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forcing functions like budget cuts. However, many external consultants tend to charge a premium for their service without regard for an organization’s financial constraints. Initiative. The act of taking initiative must be balanced against the abuse of power. What is required instead is an ability to make the right decisions, at the right time, at the right altitude, with a level of care and finesse that is both inclusive and engaging. Internal OD professionals have the upper hand on the nuances needed to navigate the use of initiative. External OD professionals would do well in partnering with internal stakeholders who understand how to manage the delicate balance of initiative well. Maintaining detachment. It may seem a bit unusual to have detachment as a positive attribute for an employee, however, in the case of an internal OD practitioner, it is an important aspect to building credibility. Detachment that facilitates the avoidance of preferential treatment is very positive, and allows the practitioner to retain objectivity and neutrality. This is significantly more challenging for internal OD practitioners who have developed strong relationships through multiple opportunities for collaboration within their organization. External OD practitioners on the other hand are more likely to find detachment easier to embrace since those internal relationships and connections are new or nonexistent. Self-mastery through personal development. In the first installment of this series, we discussed “use-of-self ” as a fundamental value needed in doing OD work. Given that much of the work performed as an internal and external OD practitioner requires interaction with others and leading interventions, the practitioner should be aware of and manage his or her preferences, limitations, biases, development areas, and strengths. When they do so, both internal and external OD practitioners can choose the best way to address difficulties that come up during a client engagement and get the right level of support when he or she is triggered. The personal development needed for self-mastery will take place over a lifetime! Once you begin doing OD work, you’ll be faced with the challenges of not having a step-by-step guide, leaning into either analytical or emotionally grounded interventions, grappling with sharing your opinions, and moving at speeds that may prevent thoughtful inclusion. Your choice to be an internal or external OD practitioner will also present their own unique benefits and obstacles. Which of these would you find easiest to navigate? And based on what you’ve come to understand about OD so far, what are some other challenges you might anticipate?
Additional Resources
Cheung-Judge, M.-Y. (2012). Organization development—a practitioner’s guide for OD and HR. Human Resource Management International Digest, 20, (1). https://doi.org/10.1108/hrmid.2012.04420aaa.017 Imroz, S. M., & Bakhshandeh, B. (2021). Organization development interventions: Executing effective organizational change (W. J. Rothwell, Ed.) (1st ed.). Productivity Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003019800 W. J. Rothwell, P. Ealy, & J. Campbell (Eds.). (2022). Rethinking organization diversity, equity and inclusion: A guide for facilitating effective change. Boca Raton, FL: Productivity Press Taylor & Francis Group.
References
Burke, W. W, & Noumair, D.A. (2015). Organization development: A process of learning and changing. Pearson Education. Carasco, M. (2021, Winter). Leveraging applied behavioral science in business settings: The field of organization development. Eye on Psi Chi, 26(2), 32–35. https://doi.org/10.24839/2164-9812.Eye26.2.32 Foss, A., Lipsky, D., Orr, A., Scott, B., Seamon, T., Semendzuik-O’Brien, J., Tavis, A., Wissman, D., & Woods, C. (2005). Practicing internal OD. In W. J. Rothwell & R. Sullivan, R. (Eds.), Practicing organization development: A guide for consultants (pp. 620–645). Pfeiffer.
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Porras, J. I. (1987). Stream analysis: A powerful way to diagnose and manage organizational Change. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc. Schein, E. H. (1988). Process consultation: Its role in organization development. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc.
Marie Carasco, PhD, is an organization development strategist and thought leader on leader identity development and high-potential talent. As a social scientist and inclusive change agent, she has served as a trusted advisor to C-level leadership teams in the aerospace, engineering, oil and gas, government consulting, nonprofit, and education sectors. She has taught graduate-level courses in Leadership, Organization Development (OD) & Change, Managing Groups and Teams, Group Conflict, and Managing Diversity at George Mason University, City University of New York–Brooklyn College, and Azusa Pacific University. She is also a practice supervisor/SME and mentor at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to graduate students transitioning into consulting. Dr. Carasco holds a PhD in workforce education and development with an emphasis in human resource development and OD from The Pennsylvania State University and an Executive MBA in organizational behavior and coaching from the University of Texas at Dallas. She also holds a psychology BA and industrialorganizational psychology MA from CUNY–Brooklyn College. She is the coauthor of The Essential HR Guide for Small Businesses & Startups published by the Society for Human Resource Management and a proud lifetime Psi Chi member.
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