 356-4519 hberman@thepallasgroup.com Lori A. Birkey RR Donnelley 77 West Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 326-8351 lori.birkey@rrd.com Vicki Crawshaw Sears, Roebuck and Co. 3333 Beverly Rd, E2-119A Hoffman Estates, IL 60179 (847) 286-9031 vcrawsh@sears.com Constance DuBay DuBay Consulting Assoc., LLC 106 Fallstone Drive Lake Forest, IL 60045 (847) 615-2757 Stacey J. Durbin Pactiv Corp 1900 W Field Ct Lake Forest, IL 60045 (847) 482-3087 sdurbin@pactiv.com Kimberly Kochurka Maura Marrs Lena F. Neal Packer Engineering, Inc. 1950 N. Washington St Naperville, IL 60563 (630) 577-1916 lneal@packereng.com Sherry Stockler Southern California Edison 8631 Rush Street Rosemead, CA 91770 (626) 308-6769 sherry.stockler@sce.com Michele Wallis Evanston Northwestern Healthcare 2650 Ridge Ave Evanston, IL 60201 (847) 570-2716 mwallis@enh.org February Program: Assessing and Creating an Ethical Climate Here’s a heads-up notice that we have a great program coming in February. Both the city and suburbs programs will feature K. T. Connor presenting this fascinating and important topic: Assessing And Creating An Ethical Climate: An OD Challenge Collins (Good to Great), de Geus’ (The Living Company), Kouzes and Posner (The Leadership Challenge) and others have reminded us that ethical companies can be high- performing companies. Yet recent events remind us that organizational ethics is in crisis. What can the OD professional do to help organizations create a climate of ethical thinking and behaving? This session takes a scientific approach to ethics, moving it from "soft" to "hard" considerations. It explores: - Ethics as a "hard" science· The 9 pathways to ethical performance in an organization - The challenge of measuring ethics in an organization - How to escape the measurement traps: o espoused vs. lived theory o unidimensional definitions of ethics o managerial myopia - Preliminary research demonstrating the gaps that can be addressed by the OD practitioner - Implications for us, here, now, tonight K.T. Connor, PhD, a Social Psychologist, has degrees from the University of Southern California and Case Western Reserve University. She has been involved in organizational development work for over 25 years, working with such companies as IBM, GTE, Motorola, Ford Motor Company, PSEG Power, and Merrill Lynch. She has also worked with health care facilities, school systems, volunteer and paid boards, and the Army Corps of Engineers. She recently completed a five year term as President of the Creative Education Foundation--home of the Creative Problem Solving Institute and legacy of Alex Osborn, formulator of “brainstorming” and founder of the global ad agency BBDO. She is currently a Director of the Product Development & Management Association. She is a member of OD Network, ASTD, ISPI, and ATP. Figuring "somebody has to do it," she is living on Spanish-moss-magical Saint Simons Island off the coast of Georgia--when she’s not on an airplane off to see a client. Invitations from the O. D. Institute RESEARCH/STUDY TEAM ON NONVIOLENT CHANGE MAY 16-18, 2004 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Call for Presentations: You are invited to make a presentation at The 19th Annual Meeting of the international, interorganizational, interdisciplinary Research/Study Team on Nonviolent Large Systems Change being held May 16-18, 2004 in Chicago, Illinois. We are looking for individuals and organizations that are interested in finding nonviolent ways to solve conflict. Pete Njoku, founder of The Nigeria O.D. Network is planning to bring a delegation from Nigeria to discuss how to eliminate the caste system and slavery without violence. Registration for this meeting is free as a contribution from The O..D. Institute towards building a world more at peace. 34TH INFORMATION EXCHANGE MAY 18-21, 2004 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Call for Presentations: You are invited to make a presentation at The 34th Annual Information Exchange on “What Is New in Organization Development and Human Resource Development” being held May 18-21, 2004 in Chicago, Illinois. Registration before October 15th is $150 for 2003-2004 members of The O.D. Institute and $210 for nonmembers. (A membership is $110 and includes $345 in benefits.) Co-Chairs for The 34th Annual Information Exchange are Debbie Pastors, RODC and Ross Schifo, RODP. Various site possibilities are being explored. The 34th Annual Information Exchange will begin on Tuesday evening May 18th with a community building trust building exercise. It will end on Friday afternoon May 21st following the Awards Luncheon. At the Awards Luncheon, The O.D. Institute will give The Jack Gibb Award of $1000 for the best presentation by a fulltime student not working full time, a $2,000 award for the most outstanding O.D. article of the year and awards for the most outstanding O.D. projects of the year. We hope you can join us for this year’s 34th Annual Information Exchange in Chicago, Illinois May 18-21, 2004.To register for the conference and for additional information, please contact The O.D. Institute at: Don@odinstitute.org or visit our homepage at: http://odinstitute.org. 24TH O.D. WORLD CONGRESS JULY 12-17, 2004 LAW UNIVERSITY OF LITHUANIA VILNIUS, LITHUANIA Call for Presentations: You are invited to make a presentation at The 24th O.D. World Congress being held July 12-17, 2004 at Law University in Vilnius, Lithuania. The Chairmen for The 24th O.D. World Congress are Prof. Alvydas Pumputis, Rector, and Dr. Vladimir Obrastov who was Chairman of The 12th O.D. World Congress held in Palanga, Lithuania in 1992. Registration before October 15th is only US$150 for 2003-2004 members of The O.D. Institute and US$210 for non members. .A single room at the university cottage is US$20/night but they only have 20 rooms. They will arrange for the overflow to stay at a local hotel for US$30/night. Three meals and coffee breaks included is US$30per day. Room reservations can be made with Mrs. Giedre Raciene, Director, Center for International Relations and Studies, Law University of Lithuania, Ateities G. 26, LT-2057, Lithuania. Tel: 370 5 2714 522. E-mail: inter@LTU.Lt If you would prefer to stay at a local hotel, the cost of a single room is US$30/night. The 24th O.D. World Congress will begin on Monday evening July 12, 2004 with a community trust building exercise and end Saturday noon July 17th after lunch. You will not want to miss this unusual educational opportunity to meet and learn from O.D. people worldwide. For Congress registration and more information, please contact The O.D. Institute at: Don@odinstitute.org or visit our homepage at: www.odinstitute.org. O.D. NETWORKS WORLDWIDE JULY 17, 2004 LAW UNIVERSITY OF LITHUANIA VILNIUS, LITHUANIA Call for Presentations: You are invited to make a presentation at The 14th Annual Meeting of O.D. Networks Worldwide. We will meet to discuss how we might be more helpful to one another and to discuss where we might like to meet next year. Registration for this meeting is free as a contribution from The O.D. Institute towards building the field of O.D. into a profession and building a worldwide network of O.D. people who share information with one another. PDN Update OD Interventions Learning Community -- NEW!!! Convener: Eleanor Alandy (837) 402-2013 This PDN focuses on OD interventions of particular interest to the community. It will be a forum to share our knowledge, experience, and expertise. Potential topics include Dialogue, Open Space Technology, and Culture Change. Next Meeting: Thursday, Nov 20, 6:00 to 8:30 PM Location: Allstate Insurance Co., 2775 Sanders Road, Northbrook Corporate University PDN -- NEW!!! Conveners: Naomi Berkove (773) 247-3663 This PDN provides a forum for professionals involved with corporate universities to share information and network. Next Meeting: Wednesday, Nov 19, 6:00 to 8:15 PM Location: Drake Hotel, Chicago Careers in Transition Convener: Rose Ann Pastor 630-243-8667 Careers in Transition-Chicago is facilitated by seasoned career management professionals who offer sound career management consultation, information and resources. The small group forum attracts diverse professionals who are transitioning into, out of or within the fields of human resources, training, organizational development, performance improvement, talent/career management and coaching. Next Meeting: Wednesday, Dec 3, 6:00 to 7:30 PM Location: Crossroads Center at the Career Transitions Center (room 21), 711 West Monroe, Chicago Careers in Transition - West Convener: Mike Baker (630) 653-5600 Next Meeting: Monday, Dec 15, 10:00 to 11:30 AM Location: 4320 Winfield Road in Warrenville Topic: TBD Consulting Convener: Stephen Harap (630) 852-0223 The Consulting PDN was created to provide a forum for anyone in independent practice or considering independent work to meet, discuss issues and network. The easiest way to become a member is to join the Consulting PDN virtual forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PDN. Creativity/Innovation (Virtual) Convener: Gerald Haman 312-829-2852 Do you have a situation in which you feel stuck, or just want more options? We discuss a variety of methods and tools to generate ideas/alternatives to help participants address real situations, problems, and issues. Meeting Date: Meetings every 4 - 6 weeks - Contact Convener Location: "Thinkubator" in downtown Chicago HRDI - Alumni Convener: Jim Krueger (312) 578-8275 x5023 This PDN is open to HRD Institute (HRDI) students, instructors, mentors and friends. Its purpose is to network with our fellow HRD Alumni and friends, and to develop our skills Instructional Technology (Virtual) Convener: Mike Kemmler (847) 530-2399 This "virtual" PDN will use an eGroup to investigate and share resources and ideas in the areas of distance learning, web-based training, on-line collaboration, and other cutting edge topics. To Join: Send an e-mail message to tech-pdn- subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Internal Consulting Conveners: Mike Herron (312) 444-3409 Get professionally connected. Learn survival tools and tactics for the Internal Consultant’s critical role. Next Meeting: Friday, Nov 21, 7:30 to 9:00 AM Location: Northern Trust Bank, 181 West Madison, 7th floor, Chicago (Room Number to be posted in elevator lobby). BYOB (Bring Your Own Breakfast). RSVP to Mike Herron. Lake Forest/LakeBluff/Northern Suburbs This group is organized to connect with HRD professionals in the northern suburbs to explore, discuss, and share resources with one another. Conveners: Howard Prager, hprager@lfgsm.edu Ken Phillips & Kristin Phillips Next Meeting: Contact Conveners Leadership & Coaching Convener: Ed Johnson (847) 705-0498 Assist in the development of leaders within organizations; assist in identifying emerging leaders within organizations; transform leadership capabilities of organizations; increase the sales performance of organizations through inspired leadership. Next Meetings: Chicago - 2nd Thursday of each month, 12:00 to 2:00 PM Argosy Univ./Chicago, Two First National Plaza, 20 S. Clark St., 3rd Fl. (312) 201-0200 Rolling Meadows - 1st Thursday of every other month; next meeting is in November, 12:00 to 2:00 PM Argosy Univ./Chicago Northwest, One Continental Towers, 1701 Golf Rd., Ste. 101, Rolling Meadows, IL (847) 290-7400 Ongoing Learning Group Convener: Don Sandel (847) 700-5125 We investigate and share performance improvement information and personal experiences with other practitioners in order to improve the individual, team and organizational performance of those attending and the organizations they serve. Next Meeting: Tuesday, November 4th, 6:20 networking; 6:50 - 8:30 meeting Location: Contact Convener Professionally Speaking & Facilitating Convener: Deb Kowalczyk (773) 784-3052 Next Meeting: Contact Convener Be a Contributor! Have something you’d like to share with the OD community? Maybe you have some great work you’d like to celebrate or some idea you’d like to socialize. What do you know that we’d all benefit from? Send stories between 500 and 800 words as text or Word file to the Editors. What is ODN Chicago? Our vision is to be known as a dynamic center for renewal for Organization Development (OD) practitioners. Operating since 1975, ODN Chicago is an independent network committed to helping its members develop their effectiveness in improving organizations. We offer opportunities for professional education and development, as well as the active exchange of experience, support and new ideas. Our members include internal and external consultants, corporate managers and specialists, trainers, academics, human resource personnel, and other professionals interested in making their organization, department, or team more effective. We work in a wide variety of environments including business, academic, government, and non-profit. Similarly, our members bring an array of industry and work experience from banking to utilities and from corporate conglomerates to local community organizations