OCHANGE has helped me gain self-awareness and self-concept about myself through our Developing Self Awareness discussion and Jung Typology exercise. I learned more about myself – my character, and emotional stability. In my opinion, it is important to know the self in order to succeed. This is because knowing the self is knowing one’s capabilities, strength, weaknesses, and limitations. And knowing these important information about the self is vital to in understanding how one works and how one cope with pressure. In addition, knowing these key information, we may better understand how one relates to other people.
My second learning I gained from OCHANGE is to always look at the core strengths and positive aspects of every situation, whether it be in an organizational setting or just in day-to-day situations. It is good to always be optimistic and look at the brighter side of things because this emits hope that can translate into a drive to work and change to be more efficient and effective.
Giving practical examples for every lesson is a great way to learn so that we may know how to apply what is taught, I would like to see more of this. Overall, I learned many valuable lessons in OCHANGE that I may apply when I step into the real world.
The Fast Cycle Full Participation method has its own unique key distinctions that differentiate it from other LGI’s. It is specifically about work system design and not for any other purpose. It is highly flexible and can yield depth quickly such as various and diverse perspectives form involvement of many people.
By definition, Fast Cycle Full-Participation Cycle, by definition, is a method used to improve the effectiveness of an organization by using its output metrics as basis; it redesigns the work system in order to improve and produce higher outcomes.
Unlike other LGI’s, this LGI is It is just like business operation; it is done to improve an organizations effectiveness.. In Fast Cycle Full-Participation, organizations are said to be producing systems where it takes form the environment raw materials and transforms (an organization’s core process) it into products or services that is desired by the environment. Thus, a cycle – it gets from the environment and gives back. The success of the organization will depend on the success of the transformation.
In my opinion, this LGI is very appropriate and effective when uses properly the whole method because it redesigns an organization, saves time. For example, organizations that are doing poorly may utilize this LGI and may have a big chance of attaining improvement in performance and in the relationships and work perspective of organizational members.
Future Search is a large group planning meeting that brings a whole system into the room to work on a task-focused agenda, allowing people to commit to action plans grounded in reality and to take ownership of the past, present, and future.
Authors Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff are co-directors of the Future Search Network who developed the Future Search Model with a purpose of making a community healthier and getting people onto a common ground.
Future Search is usually a 16-hour, 3-day event with 5 tasks – half day on the first day, whole day on the second day, and morning on the third day. Each of the 5 tasks last at least 3-4 hours. First is, people produce information in small groups, then they talk it over together, then they assign their own meaning and conclusion about the discussion then report it publicly so everybody hears form everyone else, and finally, engage in large group dialogue.
There are several processes as to how Future Search works. One is to talk about the past, creating three timelines (of their own life, the world, and the community). Another is to mind map all the trends that are present in the current world. Third is to search for a common ground from the mind mapping done. Another is the proud and sorry – to own up and be in touch of what one is proud and sorry about. Another is going into reality, creating a vision, and getting down to it.
Future search is an effective method as an LGI because it involves the whole organization with diverse groups, it can deliver energy, shared vision and make decisions.
The whole systems approach transforms businesses into a thriving organization by aligning its internal and external forces. Thus, having an excellent internal and external system means having an organization leading to success. To do this, all vital systems within an organization is created, modified, or redesigned, then integrated and aligned – here, all stakeholders are vital and involved.
In the whole systems approach, Bill and Cynthia Adams emphasized that total participation by the employee population is highly encouraged. They developed this approach by tedious “day in and day out” research with leaders and organizations to successfully realize their changed goals. The Adams developed this approach to produce a highly effective organization-wide change effort that creates employee engagement with a shared meaning toward work and visible results.
Whole Systems Approach which is done within seven months and involves 60-600 organizational members and stakeholders as participants is done by first clarifying the business imperative ad reasons for change, undergoing a series of conference and inter-conference activities, connecting to the people information developed during conference, confirming results, creating products for the next steps and ratifying decisions.
According to the Adams, it is best to use this approach for the organization when there is an evident need for change and transformation, integration, focus, and engagement of stakeholders. In addition, it is best not to use this approach here there is no top-level commitment, leadership, and full-involvement. This approach is a good one because organizational members are valued. They are needed by the whole system in order for the system to operate effectively. In addition, all systems are valuable because all systems, as a whole, work together for the benefit of the organization.
Success is in the mind of every business, but what could we say is the most effective way? Many have been doing it through different strategies that they applied to their business, such as, quality service management, ISO accreditations, differentiation of products, taking a competitive advantage against other competitors and many more. But now, there has been another way to reach to that success, and it is proven to be effective by the use of many world re-known companies and it is the method of conducting search conference. Search conference is a method in helping the whole organization to adapt to the fast pace changes that is happening to its environment and make it a strength of applying it to the company for the benefit of the management team and the workers involved. It is to further develop innovation and cooperation through the help of a conference that redirects the company on where it wants to go for a successful and productive business. It changes the aspect of how the company would be able to handle the external factors and make certain strategies and implementations that may be brought to their advantage. It is not limited to address the external factors of changes but it also helps the company for internal conflicts such as unions and productivity of workers.
There are many companies that have existed through their own traditional style of management, but now, a new trend have emerged. A new way of success has been discovered, and it is being followed by many of the most successful companies around the globe. It is indeed Search Conference!
An example of a company that have used search conference and made it a success is Microsoft. They have used this method to facilitate new product development conducting four back-to-back search conferences, which culminated in a meeting for integrating ideas, strategies and action plans. This resulted in a comprehensive strategy for each of the product lines within the division. Another well-known company that have tried this method is Levi Strauss in Canada they had used search conference to shift the mindset and form a partnership with the union and go forward together to create the future of a more stabilized and unified company. Every company has its own different reasons for planning and organizing their companies to meet their objectives and of course to further enhance the productivity and wellbeing of the whole organization.
How does it work? It is a conference that involves the company that wants to be redirected to address external factors and problems within the company. It is usually done in a group, ranging from 20 to 35 people that are within the organization and it does not follow any means of hierarchy for any person within the conference. The preparation for the conference would be around 3 days to study the problems that are within the company and analyze improvements that may be done, but the conference itself would only be in one day, that includes already all the participants of the company.
Search conference must be used whenever there is a need to create an environment where all the members of the organization could participate, without considering on what position they are in. They may say whatever they want regarding on their concerns, feedback and recommendations about the company for further improvements. Also this kind of conference is needed when there is a need for the company to identify on what direction it wants to go. Some of the companies are not focused on having a straight direction of where they would want to go, or what kind of market would they want to sell. An example of a company that is currently lost in its direction is the brand Giordano here in the Philippines. They are a well-known brand in the world but here in the Philippines, they are confused on what market to tap on because they would be having different target segments, and they opened different store locations with different demographics. So they would not focus only to one, but they target a lot of the segments that they would market to. I personally recommend Search conference for Giordano Philippines for a more direct approach on who to target on their brand.
Truly, many organizations have been doing different steps of attaining to be successful, but one big step of doing it is through Search Conference.
The Did you Know? video on the progression of information technology, researched by Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and Jeff Brenman is another eye-opener for all the 11 million people who watched it; and that’s only on Youtube.
Again, the video was is presentation of trends of what is happening around us. Information generation is so fast that a lot of us do not realize the changes in our environment. I remember Sir Ken Robinson’s lecture on humanity’s creativity. Our capacity for innovation is extreme. We have no idea of what’s going to happen. Our social practices haven’t figured out how to keep up with technology.
This also applies to organizations. Not everyone could keep up with innovation. You might be using a Windows 7 and you feel that you’re updated. The next day, it changes and you’re already outdated. We never know what might happen next. What if this video would be outdated tomorrow? Then the truth would make everything seem like a lie.
Organizations are forced to put up a website because it is now the number one source of information. Libraries and books will be extinct soon. I will not be surprised if computers will be aware of their existence and conquer the Earth. If we reproduce in 9 months, computers and machines would reproduce in 3 seconds. They would conclude that the Earth no longer needs the services of humans. They will annihilate us and make an entirely new planet in just a day; defeating God who made the Earth in 6 days.
In 15 years, if the world no longer uses silicon-based microchips in computers and relies on a combination of the new technologies in the article, what I fear the most would come true: computers will be the new “human race”. Our work force will decrease; people will lose their jobs; humans will become lazier than they already are. And the time when man is no longer needed will come. Like in Wall-E, because the computer does everything for them, they just sit back, relax, and enjoy being obese.
If this new technology could compute within seconds and solve problems in an instant, why do we still need to produce scientists, doctors or engineers? We could have only a few experts to maintain this new technology and lessen our spending on creating jobs for people. Maybe we could also solve the problem on overpopulation. Or maybe we could create a main controlling system that would run the country (remember Eagle Eye?). Then, human intervention is no longer required.
If this continues, we will be eating breakfast out of tubes and going to work in hovering taxis. Our day to day activities will be so affected that we need to change our lifestyle. Even organizations will find it hard to cope with new technology. If they can’t afford the latest, they will disappear from the corporate world.
Human imagination has no limits. With the right research and reasonable budget, we could make this happen and make it work. However, these dreams may be too much for the world to handle.
I leave you with a statement by Stephen Hawking, who is an icon in the scientific would. He asked, “Why do we think we know better?”
For the past few blogs, we’ve talked about different Organizational Development Interventions (ODIs). Considering my entries alone, I already discussed two. Deng discussed three more and still other ODIs are to follow from our colleagues Deirdre and Fritz. These ODIs can be done to bring about positive changes in any organization.
Oh. Change. We dread this at times for it seemingly rocks what is stable and perfect already. but change is the only key to survival for any organization. Without the ability to change to adapt to the ever dynamic environment, organizations are surpassed by competitors who can better cater to volatile publics. So aside from the ODIs, we have to learn about change and how to initiate it.
One type of organizational change is organizational transformation. Organizational transformation is a drastic or very sudden change of structures and culture within the organization. It happens to organizations that have just undergone mergers, take-overs and restructuring. Organizational transformation also happens to organizations when:
There is environmental discontinuity – the organization’s publics do not like the services of the organization There is downsizing in the company
Now, is this change solely negative or positive? Can it be viewed just in black or white? Organizational transformation is not good or bad per se. The goodness or badness of transformation depends on how the organization works on the change process. If change is initiated and developed just by the organization’s leader, that is a bad change. If the change is initiated and developed by the whole organization, that is a good change for people will take responsibility. People own up to the consequences of an action if the action is theirs.
How can change be initiated? There are four ways namely participative, charismatic, forced , and dictatorial. The participative approach is ideal when organization is in fit with its environment, only a minor change is needed to be done, and organizational members are open to change. Charismatic approach is ideal when organization is out of fit with the environment and yet the leader is supported by the rest of the organization’s members. There needs to be “charisma” so organizational members will not just support but also collaborate with the leader in making the change happen. Now, if minor change is needed and yet organizational members do not support the needed change, forced approach to change should be used. If the organization does not fit the environment , there is no time to do strategic change, and members do not support change, the dictatorial approach to change should be used.
Aside the four ways, culture would be a great deal in pushing for change. Culture pertains to the values, norms, and beliefs of people within the organization. Culture is the way things are done in the organization. If the culture built in the organization is open to change, if the organization is dynamic, then the organization will be able to change for the better more easily.
