1. Developing your
OD strategy
Caroline Stearman and Megan Meredith
Roffey Park Institute Day Two, 11.45 – 12.15
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2. Our time today - asking questions
 Questions of context
– What do we mean by Organisation Development?
– Why is OD expertise so relevant to organisations right now?
 Questions for your organisation
– The Roffey Park map for developing an OD strategy and the questions this
raises
– First, second and third order questions
 Your questions for us
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3. What do we mean by Organisation
Development?
 An approach to enabling organisations to do what they are there to do
well - aligning people, strategy and processes
 It is underpinned by
– a belief in the ability of individuals and organisations to grow
– a preference for self-sustaining and capacity building
– a respect for what everyone has to offer
 It is about organisational change, renewal, revitalisation and capability
growth
 It is both
– An approach or mindset
– A set of tools and expertise
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4. Why is OD expertise so relevant right
now?
Leaders are saying:
HR teams are feeling:
Organisations
are seeking:
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6. Different phases of inquiry
First Order Question
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7. Different phases of inquiry
Second Order Questions
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8. Different phases of inquiry
Third Order Questions
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9. First order : Definition of the territory
 What is OD for your organisation?
 What value does OD add?
 Integrated or separate?
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10. Second order : building blocks
Purpose Context
 What is the driver for creating this  Staying connected to the
strategy? external environment
 What difference will this make?  What else is out there in
 If you don’t do this, what will the organisation?
happen?  How can you integrate
 Are you asking questions or this?
trying to provide answers with  What is realistic?
your strategy?
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11. Second order : building blocks
Core Principles
 Integrated: not attaching a separate ‘OD’ thing on top of everything
else
 Systemic : seeing the organisation as being interconnected as a living
system
 Participative : ensuring voices are heard from across the
organisation
 Dialogic: recognising the power of conversation
 Diagnostic: not getting stuck in diagnosis, maintaining a future focus
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12. Third order : Strategy considerations
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13. Third order : Strategy considerations
Stakeholders Results
 Who does this need to speak to?  What will success look like for an
OD strategy?
 How are you connecting with
them?  How do you plan to evaluate and
measure?
 Where does the power lie at the
moment with relation to this  How will you explore learning
work? from both the process and
content of this work?
 Who else needs to be involved?
 How are you selling this?
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14. Third order : Strategy considerations
Structure Content
 What model may help provide a  Are you covering the whole
structure? organisation?
 Are you considering diagnostic  What model might support you?
activities as interventions in their
 Diagnosis of where you are now,
own right?
how will you explore this?
 How can you keep this realistic
 What is important, who says it is
and pragmatic?
important?
 Have you got priorities to provide
a container for this?
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16. Third order : Strategy considerations
 Notice the process is as valuable as the content and results
 What is proving challenging / easy?
 Are you paying attention to where the energy is in the system, what
insight might this offer?
 How clear are you on your role and what you bring to this?
 What is your contract?
 What are you drawn to, or not?
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17. Roffey Park’s support for OD
professionals
 MSc in People & Organisational Development
 OD Research
 Open Programmes:
– The OD Practitioner’s Programme
– Practical Facilitation Skills and The Art of Facilitation
– HR Business Partnering
– Consulting skills
 Bespoke OD consultancy
 OD strategy coaching
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18. Questions for us?
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19. Contact details
Caroline Stearman
Senior Consultant
MSc in People and OD Programme Director
Megan Meredith
Senior Consultant
Roffey Park Institute, Forest Road, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 4TB
Tel: (01293) 851644
Registered Charity No: 254591 Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in England No: 923975
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