OD Seasonings
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Volume 4, Number 1 • Winter 2008
From The Editor
Passion, People, and Performance Insights from Theatre on Talent and Alignment
By Rochelle T. Mucha
Last year I embarked on one of the most memorable journeys of my life. To complete my doctoral studies, I began a research project with two regional theatres in Atlanta, Georgia. My intention was rather simple: I wanted to explore what business organizations could learn from theatre ensembles to enhance alignment and performance. Beyond completing dissertation requirements, I hoped to discover insights that would strengthen my ability as an Organization Development consultant to support my clients. That was my professional goal.
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the Mucha article >>
Healthcare Rx: Start with Results Today
By Patrice Murphy and Celia Kirwan
In these days, it seems all roads lead to healthcare. In response to the immense pressure facing health organizations, many OD methods developed in other industries are being used to help unlock the insight and creativity of workers in hospitals, clinics and health administration.
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the Murphy & Kirwan article >>
Aligning People And Business Strategy – Building A Platform For Success
By Tim Corcoran
Every job has its complexities, but not many are like those facing one of our clients in Western Australia. He is a first-time CEO of a mining and resources company with 1,600 employees, a new management team, and a promising new strategy he wants to implement in a very competitive market. Unfortunately, experience and research both show that most strategies die during implementation without realising their full benefits. Fortune magazine estimates that “70% of CEO’s who fail do so because of bad execution – not bad strategy”.
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the Corcoran article >>
Covert Processes at Work: Managing the Five Hidden Dimensions of Organizational Change
By Robert Marshak
Reviewed by Don Bushnell
When we think of covert processes at work, we think of hidden agendas, competitive stances, and office politics – all practices that can undermine efforts to change an organization. But Robert Marshak, in his recently published and eminently useful book “Covert Practices at Work,” makes it clear that not all hidden agendas are necessarily bad and that the early meanings of the word “covert” also meant to be protected or sheltered. Some things seen as covert, Marshak suggests, need to be kept that way. But by approaching most covert issues with an open mind and with a neutral orientation, he contends that the OD consultant can work to address those hidden agendas that block needed change in an open and exploratory manner. The consultants job is to communicate trust in the critical focal group’s ability to bring about change and to instill in that group both the confidence and capability of changing itself.
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the Bushnell Review >>