• Housekeeping• News• OD Diagnosis

• What does it mean: “Dx is Tx”?• What is the traditional OD approach to Dx?• What are the mechanisms involved in deriving Dx?• What is the value/utility of a Dx? (nomenclature)• What is the Reflective Learning model & how is it

used?• Consider the models: McKinsey 7S, Weisbord 6-box,

etc– what do they have in common?• What is Systems Theory & how is it used?

• Team Task: Analyze and draw a systems model of an organizational problem showing mechanisms & possible intervention points

• Next week: Conflict management

1. Think of visiting your health care, computer or auto mechanic professional. What is a diagnosis?

2. What does s/he do to diagnose (Dx) your condition?3. What are the uses/purposes of a Dx; What does it allow

you to do?4. What, therefore, are the criteria for a sound Dx?5. How is a diagnosis derived?

Organizational Diagnosis

The diagnostic process

Level 1: raw data

Level 2: concepts & constructs

Level 3: conceptual description (the explanation)

Level 4: diagnostic label

e.g., conflict, leadership, norms, roles, communication channels, decision style, etc.

e.g., Transition adjustment reaction with emphasis on role diffusion

e.g., during organizational transition, stakeholder roles have become diffused, resulting in role overload, role conflict, and role boundary disputes. These in turn have led to increased anxiety about the future and lowered productivity.

e.g., observations, statements, survey, archived data, etc.

Dx is Tx

1. Common focus

2. Identification and examination of key factors

3. Exploration of relationships among factors

4. Gap analysis: development of cognitive dissonance

5. Reflective learning: awareness leads through the cycle

6. Mechanism: the process is the corrective mechanism for current and future problems

The OD process of deriving a diagnosis entails activation of the same organizational mechanisms required for intervention

• Lewin’s FFA• McKinsey 7-S model• Gelinas-James Model• Weisbord 6-box model• Systems theory• etc…

Paradigm Effect: The model you use will help you find some things but will prevent you from seeing others

Weisbord 6-Box Model

Force-Field Analysis

Gelinas-JamesElements of Organizations Model

What are the key areas for examining organizational functioning?

The 7-S McKinsey model

Burke-Litwin Model ofOrganizational Performance

and Change

• What are the key areas?

• How are they connected?

Dx-Tx considerations: • identify the key problem• identify linkages• trace multiple linkages• identify barriers to solution• explore removing barriers

TheProblem

What influences

it? What influences

it?

What influences

it?

What influences

it?

What prevents it from being

solved?

What influences

it?

http://www.acm.org/sigchi/chi97/proceedings/poster/mil.htm

Problems with OD Dx– there ain’t none!

1. There are no widely used, standard, or conventional diagnostic systems in OD

2. There is no standard diagnostic nomenclature

3. There are no standard tools for assessment

4. There is low reliability (and few reliability studies) regarding inter-rater diagnoses

5. Some labels are so poorly defined as to be meaningless

6. There is no clear relationship between Dx and Tx

7. Most interventions are not standardized

8. There are very few studies on Tx outcomes

9. They usually focus on what is going wrong rather than what is going right (e.g., solution focus, appreciative inquiry, etc.)

Instrumented Feedback– Diagnosis is treatment

• Complete the initial OD stages of scouting, contracting, etc.

• Identify the areas of primary focus: key result areas, mission critical, etc.

• Gather information (survey, hard data, perceptions, judgments, etc.)

• Organize and present information to stakeholders

• Explore interpretations– what do these reflect? What do you think it means?

• Action– what do you want to do about it?

Team Diagnostic Activity

• Teams identify and discuss an OD case (at least one member must be very familiar with the case– your client)

• Identify the “problem”

• Use one of the diagnostic models to identify key areas

• Discuss the relationships among key areas relevant to “the problem”

• What is it about the structure/processes that enables “the problem” to arise and maintains it?

• Where are the intervention points implied by this conceptualization?

• What would you do if you could?