Introduction
Organizational development (OD) is a set of activities that seek to streamline production and management processes in a modern enterprise. The main difference between OD and other types and forms of staff development is that OD considers the organization as an integrated system of interacting and interrelated elements. The concept of OD emerged based on various techniques from the field of psychology, sociology, and anthropology, used to solve practical problems of companies and firms (Anderson 2). The OD programs rely on a systematic analysis of organizational issues and the needs of its management in changing the enterprise. These programs aim to increase organizational efficiency and effectiveness, promote mutual understanding between employees and between teams, and encourage constant improvement.
Interventions
OD is a continuous process of advancing and improving the organization. These improvements come from proper changes, and planned interventions are the means of making desired renovations. Organizational interventions are purposed activities related to impacting the organization and are designed to establish and consolidate positive changes in the company’s operations (Anderson 204). There are three crucial points about interventions which define their essence (Anderson 205). Interventions penetrate an ongoing system of interactions, which means ordinary operations continue as usual. Interruptions are deliberate and may cause discomfort, and people may start resisting the changes, so assessing the readiness of the organization for change is one of the most significant parts of intervention planning. The last point is that interventions are to enhance the effectiveness of the organization’s processes, so proper selection of interventions is vital.
Interventions are roughly divided into three categories: individual, team, and organizational (Anderson 219). This classification is based on the scope of application, but other categorizations exist that divide interventions based on their goals and objectives. From the perspective of intentions, for instance, there are diagnostic activities, which aim at identifying the current state of the system and present problems (Anderson 171). These activities take place at the beginning of an OD program because information received from diagnosis is fed into the next step of the program.
There are many reasons why interventions may not succeed, but incorrectly identified problem and resistance to change are among the most common. The strategy chosen by an OD practitioner may not be suitable for the issue at hand, or the practitioner himself could be unskilled (Anderson 206). In the face of potential failures, the interventionist must ensure the strategies are well-formulated and properly facilitated for desired changes to occur (Anderson 206). This includes correctly identifying the problems, choosing the most appropriate intervention for each challenge, applying the interventions systematically, and devoting an adequate amount of time to them.
Serious consequences may arise from failed interventions that might affect the future growth of the company. The self-doubt that comes from unsuccessful change attempts may increase defensive behavior and psychological tiredness (Anderson 209). As a result, the organization may fall into a stagnation trap, where it is unable to achieve any significant positive shift. Some of the considerations before undertaking any actions are matching interventions and problems congruently, determining whether the organization is ready for change, and deciding how to sequence the activities (Anderson 211). Correctly analyzing the diagnostic data and proper planning can assure the successful execution of intervention activities.
Impacts of Interventions
Interventions may affect the organization at three levels: individual, team, and global. Individual interventions, when applied thoroughly and systematically, may encourage personal growth, change, and development. Individual change, however, does not result in the transformation of the whole organization (Anderson 224). For this reason, the team and whole organization interventions play a significant role (Anderson 224). They promote mutual understanding between working groups and help assess organizational culture to perform proper strategic planning for future developments.
Coaching Activities
Coaching is a type of individual intervention which aims to improve an employee’s specific skill area. Coaches attempt to create a suitable environment that promotes learning, development, and efficiency (Anderson 232). Since an employee can choose which skills to develop, the company may encourage enhancing those skills that are in line with current corporate objectives (Anderson 232). Through coaching activities, individuals gain not only personal benefit but also additional opportunities in aiding the organization and in contributing to the system’s overall performance.
Conclusion
Improvement and development of any organization must come from planned activities and strategies. Many companies today develop their own OD programs or hire an external consultant to perform the required actions to achieve desired advancements. Planned interventions penetrate an active and working system, so every part of the organization must be ready and motivated for the OD program to succeed. Every development program, in general, has goals on improving the internal processes, interactions and relationships between individual employees and teams, between different units and groups, and between managers and their subordinates. Interventions also encourage self-growth and reflection, taking responsibility for actions, and change for purpose. By coordinating all the minor changes and determining the joint direction of growth, an OD program can significantly enhance organizational operations and provide the company with effectiveness and efficiency.
Work Cited
Anderson, Donald L. Organization Development: The Process of Leading Organizational Change. Sage Publications, 2016.