In Preparation

I really valued the time and feedback allotted to rough draft questions for our first business visit.  Overall, I realized that questions need to be warm and inviting not mechanical. Katya and I will approach the SB Press employees as sensitive and humble beings.  Initially, Katya and I included the word "structure" in a few of our questions and we immediately received the feedback to omit that word which upon reflection I completely agree with as it adds rigidity to the question and does not enhance it in any way.

The notion to focus on the organizational climate and functions of it's people struck me as overarchingly important.  It seems easy to get stuck in the collection of facts concerning the organization but that is not our purpose and we must continuously remind ourselves of that.

I also valued the advice that all contact with our chosen organization is a type of intervention and that from the beginning it is essential to collect notes on everything from what is happening at moment, what is displayed on the walls, hesitancies, how are decisions made, how are things determined, who referred you to who...etc.   I like the notion of really keeping in tune with what is weird or interesting.

I believe that after our class discussions and readings Katya and I have become more "in-tune" with the ethics of organizational development and intervention.

"the eyes of a child"

As the title of my blog states "the eyes of a child" I am using this notion as a new lens to guide me on a journey of exploring insights within an organization.  Appreciative inquiry really threw a wrench into my way of interpreting what it means to be a researcher and my modes and means of collecting data on the organization I have chosen to diagnosis.  This prior sentence uses the terminology I would have previously used to describe this type of action research but now I understand from a different angle that I as the researcher am not their to diagnosis or collect data in order to find a truth.  Instead I am there to help all individuals within an organization get their juices flowing and come up with a collective and attainable vision of what a better future could look like by illuminating the best of what is happening and/or what has happened.  I have always understood intervention of an organization to be one of finding a “problem” and making suggestions on how to solve it.  I now know I want to approach an organization by first illuminating what is positive about what is already going on and building upon those components to create a sense of shared meaning amongst individuals in the organization about what excellence looks like to them and how it can be emulated and greater than ever.

A new way of thinking: Consultation

I have always thought of consultation as more of a separation between diagnosis and intervention.  A consultant comes into an organization and "diagnoses" the company based on their observations and collection of data and then provides "advice" on how to improve the organization and the steps they can follow to reach their goals.  Dr. Kurt Lewin as highlighted in our foundational readings saw the separation of diagnosis from the notion of intervention as a conceptual error and I completely agree.  It’s like saying yeah, your doing this wrong and this right and here is the long list of things you need to do in order to improve your organization, good luck!  That situation is a recipe for disaster.  We don't describe to our children how to ride a bike based on personal knowledge and expertise, hand them the bike then say, off you go!  We guide and mentor a child, pick them up if they fall, encourage and praise, give them continuous tips on how to improve until finally they are confident to ride off on their own.  And though they may fall or stumble they have learned and are capable of getting right back on and trying again thanks to their training and guidance.  This example is in line with the thinking of Dr. Lewin as he believed it impossible to make an adequate diagnosis without also intervening.  I value his way of thinking that the consultant is not an expert on anything but how to be helpful and begins with total ignorance of what is going on in the organization.  I hope to emulate this way of consulting in my future work.  I believe it is vital for the consultant to become attuned to their own personal insights and their impact on the organization rather than focusing on the actual collection of data and diagnosis.  

ED 401-Reflective Synthesis-Week 1-Organizational Culture Viewed As Personality

It resonates very clearly with me when comparing organizational culture to the personality of an organization.  When put into this real life context it is easier to understand how natural it is for every organization to have their own culture and unique characteristics, as individuals’ personality is uniquely different and never replicable.  Continuing with this notion organizational goals and core principals can be viewed as the core values and beliefs an individual embodies also contributing to their personality.  And just as the personality of an individual can be expressed by the way they dress, carry themselves, and organize their environment, I hadn't ever thought to look at an organization and interpret it's culture by the way "the arrangement of furniture, what they brag about, what members wear", etc. is displayed.  This new lens has evoked a new way of viewing and interpreting the way organizations work for me.  I view an organization as more of a living, breathing organism now rather than just a work place.  Just as individuals struggle with change I can see how difficult it would be for an organization to change when it's culture is so specialized and dynamic and often involving mass amounts of individuals.  I understand how placing a strong emphasis on identifying strategic values is such a crucial component of change when organizational culture is acknowledged just as it is essential for an individual to initiate any change in his/her personality asset.