Networks

2011

March 2011

Hosted by Standard Chartered plc

“What are the challenges for OD/OE in enabling change in new global business context?”

We explored this question through an engaging and wide ranging dialogue from which the following themes seemed to emerge (though not necessarily in this order!):

  • The Role of OD/OE
  • We started with the view of OD/OE as court jester; the ability to speak truth to power in service of the long term health of the organisation.  If OD looks at the health of the business it is concerned with both qualitative and quantitative measures of health (metrics/KPIs etc).   It can act as the organisational conscience but there may be no immediate impact on profitability; this may happen longer term – 0-5 years.  If it did not exist how/when would you miss it?  probably not in the short term? 
  • We noted that for many OD now refers to Organisation Design and that Organisation Effectiveness (OE) is often used instead of Development.  OD as organisation design is not just about moving the boxes around organisation charts but really designing the business
  • If the role involves holding-up the mirror, this raised the challenge of how to be attached and detached at the same time?  Also how do you sustain the resilience of the practitioner?  This might be an uncomfortable role at times

The Process of OD/OE

  • OD is essentially humanistic ,  it puts people at the centre of attention; it can steal from every culture to increase its value.  Listening to people is the same; simple and true everywhere.  You might need to ask in different ways in different national cultures. Religion is relevant because it can help to shape the mindsets that underpin companies eg founding fathers of many western companies were Quakers
  • OD Life cycle = Diagnosis; Solutioning; Implement
  • The way of working is to connect things; good relationships are key to doing the work.  At times there may be some risk of being seen as the cost-cutters.  OD/OE practitioners have to be authentic (much as any other leaders in a business).  It is seen to be valuable to have the business involved in the diagnosis; OD/OE work is done with not to people
  • The practitioner needs to use themselves as a champion of change; expert, facilitator and coach.  We also need to be aware - What is the bias I bring?
  • Links Between OD/OE and HR
  • HR is more about processes for managing people while OD/OE uses the critical business issues as the start point for its work
  • A strong pull from HR is around; “Give us the toolkit” – we can do more OD work just make us “experts”.  In practice as you do a piece of work you want to get HR involved as well.  The trouble is you cannot always repeat the process – OD work is bespoke/one-off
  • The positioning of the function was seen to vary between businesses to fit the context eg for one positioning with L&D  in the HR function works well because HR has a good reputation.  For another organisation teams focused on culture, talent and OD are in alignment.  They are also embedded in the business around the world which helps with line manager engagement.  For a third business  Org Design and Org Effectiveness report into HR and Strategy

Business Context

Some questions were raised about the global business context such as…

  • How much of the new global business context is new? Do you want a global company?  There is not a global consumer?
  • Agility is a key business issue – trouble is the world is increasingly complex eg minority shareholdings in China.
  • What is long term now? 
  • Showing that you really care about the country that you are operating in is really important (not just there on a transactional basis). Nokia are seen to be good at this; prepared to invest in employees locally. 
  • Challenge in global organisation –develop the themes that can be translated locally; focus on contextualisation and localisation. One size fits all does not work.
  • Leadership

Finally because we had explored the connections between OD and leadership we also identified 3 trends in leadership:

  • Insights from neuroscience – much of corporate leadership is too left brain and not right brain enough
  • Talent – their role as nurturers of talent – developing the leaders of the future
  • Ethics – companies have a role in society which includes doing more with scarce resources

Leaders need to find the meaning in organisation; hold the complexity; find the wider purpose.

Reading/Watching

Some things that were mentioned that people might want to explore further include:

  • Shift Happens; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U (there are various versions of this video)
  • Margaret Heffernan Wilful Blindness (why we ignore the obvious at our peril) (http://www.mheffernan.com/ 
  • Hotspots and Mega Trends (based on work by Lynda Gratton handed out by Standard Chartered)
  • Ken Robinson:  The Elements or on TED http://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution.html   or RSA at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCdmLV_xY9Y&feature=relmfu
  • Dan Pink on Motivation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc RSA animates are a fantastic way of engaging with good thinking – take a look

Questions we Might Explore Next Time:

  • Developing OD capability in HR community.
  • Leadership capabilities for the future (20teens a decade for humanity?)
  • OD as leadership capability

 

June 2011

Leadership capabilities for the future

Hosted by Law Debenture

We had a wide ranging discussion around leadership development with examples shared from those at the meeting around talent development:

  • Executive development does need to align with strategic  change, and tomorrow’s requirements
  • How can Leadership development be more significant as an OD intervention?
  • The challenge of getting the current senior leadership to really be able to second guess what the needs of tomorrow are
  • Much of the original research in 2001 stands test of time-is it old wine in new bottles?  with more focus now on distributed leadership across virtual complex organisations  and how to develop leaders virtually
  • Example if using Rep grid interviews with senior leaders was explained to identify view of when leaders at their best future leadership required
  • New aspects from this research  included being optimistic, open to new possibilities, sustainable performance as part of  a leadership framework which includes sensing the Future, focus on the whole person, distributed influence , and execution
  • Discussion of potential gender bias in assumptions made around role models of leadership if determined by current mostly male senior levels 
  • However a stated shift towards a less macho approach- more self aware, ethical and emotionally competent – which we commented was not always present in younger aspiring leaders!
  • Is Asian cultural influence creating a shift in leadership  to recognising right brain thinking- more yang than yin?
  • Projects- we touched on the pitfalls of projects based learning which can fizzle out or not have sufficient sponsorship but also ways to make it work using action learning and on a virtual basis
  • Board development- how do boards develop and what’s available for non executives? Nonexecutive opportunities in smaller organisations are a great stepping stone in development for strategic leaders in corporate areas
  • Louise Redmond, now at Law Debenture outlined her  focus on strategic decision making in boards  as a research project