Exercise 2

ORGANIZATIoN DeVeLoPMeNT PRACTITIoNeR SKILLS

You are the leader of a management team about to hire an organization development
practitioner to conduct a team-building exercise with your staff. The staff generally get along well, though you feel that the teams performance could be better. You would like the OD practitioner to propose an intervention to help the team improve. In small groups of three to five members, identify the top eight to ten skills or knowledge areas you would want your practitioner to possess. You may add to the list if you think of a different skill or knowledge area that does not appear below. Compare your list with that of your team members and discuss the following questions.

Discussion Questions
1. How would you find the consultant that matched your skill or knowledge needs? Would any of these skills or knowledge needs be the same even if you had a different problem to address? 2. Would you select an internal or external consultant? Why? 3. How would you know if a consultant held the skills you seek? If you were the practitioner, how would you show that you held these skills? 4. From a practitioners viewpoint, would you select different skills to be important to this engagement? Why or why not?

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Exercise 2. Organization Development Practitioner Skills

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SKILLS
Interpersonal Skills and Personal Characteristics Self-Awareness and Self-Management Objectivity/Neutrality Imagination Flexibility, Dealing With Ambiguity Honesty/Integrity Consistency Building Trust and Rapport Open-Mindedness Listening Sense of Humor Risk Taking Political Awareness Persuasiveness Collaboration Tact and Diplomacy Role Modeling Rational-Emotional Balance Negotiation Managing Stress Organizational Behavior Organizational Theory Strategy Open Systems Motivation and Rewards Change Theory Organization Design Power Leadership Conflict Organizational Culture Mergers and Acquisitions Group Development Change Management Change Resistance and Stakeholder Engagement Communication (e.g., use of metaphors, stories) Consulting Skills Entry and Contracting Design of Data-Gathering Program Diagnosis Designing Interventions Giving and Receiving Feedback Evaluating Results of Interventions Data Collection and Analysis Research Design Interviewing Skills Survey Preparation (Continued)

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PA RT III. E X E R C IS E S IN OR GA N IZATION DEV ELOPM ENT A ND C HA NGE

(Continued) Data Analysis (quantitative and qualitative) Statistical Analysis Participant Observation Interpreting and Reporting Results Measurement and Testing Interventions Strategic Planning Vision/Mission Development Goal Setting Process Analysis and Redesign Role Development and Clarification Restructuring Coaching and Mentoring Team Building Future Search Conferences Appreciative Inquiry Quality Approaches (Six Sigma,Total Quality Management) Conflict Resolution Facilitation Skills Training and Development Adult Learning Instructional Design Training Delivery Skills Assessment of Learning Performance Management Technology and Learning Business and Management Knowledge Areas Finance and Accounting Human Resources Management Sales and Marketing Information Systems and Technology Operations and Production Legal Issues General Professional Skills Public Speaking Written Communication Translate Theory Into Practice Project Management Ethical Issues for OD Consultants Cross-Cultural Knowledge