informal coalitions

Critical role of the local and current context on patterns of thought and action

An interesting piece in the 7 March issue of New Scientist challenges the "simplistic stereotypes" that are often used to define the difference between eastern and western cultures. 

Entitled "East meets West," Ed Yong's article questions the sharply polarized view of these cultures that is usually adopted. This well-established position typically counterposes the independent-individualized focus of western culture with the interdependent-collective focus which is ordinarily seen as being characteristic of eastern thought. The article challenges this established view and argues instead for what Yong calls "cognitive flexibility", which recognises the capacity of people from both cultures to adopt both of these modes of thought. 

Besides the article's implications for cross-cultural management, it seems to me that broader inferences can be drawn from it in relation to organizational dynamics in the round. And it's these that I want to turn to briefly here.

How can HR support its managers in change and OD?

This is the final post in a short series looking at aspects of organizational change and development during a recession. The series expands on some of the points in Annie Hayes's feature article on the topic in HRZone.co.uk.

This final offering examines HR's role in supporting its managers in their leadership of successful organizational change and development.

What is the leaders’ role in OD?

This is the penultimate post in a short series, which looks at the nature, relevance and management of OD/change during the challenging economic climate. It builds on my responses to questions posed by HRZone's Annie Hayes, which feature in her article Downturn downtime? Organisation development in a recession.

This post focuses on how leaders can increase the likelihood of achieving successful organizational change and development.

How can we ensure attempts at change and OD succeed?

This is the fourth post of six, based on the questions posed by Annie Hayes in her feature article in HRZone.co.uk about how OD should be approached in a recession. It looks at how the high failure rate of OD/change initiatives can be overcome, as viewed from an informal coalitions perspective.

Since research consistently shows that around two-thirds of all planned change programmes fail to deliver the intended outcomes, what can managers do to ensure success?

Is the current economic climate the right time to be thinking about OD?

This is the third post arising from a feature article on OD published in HRZone.co.uk. It addresses another of the questions asked by features editor Annie Hayes during her research for the article.

So, is now the right time for managers to be investing in the future, by initiating change and organization development strategies? Or, given the current recession, should they be focusing their attention on more immediate concerns?

Should change/OD strategies be different during a recession?

This was the second question asked by Annie Hayes, as the basis for her feature article on OD published in HRZone.co.uk.

The core of my response was that I believe that the primary focus of OD/change strategies - at all times - should be on enhancing business performance.

I'm using the term "business performance" here to refer to all forms of profit-based and not-for-profit organisations. The ‘business’ of all organizations is to deliver specific benefits to specific beneficiaries, whether operating as a commercial enterprise, public sector organization, charity or whatever.

Therefore, the first question that any OD/change strategy needs to address is "What is the business agenda?"

Organization development in the downturn

I was interviewed recently by HRZone's Annie Hayes, for a piece she was writing on how organizations should implement OD/change strategies during the current economic conditions.

Her feature article, Downturn downtime? Organisation development in a recession, was published today. So I thought I'd expand a little here on some of my thoughts that are included in the HRZone article.

Before addressing the question directly, and to help put my comments in context, this initial post explains briefly where I sit in relation to OD/organizational change in general.