Organizational Developmental: A trip to Boston pt 3

To help combat the boredom that occurs after hours during an out of state event for your employees/team it is best to research events during the date(s) of the event, retail shops or restaurants nearby, to even different mode of transportation. This information can be used for team building events, ways for the team members to blow off steam. Also, this information can be used to solidify or build relationships between managers and their team.

Nothing informs an employee that you have their best interests at heart than informing them of either the respective hotspots near the venue you are staying at, or maybe where to grab the best burger. So long as it shows that the leaders who organized the trip and event were thinking of more than just the event itself. Empathy towards the employees you dragged across state lines to even five blocks down the street goes a long way.

It builds trust, comradery and a healthy dose of positivity in an event that employees/team members could just be viewing as a necessary evil to get a couple overtime hours in order to pay off some bills. The little extras can go a long way, even if you do see an immediate return it creates an organizational culture that will expect more and do more (production wise) in the future.

Organizational Development: How to continue your progression in the field

One of the questions or dilemmas from a class for Organizational Development was how would I continue to learn and apply knowledge of organizational development when the work we do is never transactional and the dynamics we experience in our organizations will challenge us to think differently and pointedly.

I posted this as an answer to this dilemma/question:

"I think that a great first step now that the class is wrapping up is to reread the textbooks at one’s leisure. Also, analyzing one’s organization or workplace, really looking at the benefits, the policies and procedures they have in place, then using what we learned here to ask where the organization can grow or do better for their employees.

There are also a bunch of Organization Development (OD) and OD related organizations that have free newsletters online or email lists that cover various topics which deal with LMS systems, Training and Development techniques to free downloads for presentations, which I have signed up for and assisted me in my school work or the workplace.  It is a matter of signing up for the right one is the challenge because some of these sites are just merely trying to sell you something.

Another way I am applying my knowledge of Organization Development is by writing a blog on subject matter that revolves around the field, then I am also connected through blogs and on social media with other professionals that discuss best practices and operational tips that consistently give them success in the field."

Hopefully, this may have some “tips” or make some light bulbs come on when you are thinking about what you are going to do as you leave graduate school and make your way out into the field. Possibly you can be a professional looking to extend your reach and brand hopefully this old posting can help. Are there any other tidbits that you can think of that may help other professionals or students learning about the field just near them in the comments section below.