Resources: Organization Development

We're going to call your attention to several resources in the field of Organization Development. 

The Leadership Institute of Seattle (LIOS) prepares leaders, change agents, and organization development practitioners through small group experiential education to pursue and achieve individual, business, and social justice goals.  Students learn powerful skills in: Use of Self, Group Process, and Systems Thinking. This is the re-establishing of a program that offered training and degree programs for many years. Some of you may remember Anne French who worked with us in the LTI programs. She received her Master's from LIOS when working at Alcoa. In recent years Sister Michelle, OA and Brother Richard, OA participated in training programs facilitated by Chris Crosby who will be the CEO of the new LIOS. Give it a look.

The OD Network is the largest professional association in the field. From their website "As an organization, we serve Organization Development Professional change agents by creating a global community for meaningful connections, exchanging best practices, opportunities to interact with thought leaders and access to leading edge practices, tools and technologies. As a result, our members elevate the importance of OD practices by creating sustainable impact in today’s organizations, communities and beyond!"

Two articles from the OD Practitioner, the professional magazine of the OD Network. These were written by Sister Michelle and Brother Robert of the Order of the Ascension.

Understanding from Within: Working with Religious Systems

“Quality & Empowerment: Organization Development at WomenRising 1992 – 2016.”

Shaping the Parish Resources --  a variety of resources including organization development. You'll find everything from the History of OD Chart (note the early role of the Episcopal Church) to  The History of Parish Development in the Episcopal Church to group development theory (including I-C-O -- inclusion, control, openness) to organizational models (including the Organizational Diagnosis model) to a variety of change methods (including Survey-Feedback). The site also includes related resources for parish development and in ascetical theology.  The site is here.