I think that the most important thing I learned is that there is a huge difference between OD and performance consulting and management. As an HR business partner, I am asked to play all of those roles and I have found that I have at times utilized a similar approach to all three. I can look back at some of the “changes” that my leaders wanted to enact and I can now recognize that they were really looking to increase performance by initiating a new training or process, but they were not looking to enact change.
I have also seen where I was really working as a consultant to the change, but took more of a role as a director who was leading the change and not really acting as a facilitator. Through this class, I now realize that I need to ask better questions to my leaders and then help make the appropriate recommendation for what track we need to take. Once they choose the right path, I need to do a better job of “wearing the right hat” when assisting them.