What is organization development (OD)?
Technically speaking, OD is a planned process of organizational change using behavioral science technologies, diagnostic tools, change models, and intervention practices. Simply put, OD is about how people and organizations function and how to get them to function better. The two major goals of OD are: (1) to improve the performance of individuals, teams, and management; and (2) to teach organization members how to continuously improve their own performance. OD is based primarily on normative approaches to change. That is, during the initial phases of OD change efforts, OD practitioners facilitate change according to the client’s desires; however, after the initial phase, OD facilitation turns into recommendations and specific directions for change based on pre-developed modeling concepts.
