If you’ve ever been in charge of leading a group or facilitating a workshop, you probably know that framing is one of the most important skills of the convener. Framing is what we do when we set up an activity, give instructions, or lead participants through a series of questions to arrive at a conclusion…. Read More
Are You Networking Forward?
Here’s the typical networking scenario: a crowded room, lots of conversations taken place, some people thoroughly enjoying themselves, while others look like they attended only to avoid a trip to the dentist. Have you ever been in this situation? If you are lucky, you’ll make connections with a few people during the course of the evening… Read More
Leading Culture Change from the Inside
Earlier this summer I had the pleasure of moderating a panel discussion whereby three seasoned organization development practitioners shared their insights on culture change at the Capital City OD Network meeting. Each of these individuals were seasoned internal consultants for major corporations or academic institutions, and each was responsible for initiating, facilitating, and overseeing culture change programs… Read More
What is Organizational Culture?
If all of organization development is essentially focused on changing organizational behavior, than isn’t change essentially focused on influencing “culture” or the values and beliefs that drive organizational behavior? “Culture” is a word that is used freely in the organization development and change management world. It is often cited as a barrier to implementing a new initiative,… Read More
Virtual Campfires
Imagine sitting around a table with 7 other people, none of whom you had met before, sharing what you are learning at a conference. This is not your normal one liner conversation per participant that solicits polite head nods, follow on comments, and side bar discussions. Actually, the people around the table, as they listen to… Read More
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
Malcolm Gladwell has done it again. He is a brilliant writer and reporter. He has created another blockbuster with his latest book, Outliers: The Story of Success. But we shouldn’t be fooled into thinking that Gladwell did it all on his own. In fact, that is precisely the premise of his book: People who are successful are so… Read More
Can you really “manage” knowledge?
I don’t know the answer to that question. “Knowledge management” seems to set off as many alarm bells in people as the term “change management.” Both are loaded terms, yet constitute whole bodies of work, research, methods, and theories that tie many people across industries together. What I do know is that we can extract, reuse, teach,… Read More
Knowledge Management, Step 1: Understanding Competent Performance
There is an opportunity for those in Talent Management to lead in Knowledge Management. Few organizations have strategies for systematically harvesting the wisdom of top individuals and teams, yet this is a vital component of well-crafted knowledge management programs. However, a knowledge management program is only as good as the theories of competent performance on which it is built. What is knowledge management? Here… Read More
Talent Management’s New Responsibility: Part 1
Arie De Geus, the former head of planning for Royal Dutch/Shell, has been quoted as saying, “The ability to learn faster than your competitors may be the only sustainable competitive advantage.” If this statement is true, what is talent management’s responsibility in helping to bring about this core competency? Talent management is typically focused on attracting,… Read More
Equations in Change Leadership
Did you ever think you would use algebra in change leadership work? One of my favorite ways to incorporate math into organization development is through the use of the DVF>R framework. This model originated with Dick Beckhard, I believe, and was further refined by Dannemiller Tyson Associates. I like it because it is simple and intuitive to use and… Read More