Category Archives: OD

Graduated!

BruceMJ_GraduationFinally, this past weekend on May 21, 2016 and after 8 (long) years, I graduated with my doctorate in Organizational Development from the University of Saint Thomas in Minneapolis, MN. Actually, I defended on March 17, 2016 and officially graduated on April 1, 2016. But there was some finality in walking with the other graduates and being recognized by the university president. Thanks for all of you who supported me, especially Mary Jane (MJ) Pappas, the love of my life, friend, mother of our children, and amazing human being. I’m excited to share my dissertation here in sections, but if you want a full copy, email me.

My (very) best,
-Bruce

Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

Advice from Chris Vos, FBI hostage negotiator. Here are his 7 tips:

  1. Don’t be direct: Direct usually comes off as rude, no matter your intentions. Be nice and slow it down.
  2. Don’t try to get them to say “yes”: Pushing for a “yes” makes people defensive. Try to get a “no.”
  3. Do an “accusation audit”: Acknowledge all the negative things they think about you to defuse them.
  4. Let them feel in control: People want autonomy. Ask questions and let them feel like they’re in charge.
  5. The two magic words they need to say: Summarize their position to trigger a “That’s right.”
  6. Listen for levers: They might only need the orange peel. Listen, listen, listen.
  7. Keep asking “How am I supposed to do that?”: Let them solve your problems for you.

from “Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It”

What are your thoughts?

Ricardo Semler: How to run a company with (almost) no rules

“And if we’re looking for wisdom, we need to learn to do that as well. And so, what we’ve done all of these years is very simple, is use the little tool, which is ask three whys in a row. Because the first why you always have a good answer for. The second why, it starts getting difficult. By the third why, you don’t really know why you’re doing what you’re doing.”
-Richard Semler

I love this TED Talk.  Can these simple ideas work for business and education today?
http://www.ted.com/talks/ricardo_semler_radical_wisdom_for_a_company_a_school_a_life?

The Positive Results of Being Negative

Much has been said and written about the power of positive thinking. I, too, subscribe to the idea, along  with a healthy balance of the negative (Barbara Fredrickson extolls a 2:1 balance.) Here is what Stephanie Vozza writes as 5 positive results of being negative:
1. Negative thinking helps you avoid failure.
2. Negative results can strengthen your focus.
3. Negative moods can produce better teamwork.
4. Negative thoughts provide a healthy balance.
5. Negative reminders can keep you grateful.
I think she’s onto something.
http://www.fastcompany.com/3038199/the-positive-results-of-being-negative

 

Be More Like Tesla

Start with a bold goal: Be More Like Tesla: How To Turn Your Company Into A Movement
“Businesses that change the culture–instead of just campaigning for sales–will transcend individual products by inspiring customers to something greater than just mindless consumption.” Your thoughts?
http://www.fastcoexist.com/3036818/be-more-like-tesla-how-to-turn-your-company-into-a-movement

Four Roots of Employee Engagement

Culture U has this right: The Four Roots of Engagement
#1: People Want to Be a Part of Something Bigger Than Themselves
#2: People Want to Feel a Sense of Belonging
#3: People Want to Go on a Meaningful Journey
#4: People want to Know Their Contributions Make an Impact

What are you doing to engage employees?
http://www.cultureuniversity.com/the-four-roots-of-engagement

 

HR-OD.com, what is it?

HR, OD, , , ,

What is HR-OD.com?
It’s my consulting business whose purpose is to help people make the connection between Human Resources and Organization Development.  It’s that simple. Everything we do in HR affects the culture of the organization, in other words, “develops” the organization.  So every decision we make in HR needs to be purposeful . And viewed from the perspective of what we are saying to employees about  who we want to be as an organization.

Why hire me?
I came to understand the connection between HR and OD when I was the HR director in a large metropolitan school district in Minnesota through from my studies in Organization Development at University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, where I am a doctoral candidate. I started my doctorate in 2008 at age 57, when I realized that OD could be the philosophical and practical underpinning for much of what I already knew how to do.

Who’s watching us?
Employees are watching how HR treats them and others. Everything we do in HR “says” something to employees. We need to decide what we want to “say” and then “say” it over and over every occasion we get.  I believe that every interaction that employees have with HR is an “OD intervention” or an opportunity for change. So as HR professionals, we also need to be mindful of what we say, do, and promote. My work is to assist organizations in doing just that.

Does this make sense? Or should we just go sailing?  🙂
-Bruce