Organization Development:
Why it doesn't work
when it doesn't work
Organization Development (OD) is a system of interventions designed and introduced by an external consultant to facilitate positive changes within an organization. This is an oversimplification, but it is the gist of the field’s purpose. Organization Development is a “helping” field. As a helping field, OD can only be implemented when the representatives of an organization decide that they need help to move their organization forward. This is analogous to an individual deciding that he or she needs counseling. Such “help” cannot be imposed—you cannot help a person or an organization who does not want to be helped. Herein lies the crux of failed OD projects: managers sometimes ask for help that they really do not want.
Why do managers spend resources, including time and money, to hire consultants whose services they do not want? Many people believe that managers would never do such a wasteful thing. But they are wrong. Many organizational problems are caused by the managers who are supposed to prevent them. Sometimes problems are caused unintentionally, due to the ignorance or incompetence of managers, and sometimes they are caused intentionally, due to some level of corruption. Corruption exists at all levels—it involves people taking something to which they are not entitled (assets or power) from the organization that employs them. So, when organizational goals aren’t met because corruption has diverted assets or effort, a cover-up is needed to keep the actions of the corrupt managers from being discovered.
Some corrupt managers hire an Organization Development Consultant to make it appear as though they are openly working to solve the problem. When they do so, they define the problem as lying outside of their authority, and they seek a consultant who they expect will validate their false position.
A legitimate OD consultant will perform an independent diagnosis to determine the actual cause of the organization’s problem(s). This requires the cooperation of management, and when managers are corrupt, they either obstruct the diagnosis, or cause the consultant to leave before the end of the contract. Sadly, there are also corrupt consultants who will collude with corrupt managers for a fee. So, there you have it: corruption cancels the effectiveness of Organization Development.
What can you do when the same problems persist in your organization? There is only one way to change a culture of corruption: remove the people responsible for it. Starting over with new management may be the best option. Depending on how far up the hierarchy the corruption is found (it may exist at any or all levels), it may take an outside authority to end the cycle, or competent competition to end the organization.
For more insight into 13 kinds of managerial corruption, read “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Boss.”
Why do managers spend resources, including time and money, to hire consultants whose services they do not want? Many people believe that managers would never do such a wasteful thing. But they are wrong. Many organizational problems are caused by the managers who are supposed to prevent them. Sometimes problems are caused unintentionally, due to the ignorance or incompetence of managers, and sometimes they are caused intentionally, due to some level of corruption. Corruption exists at all levels—it involves people taking something to which they are not entitled (assets or power) from the organization that employs them. So, when organizational goals aren’t met because corruption has diverted assets or effort, a cover-up is needed to keep the actions of the corrupt managers from being discovered.
Some corrupt managers hire an Organization Development Consultant to make it appear as though they are openly working to solve the problem. When they do so, they define the problem as lying outside of their authority, and they seek a consultant who they expect will validate their false position.
A legitimate OD consultant will perform an independent diagnosis to determine the actual cause of the organization’s problem(s). This requires the cooperation of management, and when managers are corrupt, they either obstruct the diagnosis, or cause the consultant to leave before the end of the contract. Sadly, there are also corrupt consultants who will collude with corrupt managers for a fee. So, there you have it: corruption cancels the effectiveness of Organization Development.
What can you do when the same problems persist in your organization? There is only one way to change a culture of corruption: remove the people responsible for it. Starting over with new management may be the best option. Depending on how far up the hierarchy the corruption is found (it may exist at any or all levels), it may take an outside authority to end the cycle, or competent competition to end the organization.
For more insight into 13 kinds of managerial corruption, read “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Boss.”
