strategies for successful change

Ask yourself:

• What is the mission of your unit?
• Do faculty and staff understand the mission?
  
• Do they agree with it?
  
• Do colleagues understand their roles?
  
• Is your leadership team flexible in managing problems and change?
  
• Do faculty and staff work well together?
  
• Do issues such as diversity, values, morale, teamwork or harassment and discrimination need to be addressed?
  
• Does your management style value difference in gender, age, race, skills, ethnicity, roles and other dimensions of diversity?

These are critical questions all leaders must face, but few if any may have all the answers and none need face them alone. There's a valuable resource available that's specially trained and equipped to help University leaders discover the right answers to the complex issues that come with every organization: Organization Development and Diversity

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When do you need OD&D?

Leaders can't afford to ignore issues that detract from their organizations, nor those that could become more serious problems if not handled effectively.

Typically, a unit could benefit from the assistance of OD&D:

• Before undertaking a change project that will impact many others
• After receiving suggestion from audits, self-studies, or external reviews
• During a transition of leadership
• When merging with or splitting from another unit
• During periods of rapid growth in scope, funding, or size
• As you consider what is next for your organization in 3-5 years
• When concerned about ongoing departures and turnover
• If conflicts are excessive and interfering with getting the work done
• When frustration is mounting from too many problems, demands, and challenges
• When clients, customers, leaders or other stakeholders are dissatisfied with results
• When the same problem persists, despite changes in individual leaders, faculty or staff
• If your group seems to lack a shared set of goals or when people are confused about the direction of the unit

You're the client.

Our clients are the senior leaders and managers of the University, those who design and oversee whole organizational systems. Organization Development and Diversity helps clients implement and manage a wide range of change-related issues effectively and efficiently.

We work with leaders to develop multiple mechanisms for changing behavior and improving organizational effectiveness. Through intensive processes of assessment, goal setting and evaluation of organizational systems, we can provide leaders with the tools they need for comprehensive reflection and re-envisioning of their organizations.

We serve as an internal group of experienced, specialized consultants charged to support the initiatives of senior leadership and help leverage projects in alignment with other improvement efforts taking place throughout the University.

Core Services

• Strategic planning and goal setting
• Retreat design and facilitation
• Organization assessment and redesign
• Group conflict management and team building
• Role definition and negotiation
• Diversity consultation
• Leadership coaching
• Work climate assessment
• Process analysis and redesign
• Mission and vision development
• Program evaluation and curriculum development

Retreat Room

As part of our facility located in the Eastern complex, we offer a state-of-the-art retreat workspace that provides an ideal setting for flexible training and development activities for up to 25 people. Fully integrated technology, enhanced by specialized software designed to enable collaboration, allows groups to work together efficiently. Professional facilitation and technical assistance are also available to ensure well-led, trouble-free sessions.

The Retreat Room allows your group to discuss sensitive issues with an option of anonymity, and you can include anyone with Internet access in your discussion. At the end of your day, take away copies of all the notes from the flipchart and whiteboard, and a detailed record of all that was said and decided.

How to request services

Leadership of the University can request services by calling 443.997.6498. In general, service requests are honored on a first-come, first-served basis and considered in light of available consultative resources.

Single-session consultations may be conducted with OD&D staff without a formal agreement between the individual and OD&D. Ongoing consultation, management development, training, and project services require the development of a formal service agreement between the individuals, offices or departments involved. Managers of offices seeking services must participate in and through the provisions of the service agreement.

Confidentiality Statement

Services are provided in an environment where clients can be assured that questions, concerns and problems will be treated confidentially.

Costs

Consultation services are provided to the University community as part of support programs offered by the department of Human Resources. Costs are negotiated on a case-by-case basis, depending on the scope of the effort, availability of resources within the program, and potential need for expertise from outside of the University.

Large-scale or long-term projects may require financial support from the client department. There also may be costs associated with the usage of the Retreat Room.

We are OD&D. Organization Development and Diversity was founded in 1993 to help University leadership emphasize flexible, competitive strategies and efficient staff structures for fostering and leading a high-quality, motivated work force. We operate as a unit of the Office of Human Services (OHS) within the department of Human Resources. OHS also comprises the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program, WORKlife Programs, Career Management Program, and The Center for Training and Education. OHS provides a wide range of services designed to maximize the performance, development and function of faculty and staff of the University, the University's managers and leaders, divisions and departments.

OHS and its programs utilize a team approach to service delivery, including team consultations designed to enhance our effectiveness in providing integrated human services to the University community.