Month: November 2022

What is the most important thing you have learned in this course pertaining to being an OD practitioner? I think my biggest learning from WFED 572 is that there are many, many methods, practices and learnings in the world of research and application with the OD field. With 15+ years of practical work experience, through my readings, assignments and research, I have a much better understanding of “where” the theories and science of the practices come from. Likely one of my biggest takeaways is around the idea of a true change transformation. My  company is in a constant state of change and amazingly, some of them are so large and broad that they end up being quite related to transformational change. In reflection, as many of the change movements have not been successful, I can now see why. Too much change, not enough strategy and proper planning, and the leadership often forgetting about the people the change is most affecting.

What steps do you need to take to further develop as an OD practitioner? I am early on in my master’s program. This is my first semester and I took 3 classes – 572, 865 and 880. Lots of learning ahead and I am still excited and happy to be in the program. I am thoughtfully thinking about the classes I choose within the program and greatly wanting to learn and grow. I have a very open mind and am excited for the challenge and experiences ahead. I want to continue to learn from my classmates and their experiences in the workplace.

What did you learn about yourself, your preferences (personality), your style, your strengths, and so on, that will influence how you perform your work going forward? One of my big learnings is around team work. These were often some of my most engaging moments in all of my classes, however, it is quite challenging to balance time zones and people’s schedules. I do cherish owning my schedule and completing my individual assignments on my timeline. I made a norm for myself to always be at least a week ahead in my assignments and readings and was able to keep this norm in tact with the exception of the group assignments. I had to trust the process and trust the group. Another learning that I am taking away is that I joined the program to hopefully bring back knowledge and experience to my current workplace. I am now wondering and curious what else might be out there for me once I complete this program. The working world is changing as well, so I have a new perspective on being open to opportunities, should they cross my path.

Based on your experiences, as well as the topics discussed throughout this lesson, what skills and competencies do team facilitators need to enhance when working with virtual team environments? Define the competency required and explain.

As a manager and people leader for over 15 years, first and foremost, trust must be built for all working relationships. Having led individuals and teams virtually, pre-covid, this was a critical value that I focused on when bringing on a new team member. Some things that I focus on: spending the first few 1:1s getting to know the human behind the employee – what do they like outside of work? What makes them tick at work? What brings them energy? From there, I like to bring the teams together. Spending time virtually getting to know each other greatly helps the team cohesion and trust. As a facilitator in a virtual setting, especially if they are new or one might be doing a training, where relationships have not been built yet, doing ice breakers, encouraging open discussion can greatly enhance the environment. One thing that I have learned and witnessed through covid – I was often of the belief that if your camera is off, that you may not be engaged or focusing. I have since witnessed some incredibly effective teams that all keep their cameras off – that is their team norm. However, that norm was established early on and accepted. I find that when you give the option for camera on/off – I more often see less engagement and distractibility.  Setting norms is quite important and often overlooked.  Encouraging participation from the group while virtual is so important and allows for a more engaging environment. Many check-ins, calling out individuals to share stories/insights, be comfortable with the silence when you ask a question – keeping your virtual involved makes for a much for effective and fun time together. Lastly, but definitely not least, laugh together. Fun times and laughter builds resilience and is scientifically proven to release endorphins. We spend a lot of time at work and together; if we can’t have some fun, why are we doing all this!!

What ethical challenges have you faced? Thankfully, at my workplace, I have not faced any ethical challenges. As I ponder this fact for this blog, I am impressed, humbled and reminded of how lucky I am to have worked for a company for 16 years without feeling a true ethical challenge.

What comes to mind for me as an ethical challenge takes me back to my days of undergrad school. As a Psychology major, one of the requirements to graduate was to complete a large semester long research project. We were partnered for this project and the final product was nearly 60 pages and required extensive effort. My partner throughout was just awful. He never showed up for our research sessions, handed in any of his assignments and  did not contribute to the final paper. Back in the day before the internet, our papers were handed in during office hours and directly to the professor. I did put his name on our title page, as he was “technically” my assigned partner, but ethically, I knew this was a lie and wrong. I went to my professors office, handed in the paper and began to walk back to my dorm and felt a very strong urgency to go back to her office, which I did. I quietly walked in, said nothing and took the paper off her desk and crossed off his name, placing the paper back on her desk. We made eye contact, I continued to say nothing, my eyes misting a bit, and she said, “I know. I know. You did good Lynda. You did the right thing.”

What values do you believe in? How much do you feel that you are a role model of these values when others observe your behavior?  Much of my 16 year career at my company has been in direct people leadership. I strongly believe that leaders must lead by behavior, values and honesty. I greatly value humility, partnership, honestly and doing the right thing when no one is watching. I have felt quite blessed to work for a company that often and regularly emulates these values. It is rare and uncommon to see otherwise – these values are built into our culture. However, every so often, I come across a fellow colleague that may not be leading with this type of compass and I do everything I can, to lead by example, encourage with positivity and help that person re-connect to our mission and vision.