Chapter 3: The Organizational Development Practitioner: They Are Generalist Organization Development Practitioners
Chapter 3: The Organizational Development Practitioner: They Are Generalist Organization Development Practitioners
Chapter 3: The Organizational Development Practitioner: They Are Generalist Organization Development Practitioners
Graduate Studies
Magsaysay Avenue, Sorsogon City
The second set of people to whom the term OD practitioner applies are
those specializing in fields related to OD such as reward systems,
organization design; total quality, information technology and business
strategy.
They are specialist organization development practitioner.
The third set of people to whom the term applies are the increasing
number of managers and administrators who have gained competence in
who apply it to their own work areas.
They have gained the expertise to introduce change and innovation into
the organization.
They are the functional organization development practitioners.
1. Individual Psychology
This requires having good understanding of the learning, motivation
and perception theories. It means knowing how to deal with people
individually, understanding their respective idiosyncrasies and
drawing out the best in them.
2. Group Dynamics
This is concerned with managing varied roles in the organization
making correct and favorable decisions, nurturing group development
and professionalizing communication processes.
3. Organizational Behavior
This refers to the ability to understand the organizational culture,
the skill to design job tasks,- the maturity to handle interpersonal
relations and conflicts. It requires possession of high ethical standards,
foresight to set goals, transformational leadership and the gift to
handle power and politics in the workplace.
4. Functional knowledge
This concerns expertise in information technology, project
management, logistics, new and emerging corporate and business
developments as well as in marketing, finance, production and human
resource development.
5. Management
This calls for proficiency in supervising the administrative functions of
the organization or any unit. It requires skills in planning, organizing,
leading and controlling. A holistic and strategic perspective of the
organizational structure and knowledge of theories on contingency and
systems are necessary.
6. Cultural Diversity:
This refers possession of the art of accepting understanding, and
working with individuals of different cultures, increasing awareness of
multicultural dynamics to develop high performance, adapting to
cultural differences and similarities, and applying effective approaches
to managing conflict in a multicultural work environment.
1. Behavioral Skills
That will make one see things objectively, all times, think
professionally, speak maturely, and act ethically, The
consultant/practitioner needs personal skills that will make
him/her look at issues with a high degree of self-discipline, honesty,
consistency, and trust, and interpersonal skills that can help
him/her build, facilitate and strengthen relationships with
everybody,
2. Leadership skills
That will enable him/her to motivate employees, initiate action,
inspire them to undergo change recognize thoughts, feelings and
behaviors associated with change situations and create change work
environments where emotional honesty and energy are required.
3. Communication skills
That will help him/her listen to everyone and effectively shan-'
his/her ideas with all concerned key players with clarity and
conviction. He also needs presentation skills to balance verbal and
nonverbal messages, respond professionally to questions, and speak,
present and communicate with poise power and persuasion.
4. Negotiation skills
That will help him/her minimize, if not eliminate resistance, settle
conflicts, and bring about understanding, at the least, acceptance,
cooperation, and collaboration among the parties concerned.
Similarly, he/she needs marginal skills that will help him/her bring
together and reconcile viewpoints among radically opposing
organization groups. Traits include neutrality, open-mindedness,
objectivity and adaptable information-processing ability.
5. Problem-solving skills
That will enable him/her to accurately perform assessments,
systematically diagnose problems, clarity goals, set priorities,
provide corresponding solutions and make critical decisions.
Employee Development:
The organization development practitioner can help develop human
resources with respect to standardizing recruitment, hiring and selection
policies and procedures, develop employee career "pathing" professional
growth and enrichment and emphasize rewards and recognition systems.
He/she can likewise propose human resource development
programs that focus on employee wellbeing and life. After all, the
employees are the lifeblood and muscle of the organization, They perform
for the organization.
Strategy Development:
The organization development practitioner can illustrate to
the organization how to align strategic planning goals through
integration Of strategic objectives, metrics and performance.
He can assist the organization in identifying evolving strategic and
generating high performing ideas.
He/she can show organization how to scan the environment,
diagnose the organization's strengths, limitations, opportunities and
threats and propose competitive change strategies,
Management Development:
The organization practitioner can help enhance the leadership
change skills of management.
He/she can help build and reinforce a more positive and
collaborative change work environment.
He/she can help strengthen the managerial change skills in planning
changes, organizing the affected department, staffing people, directing and
monitoring them.
Technology Integration:
The organization development practitioner can share his/her
knowledge in information and communication technology production and
operations management, systems, development, hardware and software
management total quality management and inventory, and logistics
management among others.
1. Safe Player:
He/she is one person who keeps a low profile. He/ she is someone who does
not want to "rock the boat". He/she feels comfortable by simply following the
directives of top management. He/she-lacks-initiative. He is not popular with the
employees. He/ she is "diplomatic" and always wants to play safe.
2. Thinker:
He/she is one person who has self-confidence by virtue of his/her
knowledge and expertise. He/she is concerned with achieving goals like-knowing
and solving problems affecting the workplace. He/she is low when it comes to
employee morale and relationships.
3. Cheerer:
He/she is one person who does not emphasize goal accomplishment. Instead,
he/she puts importance on employee morale and relationships. He seeks to bring
about and maintain a warm working environment with employees.
4. Leader:
He/she is none person who emphasizes employee growth and satisfaction.
He/she is an achiever who aims for goal accomplishment while at the same time,
stresses personal, team and inter-group relationships.
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
Inherent in the organization development practice is a high degree of ethical
standards. This requires the organization development consultant to handle himself/herself
professionally and avoid any form of misconduct and client abuse.
ETHICAL DILEMMAS
1. Misuse of Data:
This includes mishandling, misinterpreting, and manipulating data or event
using them to harm the organization or individuals.
2. Technical ineptness:
Tobe technically incompetent is to commit errors like coming up with wrong
organization development interventions, proposing organization development
interventions when the organization is not ready for the intended change or
implementing organization development interventions that are not aligned with
the set objectives of the organization.
3. Misrepresentation:
Dishonesty like putting damaging slants on issues at hand, falsifying and
fabricating facts, distorting findings, misleading interpretations and analysis,
altering arrived-at conclusions and suggesting wrong and inappropriate change
activities.
D. Lastly, the consultant has to formalize the ground rules with his/her client.
Typical concerns in the organization development consultant-client
relationship should be clearly addressed and agreed upon.
Indifferent:
The organization members usually follow established routines. They avoid
accepting responsibility for their actions and generally keep their real ideas about
self fulfillment/and organizational effectiveness to themselves.
Gamesmanship:
The organization members take high responsibility for their actions and
take their own decisions on how to behave. However, they are not open when it
comes to their shared feelings and ideas,
Charismatic:
The organization members openly share their ideas and feelings although
they avoid any form of responsibility,
Consensus:
The organization members share perceptions and feelings openly coupled
with an acceptance of responsibility for decisions made.
*** Without overemphasizing it, professionalism in organization development
consultancy is a requisite. Notwithstanding the challenges existing in the change
environment, organizati0n development consultants have to conduct themselves
ethically. There should be no room for any unethical or even doubtful behavior.