By the end of the week, you will be better positioned to:

• Diagnose your organization’s effectiveness using the Queen’s IRC blueprint
• Define your role as an organization development professional
• Design and implement appropriate interventions
• Use the principles of organization development practice: systems thinking, action research,client focus, and involvement
• Create a personal plan for your own development

a) Setting the Stage

What are your roles as a practitioner of organization development (OD)?

What exactly is OD? While there is no comprehensive, widely accepted definition of OD, we will use analogies to create a working definition that will guide you as an OD practitioner back in your organization.

The focus will be on classic OD principles: collaboration; the group as the unit of change; action learning; and whole systems perspective.

b) Understanding Where OD Came From

To know where we are going it helps to know where we have been. This section provides the historical perspective you need to ground future practice.

You will examine:

• Major theorists who influenced the evolution of OD from scientific management to systems theory, with a view to understanding contemporary practices such as large-scale interventions
• How OD theory and practice have shaped our perspectives of the effective workplace
• How environmental factors influence our definition of the ideal organization

c) Defining the Well-Designed Workplace

Organization development means creating an enabling workplace where people can work effectively toward strategic goals. What defines functional, high-performance workplaces? The answer lies in the Queen's IRC OD diagnostic model, the Blueprint for Organizational Effectiveness. Explore challenges your organization is experiencing for each area of the Blueprint by using the Gap Analyser.

d) Exploring the Action Research Model

Go deep into the action research consulting process, in which practitioners partner with their clients to collect and analyze data and create interventions to accomplish the client's goals.

You will learn:

• How data are collected through interviews, focus groups, surveys, observations, review of historical material, and other methods
• How data are analyzed and presented to the client group so that a shared diagnosis and interventions can be developed

e) Viewing the Organization From a Systems Perspective

OD is a change process that looks at the overall dynamics of people systems, and how changes in one area affect the other parts. You will work through a series of thought- provoking, experiential activities designed to highlight the importance of systems thinking.

You will learn:

• Tools for mapping systems
• Barriers that block innovation and create misalignments

f) The OD Blueprint and OD Consulting Process

This is your chance to start working with the theory and skills you have been learning. Using the OD Blueprint as the diagnostic template and the action research consulting model, you will work through a case scenario.

Your small group will:

• Diagnose the problem or challenge
• Assess relevant data
• Define the change agenda
• Discuss possible interventions
• Share the valuable information generated with the entire group

g) Self as Instrument

Taking stock of all that you have learned this week and the challenges that await you on the return to work, how prepared are you for the various roles that you will play as an OD practitioner? In this closing module, we will ask you to turn the lens on yourself and answer the following questions:

• What talents do I bring to my role as an OD practitioner?
• What drivers—values, goals, needs, wants— motivate me to do my best work?
• What deep knowledge do I possess based on life experiences and observations?
• What must I do to continue my personal development?

Interactive learning

A number of exercises give attendees an opportunity to explore societal and organizational trends over time.

Takeaways

• Participant Case Study Workbook
• Blueprint for Organizational Effectiveness
• Organizational Effectiveness Gap Analysis

Organizational benefits

• People management systems aligned to the organization's north star
• Ability to move toward culture-level change with lasting effect
• Shared ownership of complex challenges
• Better understanding of bottlenecks blocking greater effectiveness

This program is designed for human resources and organizational development practitioners, team leaders, external and internal consultants, planners, and implementers of change who want to learn a leading-edge methodology for understanding and achieving optimal organization development

Job titles and organizations of some recent attendees:

• Bell Technical Solutions
• Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation
• Citizenship & Immigration
• Lakeridge Health
• NavCanada
• Public Works and Government Services Canada
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
• Government of the Yukon
• St Lawrence Cement, Holcim Group Company
• Groupe Conseil Proxima
• Ontario Ministry of Health
• LYT Investment Inc.
• Transcontinental
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
• Navigating White Water Consulting Services
• People Strength Inc.
• Staples Business
• Katz Group Canada
• Natural Resources Canada
• Central Community Care Access Centre
• Ontario Power Generation
• Intermap Technologies
• South East Community Care Access Centre
• Canada School of Public Service
• Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada
• Government of Nunavut Dep't of Human Resources
• Burlington Technologies Inc.
• Kerry's Place Autism Services
• Central Community Care Access Centre
• Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada
• Hydro One Networks Inc.
• Canadian Tire Corporation
• The TDL Group Corp. Canada Ontario Business Service Centre

Brenda Barker Scott

Brenda Barker Scott has extensive experience in all aspects of organizational development acquired over a twenty-year career in teaching and consulting. When working with leadership teams she combines strong theoretical knowledge with practical methodologies to ensure that the right people are engaged in the right conversations to design robust and workable solutions.

Brenda is an instructor on a number of the Queen's IRC programs including Building Smart Teams, Organization Development Foundations, Organizational Design and Organization Learning. A frequent presenter, Brenda has been a keynote speaker for the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Conference Board of Canada, the Human Resources Planners Association of Ontario and the Canadian Institute for Health Research.

Brenda is co-author of Building Smart Teams: A Roadmap to High Performance. She is a graduate of Queen's University and lives in Kingston with her husband and two sons.

Brenda presents at the following IRC program(s): OD Foundations, Organizational Design, Organizational Learning, Building Smart Teams

Diane Locke

Diane Locke is a senior partner at Ellis Locke & Associates, a Toronto-based management consultancy. She has more than 20 years experience in the areas of leadership development and organizational effectiveness, including both internal and external consulting roles.

Diane's areas of expertise include organization development, training and development, executive assessment, and coaching. She has provided training, coaching, and consulting services to a broad range of organizations in the public and private sectors.

Prior to becoming a consultant, Diane created and led the Leadership Effectiveness Department at American Express, where she was responsible for organizational effectiveness, leadership development, management coaching, employee satisfaction, and internal communication. In addition, she has worked as a professional development specialist at Scotiabank and as a senior associate in one of the premier human resource consulting firms in North America. more...

Françoise Morissette

Francoise has been a facilitator at Queen's University's prestigious Industrial Relations Centre since 1994, and was made a Fellow in 2006. She is the Chair for the Leadership Capacity Program.

In 2009, she became an Adjunct Faculty at the University of Alberta's Business School. Her focus is on leadership development for senior executives in the Alberta Government.

As a consultant, Francoise is a major contributor to the field of organizational development. Her practice takes her within Canada and internationally. Her main area of expertise is leadership development. Through a variety of interventions, she helps leaders, organizations and communities enhance their leadership capacity. more...

Edmonton: Matrix (Nov 20-23, 2012)

Queen’s University IRC looks forward to welcoming you to the Matrix Hotel, located at 10640 100th Avenue, in the heart of downtown Edmonton.  The hotel’s architecture combines the natural elements of fire, water, and stone, creating a tranquil haven for the sophisticated traveler.  The Matrix offers complimentary parking, a business centre, fitness suite, deluxe complimentary continental breakfast and evening wine tasting.

http://www.matrixedmonton.com/