Study God

Competencies for Practicing Organization Development—Version 20

This list was developed when 381 people responded to our online survey. The survey was developed from feedback we received the previous few years on the latest or the nineteenth version of our research. What you have below are the variables that people rated 4.4 or higher on a 5-point scale. We wish to thank Jaime Jusidman, president of Execusurv.com, for donating the technology.

At the end of this report, we are hinting at emerging competencies.

We learned from Dr. Don Cole, RODC, in the early 1970s, that defining knowledge and skill necessary for competence in OD was essential for building the field of OD into a profession. Ken Benne created the first OD skill list at NTL in the 1950s. In the late 1970s, with his list in mind, I (Roland) invited fifty or so recognized experts in the field of OD to tell us the skills needed for practicing OD.

Respondents included Dick Beckhard, Jack and Lorraine Gibb, Herb Sheppard, Ron and Gordon Lippitt, Kathie Dannemiller, Warren Bennis, Shel Davis, Pat and Gay Williams, Warner Burke, Bob Chin, Gerard Egan, Robert Blake, R. Golembiewski, Carl Rogers, Charlie and Edie Seashore, Don Cole, Bob Tannenbaum, and Ken Benne.

Roland Sullivan

William J. Rothwell

The Essential Competencies for
Practicing OD Effectively
20th Version

MARKETING

Be aware of systems wanting to change.

Be known to those needing you.

Match skills with potential client profile.

Convey qualifications in a credible manner.

Quickly grasp the nature of the system.

Determine appropriate decision makers.

ENROLLING

Build trusting relationships.

Deal effectively with resistance.

Help the client trust the process.

Help the client manage emotionally charged feelings.

Collaboratively design the change process.

MINI-ASSESSMENT

Further clarify real issues.

Be aware of how one’s biases influence interaction.

Link change effort into ongoing organizational processes.

Identify informal power.

DATA GATHERING

Determine the type of data needed.

Clarify boundaries for confidentiality.

Select a process that will facilitate openness.

DIAGNOSIS

Watch for deeper issues as data is gathered.

Suspend judgment while gathering data.

Recognize what is relevant.

Know how data from different parts of the system impact each other.

Stay focused on the purpose of the consultancy.

FEEDBACK

Prepare leadership for the truth.

Involve participants so they begin to own the process.

Create a non-threatening atmosphere.

PLANNING

Distill recommendations from the data.

Consider creative alternatives.

PARTICIPATION

Obtain commitment from leadership.

Co-create an implementation plan that is rooted in the data.

Co-create implementation plan that is clear.

Co-create implementation plan that is results-oriented.

Co-create implementation plan that is measurable.

INTERVENTION

Reduce dependency on the consultant.

Instill responsibility for follow-through.

Intervene at the right depth.

Redesign intervention or mindfully respond to new dynamics.

Re-plan as unexpected circumstances arise.

EVALUATION

Initiate ongoing feedback in client-consultant relationship.

Choose appropriate evaluation methods (that is, interviews, instruments, financial sheets) to collect evaluation information.

Determine level of evaluation, such as reaction, learning, behavioral change, organizational impact, societal impact.

Ensure evaluation is reliable.

Ensure evaluation method is practical.

FOLLOW-UP

Establish method to monitor change after the intervention.

Use information to reinforce positive change.

Use information to take next steps.

Link evaluation with expected outcomes.

ADOPTION

Transfer change skills to internal consultant so learning is continuous.

Link change process to daily life of system.

Pay attention to movement back to old behaviors.

Move more away from project-driven change to strategy-driven change.

Be sure customers and stakeholders are satisfied with intervention’s results.

SEPARATION

Recognize when separation is desirable.

Leave the client satisfied.

SELF-AWARENESS

Be aware of how one’s “whole person” impacts one’s practice.

Clarify personal values.

Clarify personal boundaries.

Manage personal biases.

Manage personal defensiveness.

Recognize when personal feelings have been aroused.

Remain physically healthy while under stress.

Resolve ethical issues with integrity.

Avoid getting personal needs met at the expense of the client (financial, emotional, sexual, etc.).

Work within the limits of your capabilities.

Perform effectively in an atmosphere of ambiguity.

Perform effectively in the midst of chaos.

INTERPERSONAL

Develop mutually trusting relationships with others.

Solicit feedback from others about your impact on them.

Collaborate with internal/external OD professional.

Balance the needs of multiple relationships.

Listen to others.

Pay attention to the spontaneous and informal.

Consistently maintain confidentiality.

Interpersonally relate to others.

OTHER

Handle diversity and diverse situations skillfully.

Communicate directions clearly to large groups.

Facilitate small group interventions (up to seventy).

Be aware of the influences of cultural dynamics on interactions with others.

Moving from skills and knowledge to competency.

As was stated in last year’s Handbook, we are now moving the concept of skills and knowledge to competency. Our first effort will be to define an OD competency. With the help of Bob Tannenbaum, here is our first definition.

At this point, we define a competency as any personal quality that contributes to successful OD consulting performance. Basic areas of OD competency include relevant knowledge of professional theories, techniques, and methods; human values; self-awareness; and performance skills. We will be refining our definition as we elicit feedback to our current definition.

Above you have performance skills and the self-awareness components. The eighth edition of the classic text Organization Development and Change by Worley and Cummings has the essential OD knowledge. Much work over the years on values has been done.

Our survey gave us fifty pages of comments for open-ended questions. From that and other projects that I am working on, I have gleaned additional competency areas that are emerging. The name(s) in parentheses are people I am aware of who have expertise in the given area. I am sure there are more who share a specific expertise as well as many other emerging competency areas.

1. Consulting at the strategic level (Worley)

2. Large scale and total system change interventions (Cummings)

3. Understanding and facilitating the ongoing shift to high tech (Conner)

4. Consult comprehensively with speed and agility across cultures (Marshak, Kaleel Jamison Group)

5. Utilization of the lessons from complexity and life sciences (Ed Olsen and Glenda Eoyang)

6. Solid grounding in essential philosophical principals so one experiences a well-lived and mindful life; integration of Eastern philosophy (Koestenbaum, Block, and Chan Allan)

7. Stronger conflict-resolution skills than in the past to deal with the emerging differences (NTL, Don Cole)

8. Utilize measurement metrics that are solid; not just use smile sheets (Mirvis and Golembiewski)

9. Ability to use a whole-system change and transformation approaches (Sullivan, Dannemiller, Quade, Cady)

10. Be able to tie organization change and effectiveness to bottom-line results (Beer)

11. Utilizing more powerful facilitation and organizational influence (Burke)

12. Facilitate simple conversations that lead to committed action (Wheatley, Juanita Brown)

13. Virtual Interventions using wireless technology and cyberspace (Lind, Jusidman, and Kaplan)

14. Be able to use small group dynamic skill in the marriage of large group and technology (Lind, Jusidman, and Kaplan)

15. Executive and individual coaching (Burke, Scherer, Brinkerhoff)

16. Bringing in the timeless values and competencies from the founders in our field (Argyris, Seashore)

17. Something around applied spirituality in an accepting of everyone’s different truth and sense of universality (Wheatley, Vail, Tannenbaum, Cooperrider, Anderson)

18. Being able to create “conscious transformation” at individual and system-wide level (Ackerman Anderson and Anderson)

19. Be able to utilize appreciative inquiry (Cooperrider)

20. Be able to do trans-organization development; help mergers, alliances, and networks (Feyerherm)

21. Practitioners being able to be risk takers as they generate more creative and innovative approaches to facilitation (Byrd)

22. System thinking and listening, collaboration and participation, as well as strategic visioning and implementation (Haines)

23. The ability to change and be more adaptable with changing times

COMMITTEE TO DEFINE THE COMPETENCIES FOR ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT

Roland Sullivan, RODC, Chair

Kathleen Buchman, RODC

Dr. Leland J. Davies, RODP

Dr. Arthur M. Freedman, RODC

Dr. Robert Golembiewski, RODC

Dr. Robert W. Hotes, RODC

Dr. Ron Hunady, RODP

Jaime Jusidman

Dr. Miriam Y. Lacey, RODC

Dr. Geoffrey Laendner, RODP

Mark Michaels, RODC

Martha Nelson

Tim Neumen, RODP

Linda Nolte, RODC

Dr. Jane Parker, RODP

Dr. John Persico, Jr., RODC

Dr. Joanne C. Preston, RODC

Kristine Quade, RODP

Dr. William J. Rothwell

Tom Strait, RODP

Dr. Perla Rizalina M. Tayko, RODC

Arielle Threlkeld-Sullivan

Pritam Vichani, RODC

Dr. Chris Worley