Kevin Anderson, Dr. Organizational Design (OD)

Am I On Track With My Professional Purpose? [“Start With Why”]

“The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.”—-Mark Twain Mark Twain offers up the profound idea that our primary mission in life is discovering why we are here. Once we have a driving reason for getting up each and every morning ourContinue reading “Am I On Track With My Professional Purpose? [“Start With Why”]”

The Importance of Peers In Our Organization Development Work

“We have all known the long loneliness, and we have found that the answer is community.” Dorothy Day As #OrganizationDevelopment (OD) professionals working with peers is one of the most important factors leading to our success. Helping our organizations succeed is a team sport and the ideas and support we receive from our fellow ODContinue reading “The Importance of Peers In Our Organization Development Work”

A Productivity Win Via An Electronic Bike

No more long exhausting automobile commutes! Yesterday I purchased an electronic bicycle that I am using to travel to and from work. My automobile commute involved heading far north and south of my final destination, while the bike path runs directly as the crow flies from my home to my office. As an organizational developmentContinue reading “A Productivity Win Via An Electronic Bike”

If Mayors Ruled the World!

If Mayors Ruled the World [http://bit.ly/1kq50ah] it would be a better place! This premise of a recently released book is becoming increasingly true as each day passes. As gridlock and a circus-like atmosphere permeates Washington, with many State governments not far behind, the important work being carried out at the City level chugs on! DuringContinue reading “If Mayors Ruled the World!”

How to Renew Your Organization

Whipping down the streets of Washington D.C. in a taxi, I was dreading my arrival at a recent business acquisition. I mistakenly believed that my organizational design role was to break the hearts of these leaders. Twenty years earlier, they had founded a company in their garage and now they had made it big, havingContinue reading “How to Renew Your Organization”

A Quick Approach for Developing Impactful Business Processes

Organizational fatigue has set in regarding launching large-scale re-engineering and process improvement efforts. The time and resources it takes to carry out a major re-haul of processes is daunting. Besides, too many organizations have experienced too little benefit from these massive efforts. The solution to this challenge, however, should not be inaction. Crafting business processesContinue reading “A Quick Approach for Developing Impactful Business Processes”

Organizational Structure: Start with Design Principles

It would be foolish to design a home without first thinking through your needs. How much living space do you need? How many bedrooms? What style do you like? However, organizations are built each and every day without considering these types of fundamental questions around what the design is attempting to accomplish. In order toContinue reading “Organizational Structure: Start with Design Principles”

Organizational Change Management Employee Assessment Tools

Organizational Change Management (OCM) is essentially about People Readiness for an upcoming work place change. The practice can involve working with leadership, employees, internal customers and other parties to ensure that they are prepared for a new product, service, technology tool, etc. However, it is important to focus on the readiness of the employees whoContinue reading “Organizational Change Management Employee Assessment Tools”

The Most Effective Method For Engaging Employees? Simply Ask Questions

Brian Grazer (2015), the movie producer of such blockbusters as Apollo 13, Splash, 8 Mile, A Beautiful Mind and Friday Night Lights, popularized the notion of being curious and asking questions in his best seller A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life. Grazer makes the case that asking questions allows us to understandContinue reading “The Most Effective Method For Engaging Employees? Simply Ask Questions”

Applying Organizational Development Methods to Product Design for Better Outcomes

Designers are incorporating human centered design into products for our common good. Wendy De La Rosa, Lead Behavioral Strategist at Irrational Labs [@wdlrosa, #SXSW, #hackingbehavior] says that human centered design involving combining user centered design principles with behavioral science for the good of human kind. Many of us have benefited from this discipline in formContinue reading “Applying Organizational Development Methods to Product Design for Better Outcomes”