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Lesson 4: OD Process to Guide Change, Part I

Lesson 4 Overview

The first three steps of the OD process change are

  1. entry (which means attracting contacts from prospective sponsors and clients);
  2. prelaunch (which means trying to find out what is going with the problem or situation facing the sponsors and clients); and
  3. launch (which means collecting information about the problem, getting clarity on the appropriate solution, action planning, and implementation).

Entry is all about marketing; prelaunch is about initial client contact; and launch is about assessing and feeding back information about the current situation and desired situation, helping sponsors and clients reach clarity about how to solve their (that is, the sponsor's and client's) problem, how to implement the solution, and how to implement an intervention (change effort). The sponsor is the individual or group that pays for the consulting effort; the client is the individual, group, or organization that is to be helped.

To work as an OD consultant, you must be able to get business. That requires successful entry to client systems. (A client system consists of the people to be helped.) Once that initial contact is made, some information must be gathered about the organization that is experiencing the problem, what has already been done about it, what results were initially achieved, and what the sponsor wants to happen in the situation. Once that information is gathered, the consultant will prepare a proposal and negotiate a contract with the sponsor. At the end of that prelaunch process, the consultant works with the sponsor and client to help implement the sponsor and client's solution.

Watch Video 4.1. Entry and Start Up

Dr. William Rothwell talks about the first step in the OD process change.

Note: Video removed. You will have access to the video in the actual course.

Lesson Objectives

After successfully completing this lesson, you should be able to

  • explain the tasks and the challenges in the entry phase of OD,
  • explain the tasks and the challenges in the prelaunch phase of OD, and
  • explain the tasks and the challenges in the launch phase of OD.

Lesson Readings and Activities

By the end of this lesson, make sure you have completed the readings and activities found in the Lesson 4 Course Schedule.


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