I have been heavily influenced over time (and led to study OD) by a few factors.
For one, I am a very analytical person who likes to recognize larger themes and connect them (this is in line with my Strengthsfinder evaluation as a “strategist”), as well as a person who is constantly driven for change and improvement. While this is not always linear and not always inherently good, I do subscribe to a growth mindset and try to cultivate it in all things.
For another, I am a huge closet nerd and have always been fascinated with neuroscience, sociology, behavioral economics, personal growth, and the future of work and leisure management. I am an avid consumer of the content of the likes of Richard Thaler, Dan Ariely, Adam Grant, and the Freakonomics crew (Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt), TED talks, design podcasts and work, books on marketing, decision making, cognitive biases, and achievement, books on fulfillment (like Designing Your Life by Burnett and Evans) and habits (like the work of Nir Eyal, BJ Fogg, and James Clear) and neurological processes (The Social Animal by David Brooks). I originally worked with startups and marketing, finding those areas fascinating, but eventually realized that what I enjoyed about them was the empowerment of startups and the creative process of marketing.
In a nutshell, I am of the opinion that we (Americans, but also others – and probably more so in many cases, as supported by anecdotal experience but also work like that of the Geert Hofstede institute) spend so much time working, and so much time (hypothetically) in leisure, but fail to examine these activities from a standpoint of personal fulfillment and alignment with goals. Especially as it pertains to work, the Human Capital revolution is upon us (accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic) and we are at a crossroads where we can choose to run with the current research and modern world, understanding that profit and human happiness are not mutually exclusive – or we can take a step backward, choosing instead outdated views of how people, culture, and business work.
I am also very passionate about equity and the gradual eradication of racism and the like, and the new focus on DEI (or DIBs) as a vehicle for the above change – placing value on the individual, with their individual success being a part of the organization, and their unique characteristics and perspective forming a competitive edge rather than a burden – allows for a way to integrate that passion as well.
- I believe that the only constant is flux, and it is equally important to hold to known truths as it is to question those truths and explore alternative ways of doing things or looking at things. Empowered employees, in line with Bion’s work, can overcome the obstacles and conflicts inherent in perpetual growth.
- The only real change comes from within, and cannot be forced. To this end, all levels of an organization deserve a voice.
- We are less in control of our raw willpower and outcomes than we want to think, so a solid process is crucial for success, and especially repeated success.
- I believe that, in the case of DEI, “diversity” has become a largely umbrella and toothless term, seeking to manipulate the output of a system rather than impact meaningful change on the input. Equitable systems and opportunities must be put into place to achieve downstream change, and each demographic group must be treated according to their individual considerations, strengths, and needs.
- OD, and consulting in general, should serve the purpose of the client and allow the client to get closer to their chosen goals and level of achievement, in accordance with their culture and values.
I see Lewin’s work present in the current movement for DEI movements – employees need to feel involved, invested, and “seen” in order to do their best work and commit to an organization. Zappo’s is famous for engineering a unique “buy-in” strategy where they actually pay their employees to quit at any time; thereby, just by showing up an employee is making the choice to work and so feels better about being there. In modern DEI theory, employees perform better when they feel like they are valued and seen in their unique identity, as opposed to minorities having to hide certain aspects of themselves to fit into the predominant straight white male business culture.
I also am fascinated by MacGregor’s X and Y theories, and I think the convergence of those two mindsets sets the stage for the conflict I mentioned above. Especially in a post-COVID-19 world where human capital is key as the battle for top talent intensifies (as lower-level work further separates from higher-level work, not completely unrelated to the largely remote capabilities of the latter), the X and Y forms of human nature and management are coming to a head, and a tolerance for working for X type employers is waning. Y type, I believe, is a lot more suited for a world where self-discovery, problem-solving, empowerment, etc. are increasingly important in a more complex world with more and more resources available to the intrinsically motivated.
