last grade

“Suddenly, what started as a good idea for adding value and providing a new line of business expressly requested by the Network’s customers became a values-level gut check of its commitment to an open and inclusive Network.”

By Matt Minahan Climb with me into the way back machine  for a moment. Dial back to 2006. The  location is the OD Network conference at  the Hyatt Regency near the San Francisco  Airport, the executive conference room.  Attending were 15 OD and HR directors  and VPs, the executive director of the OD  Network, and me. The task was to find out  what hiring managers want in OD profes- sionals and what the Network can do to  make that happen.

The discussion was slow to start; these  people did not know each other, and in  many ways, they were competing with each  other for the best OD talent. Secrets to suc- cess were few and far between at first. But  once they got warmed up the flip charts  started flying. 

They offered dozens of things they  were looking for in good OD and HR  people: someone they could trust to be  credible with a client VP, someone who  knew the dynamics of the business, some- one who understood the sector and the  organization’s competitors, and someone  who would not go rogue.

I asked what that meant, and they said  they wanted someone who would toe the  corporate line and not challenge the boss  (themselves). In other words, they wanted  someone who would challenge the status  quo and create change elsewhere in the   system, but not in their own departments.  You can see the problem already. Some- one who is good at the former is likely not   willing to abide by the latter.

Deciding that this was not the teach- able moment to point out their inconsis- tency, I asked what the Network could do 

to help them. Almost all were enthusias- tic customers of the OD Network’s Job  Exchange. But what they really wanted was  someone to tell them who was good and  who was not, who on their current staff  they could trust alone with a client VP, and  who could truly think systemically. Maybe  some competencies. Maybe a certification.

Dial in 2007: It is an OD Network Board  meeting, discussing these ideas. All seem  to be clear and understand what is being  asked, and at first, seem open and respon- sive. But then doubts arise. If we have com- petencies, will everyone have to have them  all? (A: No.) Will everyone have to be certi- fied? (A: No.) Will this make some people  feel excluded? (A: I hope not.) But what if  the competencies need to be changed? (A:  We’ll change them.) What if someone like  Edie Seashore can’t get certified? (A: She  shouldn’t need to, or even want to.) Won’t  this create a privileged “in” group of those  who have versus subordinated people who  don’t? (A: Uhhhh.)

Suddenly, what started as a good idea  for adding value and providing a new line  of business expressly requested by the Net- work’s customers became a values-level gut  check of its commitment to an open and  inclusive Network.

We had to build a business case for a  competency model. We declared that the  model was needed to develop OD talent,  and create a practical and actionable tool  for practitioners. For it to be solid and well  grounded, we knew we had to conduct an  environmental scan to identify current and  future needs. We chose an action research 

Finally! Global OD Competencies

19Finally! Global OD Competencies

approach, so we could seek out and include  as many diverse perspectives as possible.  And we wanted to introduce the Global  Competency Framework with a Do-Learn- Do self-assessment approach so that OD  practitioners can read and understand  each competency and seek out avenues for  self-development.

Dial in 2014: OD Network board meet- ing, Marisa Sanchez and I, co-chairs of the  board, bring this to the board again. The  proliferation of certificates for change man- agement, project management, coaching,  performance improvement, and others.  had increased the pressure from Network  members to offer a certification in OD. But  that requires competencies. 

So the board voted to authorize, and  the Network commissioned a project which  I led, including Sherry Duda who was certi- fied in competency development; Jamie  Kelly, an internal OD manager; and Marisa  Sanchez as trusted advisor. We formed a  couple of committees to review the existing  competency sets. 

There was a set in the Cummings and  Worley OD text book which was being used  by Canadian OD consultants for their cer- tification program. And there was the long 

list of well over a hundred that was too big  and undifferentiated in the Rothwell and  Sullivan text book. There was something  adaptable in Donald Anderson’s OD book,  but still not what we wanted. SHRM had a  set, as did Dave Ulrich, but these were too  HR oriented to capture the full measure  of what we all believed embodies OD. The  three of us synthesized the work of the  committees and came up with a survey that  we sent to the members of the OD Net- work, regional networks, and OD groups  around the world. We received almost 900  survey responses, which the three of us  analyzed and summarized.

We sought out OD exemplars, both  internals and externals, and interviewed  them. We asked their bosses and clients  about what made them great at OD and  used the data to sharpen the language and  focus of the competencies.

Our different roles complemented  each other well. I did the drafting, Jamie  did some editing and reality checking,  and Sherry brought her knowledge of a  competency development process to what  we developed. 

We struggled for ways to include  as many of the comments and edits as  we could. The hardest conversations 

concerned how to deal with suggestions  that were mutually exclusive of each other.  There were some who had doubts; others  complained that this was bad for the field  and not the role of the Network. There were  echoes of the 2007 board meeting, mainly  from older, more established practitioners  whose views we respected. However, in the  end, it was voices of the Network’s mem- bers, especially the newer members, asking  for this as a key benefit of their profes- sional association that drove our work.

Each decision forced us to revisit our  intentions for the framework and make  each judgement against the initial inten- tions. It required a common understanding  and commitment to the project among all  three of us. It was a true three-way partner- ship that resulted in one of the Network’s  biggest accomplishments.

Dial in 2015: The Network completes the  Global OD Competencies: (Figure 1).

Dial in 2016: The Network unveils the  Global OD Competency Framework™ at  its annual conference in Atlanta.

Step out of the time machine now, and  back into today. The model is gaining 

Figure 1. Global OD Competencies Framework™

Systems Change Leader Culture Builder Innovator

Efficient Designer Process Consultant Data Synthesizer

Strategic Catalyst Results-Oriented Leader Trusted Advisor

©2016 Organization Development Network Version 1.0

Credible Influencer Collaborative Communicator Globally Diverse Integrator

Exemplary Consultant Emotionally Intelligent Leader Life-Long Learner and Practitioner

OD PRACTITIONER Vol. 50 No. 3 201820

broad acceptance, showing up now in OD  education courses, and used by hiring  managers, several internal OD  consulting  groups, and as a curriculum guide for  training programs. 

The purpose of the Framework™ is  to provide a research-based competency  model to the field, about the field, from the  field. By scanning the literature, building  this from the bottom up, and including  voices and views from around the world,  we intentionally used as inclusive a meth- odology as we could. We shared draft after  iterative draft with friends, colleagues,  board members, OD academic program 

directors, students and faculty in OD Edu- cation Association schools, leaders of other  OD organizations, and then took turns  writing and re-writing.

Now that there is a solid, research- based competency model for the field of  OD, the Network intends it to be used for:  » Career Development. Define a clear 

set of knowledge, skills, and behaviors  to calibrate performance and plan and  manage development.

 » Professional Standards. Develop a set  of standards for the OD profession,  and clarify expectations for impactful  results.

 » Common Language. Provide a global,  common language to define the work of  the OD profession and better under- stand what is important to know and do  for success. It helps answer the ques- tion “What is OD?”

There are three levels of detail to the  Framework™. On the outer ring, there are  five different OD Competencies, each of 

which has three specialty areas, under each  of which are 5 key behaviors. Outlined here  are the first two layers of the model:

1. Systems Change Expert a. Systems Change Leader, who can 

comfortably work within a whole  system and advise on strategies for  organizational change, transforma- tion, and alignment.

b. Culture Builder, who fosters com- mitment and engagement based  on an environment of trust and  promotes the health and vitality of  the organization.

c. Innovator, who sponsors, develops,  and can challenge the organization  to create strategies for disruption,  breakthroughs, transformation, and  innovation.

2. Efficient Designer a. Efficient Designer, who strives for 

simplicity and designs strategies,  interventions, and processes to  facilitate a desired business out- come with the client and end-user  in mind.

b. Process Consultant, who increases  leadership and organizational  capacity, facilitates group dialogue  and decision-making by creating a  non-threatening environment.

c. Data Synthesizer, who operates  as an integrator connecting multi- stakeholder views and translates  salient information to create clarity  and commitment.

3. Business Advisor a. Strategic Catalyst, who thinks stra-

tegically, takes initiative, and acts to  achieve results tied to the organiza- tion’s goals.

b. Results-Oriented Leader, who  understands and applies the prin- ciples of customer service, sets chal- lenging goals, and measures impact  and project return on investment.

c. Trusted Advisor, who effectively  develops trusting relationships and  partnerships through integrity  and authenticity and is clear about  the outcomes that are important  to key stakeholders.

4. Credible Strategist a. Credible Influencer, who empatheti-

cally relates to clients, understands  their needs, and has the knowledge  to translate the business reality into  terms that can be agreed upon and  committed to by the client.

b. Collaborative Communicator, who  communicates clearly and concisely,  and tailors communication in ways  that meet the needs and motivations  of client groups at all levels.

c. Globally Diverse Integrator, who  can effectively work within diverse  cultures, and creates an inclusive  environment for people of all identi- ties to feel valued, respected, and  able to contribute.

5. Informed Consultant a. Exemplary Consultant, who cul-

tivates meaning, working rela- tionships, and commitment with  stakeholders to effect change, and  demonstrates an understanding  of client expectations, effectively  contracting for goals, outcomes,  and resources.

b. Emotionally Intelligent Leader, who  effectively reads stakeholders, seeks  out different perspectives, and uses  emotional intelligence to guide  appropriate action, and understands  and reflects on one’s own personal  values, boundaries, feelings, biases,  triggers, and ethics to manage their  impact on the work.

The Global Competency Model is used as the foundation for OD education programs around the globe. The self-assessment is developmental and provides an accessible and realistic assessment to members who want guidance about how well they measure up to others in the field, and what kinds of skills they need to develop professionally. They are using the model to determine which jobs they are qualified for.

21Finally! Global OD Competencies

c. Life-Long Learner and Practitioner,  who demonstrates leadership in a  specialized area of OD, stays up to  date on methodologies and tools,  and leverages best practices to drive  results in line with the organiza- tion’s needs. The website has about  a dozen specific theories listed,  including appreciative inquiry, cul- ture change, diversity and inclusion,  organization design, the science of  decision making, systems theory,  and team development.

So, how can the Global Competency  Framework™ change the field, and us, and  maybe you? The Network has developed a  self-assessment: http://www.odnetwork.org/ page/globalframework. For each competency,  the Network has compiled a series of refer- ences and materials intended to support  change agents in their desire to expand  their knowledge and skills and improve in  any given competency. There are webi- nars, readings, and articles that support  each topic.

Back into the time machine. It is now  2020. The Global Competency Frame- work™ is used as the foundation for OD  education programs around the globe. The  self-assessment is developmental and pro- vides an accessible and realistic assessment  to members who want guidance about  how well they measure up to others in the  field, and what kinds of skills they need to  develop professionally. They are using the  model to determine which jobs they are  qualified for. OD and HR managers are  using the competencies and the certifica- tion to determine which of their staff they  can safely send in alone to have a difficult  conversation with a leader in the C suite. 

The benefit of diversity among OD prac- titioners outweighs the concerns about  differentiating members by skill. 

And, significantly, I believe that, if she  were still alive, Edie Seashore would say, it  doesn’t matter if I can get certified. It’s not  about me, it’s about you. 

Author’s note: Many thanks to everyone who participated in the development of these com- petencies, including Marisa Sanchez and the entire 2014 OD Network Board who voted to authorize this project, the dozens of people on the several committees that helped with the lit- erature review and data analysis, the hundreds of people who responded to our surveys and gave us feedback on our drafts, Sherry Duda for her competency development knowledge, and Jamie Kelly for bringing her optimism and real world experience to the project. It was truly a collaborative effort, using OD methods embodied in OD values, for the benefit of OD Network members, OD students, and all in the community who are committed to building healthy communities in an interconnected world by advancing the science, practice, and impact of OD around the globe, building healthy organizations and communities in a sustainable world.

References

Cummings, T. G., & Worley, C. G. (2008).  Organization development and change, 9th ed. Mason, OH: South-Western  Cengage Learning

Rothwell, W. J., Stavros, J. M., Sullivan, R.  L., & Sullivan, A. (Eds.) (2010), Practic- ing organization development: A guide for leading change. San Francisco, CA: John  Wiley and Sons.

Matt Minahan is president of MM & Associates, specializing in strategic planning, organization design and development, and leadership development. He is a past chair and co-chair of the Board of Trustees of the OD Net- work, a member and former board member of the Chesapeake Bay OD Network and NTL Institute, and is twice the recipient of the OD Network’s Service to the Network Award. He writes regularly for the OD Practitioner. He is also a pro- gram dean for Human Interaction Labs. He teaches in the OD pro- gram at American University and is a guest lecturer in several doctoral programs. He can be reached at [email protected].

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