A LOT!  Let me explain.  Our morning routines can have a major effect on the rest of the day.   Whether you drink a cup of coffee or your morning tea, it can make a difference if you skip it for once.

If you check your email first thing in the morning, be sure you do this no matter what.  You may have gotten an email that is related to your day’s appointments or projects.

Checking your voicemail is equally important.  A client or partner may have left you a message that may also affect a project or appointment.

Revisiting your routine is a good idea.  Ensure that the first 15 minutes of your day will result in a productive environment.  Be sure you dedicate enough time to address your email, voicemail, messages, and phone calls.

As it relates to OD, your routine needs to either positively jumpstart your day or not affect you negatively (neutral, in other words).  As you deal with clients or work on their projects, your frame of mind must be focused on them.  Once you address the “musts” of your daily routine, you can then concentrate on your OD projects.

As you can see, how you start your day can really have an impact on the rest of your day.  Why don’t you take a minute to see how you spend your first 15 minutes at work.

Gina.

“Practicing Organization Development: A Guide for Consultants, Second Edition” by  William Rothwell and Roland Sullivan is just the book.

In this book, you will find a plethora of information ranging from the origins of OD to consulting to the future of OD.  There are samples, exercises, case studies, and templates for students or anyone wanting to review their skills.  It even includes a CD-ROM full of supporting material. Included in this book are contributions from Dr. David Jamieson, Dr. Edgar Schein, Billie Alban, to name a few.

If you’re looking for ONE book to have on your bookshelf, this is it.

Gina.

1. Interview:   By interviewing the employees, the consultant can obtain personal perceptions and opinions.  The drawback is that the opinion of the individual may be confined to that person.  As an outsider to the corporation, employees may be reluctant to share too much with the consultant.
2. Survey:  A survey is a popular method for assessing culture.  This form of data collecting is great for obtaining demographics and for calculating statistics.  Employees may be more willing to answer honestly, knowing that their identity will not be revealed.  On the other hand, employees may not like filling these out - whether electronic versions or on paper.  Electronic surveys can be disrupted at any time or ended prematurely, while paper surveys can be discarded.
3. Observation:  As long as you can do this with anonymity, observations are a perfect way to see first-hand the interaction between employees.  This method requires plenty of note taking, preferably in an inconspicuous matter so as not to discourage existing patterns of behavior.  Another note:  observations are great for case studies; not so great for statistical research.

These are the three most popular methods for looking at the culture of an organization.  Internal or external consultants may prefer one over another or a combination.  The key point to remember is that before any intervention, one must assess the client’s organizational culture.

Reading suggestions on assessing culture:

• “Defining Organizational Culture”, Edgar Schein
• “Dynamics in Organizational Culture”, Mary Jo Hatch
• “Organizations in Action”, James D. Thompson.

Gina

The purpose of this blog is to help you understand Organization Development (better known as OD) as a process of many processes or methodologies.  As you work with OD consultants, you’ll have a better appreciation for what they do and why.  If you are an OD consultant, you’ll review some methodologies you may not have used in a while.  If you are an OD student, you’ll continue to learn and see the applications of what you are learning.

All in all, this blog is intended for YOU, my customer.  If at any time, you have a question or comments, please feel free to post them.  I take your comments seriously.

Again, welcome to Organization Development Today .

Gina.