12 December 2022

Organizational Development in focus – an approach tested through groundwork

Organisational Development (OD) is an ever-evolving area reflecting the increased organisational complexity and the trends of a VUCA organization world. Although every organisation has a unique context and requires a tailored application of the OD work, I use the following approach as the red thread of my work:

1. Keep abreast of the trends and evolutions in the OD area.

In my article “ OD in Focus – 5 critical allies (and influencers) in preparing organisation for change” I talk about the influencing evolutions that are shaping OD work and put particular competency challenges to the OD professionals.

Among the trends that follow closely are:

  • The acute need for agile succession management
  • The alternative organisational models – the evolution of the hybrid organisation
  • The changing face of talent management
  • The matrix teams and transversal roles
  • The multi-generational work force
  • The birth of the wired organization
  • The increased organisational complexity

I gain this insight from memberships in thought leading forums land associations International Association of Generative Change (IAGC), Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP), World Business and Executive Coaching Summit (WBECS), International Coaching Federation (ICF) and Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centred Coaching and Leadership Centre (MGSCC) and of the Conversational Intelligence Coach (CIQ) Community.

Sustainable membership in these forums and associations requires attendance in thought leadership seminars, contributions as speaker or content developer as well delivering client work based on the acquired knowledge.

It also requires that I propagate this knowledge to other professionals – a practice, which Vrioni Consulting has put in place through the monthly Circle of Wisdom event. In these events my collaborators, existing clients and prospects have an opportunity for knowledge sharing and problem solving through co-development techniques.

Understanding trends and hot topics allow me to support the OD teams and business managers to prioritise their interventions, to understand interconnections and interdependencies, as well as to upgrade their competency toolset proactively.

2. Understand the specific challenges of the organization overall and of the specific team that requires my OD work support.

Next to understanding the trends and how they reflect or relate to a specific organisation, I take time to understand the specific challenges of the organisation. The intake interviews, brainstorming sessions, workshops, “camping out” practices have helped me and above all the interested organisation to create a deeper and sometimes 360* understanding of the real challenge and of the pathways for addressing it.

3. Select a method of work that fits to the context

On these bases I select the approach, the tool or the method and define how I need to apply it for addressing the challenge and helping the organisation realise its ambitions.

4. Create understanding in the organisation and the concerned team of this method

As a pioneer of the co-creating and generative change methods, engaging the client on the OD work is the cornerstone of my approach. This method of work has been recently formalised in the Generative Intelligence Coaching model, a trademark of Vrioni Consulting, which has been validated by the trademark authorities.

5. Identify what success will look like and define measurement of progress

I measure the success of my work at the extent to which my client, individually and collectively, is one step ahead in achieving their aspirations and enhancing their competencies.

6. Synthesise and celebrate

Whether my interventions are of several days or of several months, there is one particular step the will always be present – synthesising the experience and celebrating the step made ahead. It is the moment of mindfully articulating the lessons learned and anchoring them in the growth pathway of those I interacted with during the intervention and of my own.

I’ve applied and refined this approach since the very start of my OD practitioner experience – a ground work that has distilled what really works.