Main Content
Lesson 2: Organizational Development and the Impact on Communication
A Path to Managed Change
In order to manage organization development, it is imperative that leaders understand the human perspective of change.
Consider, for a moment, that each day you come to work you encounter some type of significant change within the organization. As much as OD emphasizes change and rejuvenation as a positive initiative, OD leaders must be aware of the natural tendency for resistance to change and this must be addressed through effective leadership communication. To counterbalance the natural human tendency to resist change, OD leaders are challenged with communicating and maintaining a sense of security and stability amidst the essential changes of organization development. Leaders may do this by providing a focused mission, vision, and organizational goals that help to define the culture, the core of the organization, and communicating this effectively.
- Firms anchored by a sound culture and focused goals fare better in times of change and development.
- Managed change provides a healthy path to successful organization development
- A defined culture allows leaders to have a systematic approach to OD rather than reacting haphazardly to changes that influence the organization
- Effectively communicating a plan creates a secure and trustworthy environment, which is necessary for effective change
Please pay particular attention to the Major Characteristics of the Field of OD as described by Brown (2011) on page 5, Table 1.1:
- What are the Major Characteristics of the Field of OD?
- Change
- Collaborative Approach
- Performance Orientation
- Humanistic Orientation
- Systems Approach
- Scientific Method
- What are the primary goals of change programs?
- Increased productivity
- Increased responsiveness to clients
- Improve competitive positioning
- Increase employee involvement and participation
- Increase employee morale
- Develop new managerial skills and strategies