Organizational Development and Practitioner Skills Discussion

This assignment has two parts.

For Part 1, imagine that the most senior leader in your organization learns you are taking a class on Organizational Development (OD). This individual informs you that they have heard of OD and its potential benefits to an organization; however, they do not really understand what it is or how it can help. Your task is to write a 1 to 2-page memo to explain OD and its significance to this senior leader. Your explanation should include:

• A description of the field of organizational development.
• A description of the practical advantages of OD.
• At least one example of organizational change theory.

A memorandum (or, memo) is a document used for internal communications of official business within an organization. A memo is typically distributed to more than one recipient (possibly an entire department or company) in order to inform the recipients of official internal business.

The standard format for a memo is:

Memorandum

TO:

FROM:

DATE:

SUBJECT:

Text of the memorandum written in prose, with a clear focus and point. If action is needed by the recipients, be sure to include a clear call to action.

For Part 2, reflect on the competencies required to be an effective OD practitioner. Cummings and Worley (2015) identify the seven foundational competencies of an OD practitioner’s knowledge:

• Knowledge of organizational behavior
• Knowledge of individual psychology
• Knowledge of group dynamics
• Knowledge of management and organizational theory
• Knowledge of research and statistics
• Knowledge of comparative cultural perspective
• Functional knowledge of business

Write a 2 to a 3-page reflective essay that addresses the following:

• Briefly evaluate your level of competence in each of the seven knowledge areas.
• Explain which areas you hope to improve through this course.
• Identify which areas you need to improve outside this course, and then explain how you plan to make those improvements.

Total Length (Part 1 and Part 2): 3-5 pages, not including the title and reference pages

References: Include a minimum of three scholarly resources.

Your assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts that are presented in the course and provide new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic.