Organizational Development

~ Wasted Action is Not Work ~

After careful review of many varied definitions of "OD" we submit that the following definition best fits our views and approach:

OD is a field of study and techniques for improving organizations. An effective organization produces excellent measurable results in conformance with its charter, image, values and goals. This internal environment is composed of people, people management systems, technology, and technology management systems to produce goods or services for customers from an external environment. The design of the social and technical systems with respect to one another and with respect to the demands of the external environment determines how effective the organization will be.

The external environment is the ultimate judge of design effectiveness. If consumers of goods or services, providers of capital, or providers of labor withdraw their support, no amount of improvement by external standards will prevent catastrophe.We view every organization as a living organism, an "open system" in keeping with biological systems theory. The open systems perspective holds that every living organism depends upon its environment for inputs which allow it to survive. If the flow of inputs is interrupted, the organism will eventually cease to exist. Organizations assure their flow of inputs by providing goods or services desired by other people or other organizations. This exchange produces capital which can be used for acquisition of additional inputs. The more efficient the conversion process (the fewer inputs used to produce outputs) the healthier the organization will be.

Over time, the organization retaining more inputs than is required to produce outputs, develops a reserve against changes in the environment which might otherwise threaten its survival during periods of expansion and growth. In simple business terminology, the more competitive the organization becomes, the more likely it is to survive and prosper. "Paradoxically, the one constant in organizational life is change. Today's organizations must change frequently to keep up with rapid changes in the world around them and the people within them. Any change carries risk, especially if it is haphazard. That is why the keys to organizational change are attention to process and focus on goals and organizational values. And that is what organization development is all about: planned change." Organizations are better able to navigate through on-going changes when guided by strong, clear, non-contradictory operating principles. Philosophies like ERP MRPII & Six Sigma Way provide this foundation for many organizations.

Organizational Definitions:

Smaller organizations also need a strong, principle-driven foundation. In our view, the following4 elements are required for long-term success:

Vivid Image/Vision of What the Organization Is/Is to Become;
Principle-Driven Operating Philosophy Understood by Everyone;
Strategic Planning Correctly Integrated with Every Business Unit;
Continual (Quality/Process) Improvements for Revising Goods/Services/Relationships with Customers & Partners.

What is Management Accountability?

What is Effective Leadership?

Organizations change daily and obstacles arise at every turn. Companies endure many traumatic changes that build character and can increase organizational integrity on multiple levels.

Organizational integrity increases when


	People in an organization see, feel and understand a shared need for change; and People are empowered to address key issues using advances they co-develop and test themselves.

We provide expertise and strategies to both managers and employees during critical moments when change is clearly vital and necessary.

Employee Development: Profit-Ability is increased or decreased by the day-to-day actions of your employees. As an ability to increase profit, Profit-Ability can be a set of skills that employees use to accurately measure individual as well as group performance. Where:

Right tasks are done in the right way, at the right time, for the right reasons.
Mistakes are valued as goldmines for improvement
Wasted action is easily identified and eliminated
Cycle times are reduced

These self-management skills permit employees to continually improve their methods. People learn to rework their non-productive work habits, misguided perceptions and faulty beliefs so they can continually improve company products, services and systems. Seeing problems, being truthful, sharing the burdens of organizational change takes teamwork.

Working With Change, seeing problems, being truthful, sharing the burdens of organizational change takes teamwork. Our goal is to bring change to your organization in ways that increase the company's ability to be self-managing. We know how to address the personal/logistical/developmental obstacles that people bring to or find in the workplace. We know what strategies to use and what skills to provide. When others see and feel the need for change, and are empowered to address key issues themselves, the cost of change is greatly reduced. The right intervention must be transacted at that critical moment when an obstacle is first recognized as a problem to be solved. We provide the expertise and strategies that your employees need during critical moments when change is vital and necessary. We follow up by training you and your employees to extend their skills and awareness to independently address future problems

Organizational Assessment is a first step that you must take to correctly identify where change is needed and how to proceed. We provide self-assessment tools that you can tailor and re-use long after we go away. Self-assessment at every organizational level is essential. We help you jump-start the process of self-assessment and self-management using strategies, methods and tools that provide immediate gain and long-term Profit-Ability. We help you jump-start the process of self-assessment and self-management using strategies, methods and tools that provide immediate gain and long-term Profit-Ability. Self-assessment at every level is essential.