Organizational development practice is always evolving and one of the most interesting recent developments in the field has been the evolution of dialogic OD (in contrast to the more conventional diagnostic approach).

Books & Research

The main champions of the dialogic approach are Gervase Bush and Robert Marshak, authors of ‘Dialogic Organization Development: The Theory and Practice of Transformational Change. Their DialogicOD website has lots of really useful resources and it is an excellent starting point for exploring the subject.

Although not explicitly about OD, the possibility-focused ideas underpinning the recent bestselling Reinventing Organisations by Frederic Laloux (now available in an engaging illustrated version that calls to mind the inspiring Barefoot Guide series) are remarkably closely aligned with those of Bush and Marshak. The two books together provide some really stimulating ideas for OD practitioners.

OD Practicioner Guide

We need to recognize the importance for OD practitioners of being able to explain to those controlling resources how an investment in organizational development contributes to the ability of their organization to achieve its strategic goals and be an innovative and energizing place of work.

Two interlinked points seem to be helpful here:

1. The first is providing senior managers with compelling stories that illustrate how OD plays an important part in the strategic success of their organization. To tell these stories convincingly, we as OD practitioners need to have a very clear mental map of the inter-linkages between organizational development and the effectiveness and creativity of our organizations.
2. So the second thing we need could be called a ‘theory of change for organizational development’. In other words, a conceptual map that helps us understand and explain our practice – thereby enabling us to tell more compelling stories.

Diagnostic OD

Diagnostic OD assumes there are fixed standards for success and the process of OD is to diagnose the current situation of the organization against these standards and develop an action plan to fix the issues. Typical practices of diagnostic OD include:

• benchmarking,
• leadership competency identification and
• surveys.

Theories like Five Dysfunctions of An Effective Team, Tuckman’s model of team development “Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing”, and 10 f(x)s of an effective team probably fall into this category of diagnostic OD. Whereas diagnostic OD focuses on changing behaviors.

Dialogic OD

Dialogic OD, on the other hand, is built on the premise that dialogues are powerful. Dialogue allows for “self-organizing wisdom” and requires the group to be “willing and able to communicate authentically, with common interests in creating the kinds of learning and change they need for themselves.”

A lot of facilitative methods like:

• Appreciative Inquiry,
• Future Search,
• World Café,
• Open Space, and
• Deep Facilitation

fall under this category of OD. Dialogic OD focuses on changing mindset.

A typical Dialogic OD process follows this model:

1. Help the sponsors articulate their wants in a future-focused, possibility-centric way. Instead of focusing on what’s wrong, the sponsor kicks off the change process by picturing the desired state in a positive manner.
2. Coach the sponsors in how to nurture emergent change. Sponsors need to be less controlling and learn how to allow the group to steer the course. Sponsors need to understand that the objective of dialogic events is not to implement an agreed change. Rather, it is to “unleash the motivation and ideas among participants towards the desired direction”.
3. Identify and include the necessary community of stakeholders – emphasize diversity. Include all who will be affected by the change. Those with authority, resources, expertise, information, and need shall all be invited. Volunteers are welcome as well.
4. Design and host the conversations. The role of the facilitator is to “hosting and holding a safe and hospitable container” space for the group to work.
5. Convert possibilities into actions. This normally happens after the dialogic events when conversations are turned into actions.

Diagnostic vs Dialogic OD

We probably need both approaches in our organization development work.

Diagnostic OD is helpful in creating a common language among the team and identifying where the group is currently at.

Dialogic OD can be used to help the group deep dive on certain topics and move the group along the change curve from point A to point B. For example, in the topic of team development, I would start the work by diagnostic methods of a team effectiveness survey and a short session to introduce Tuckman’s stages of team development followed by a dialogic one-day workshop using some facilitative methods.

Both approaches to OD have an important part to play in contemporary organizational development practice, change for OD should embrace both dialogic and diagnostic OD. The challenge for OD practitioners is not so much a question of choosing the best approach for the circumstances or even ‘getting the balance right’ between diagnostic and dialogic OD. The real challenge is being alert to what each approach can bring to our organizations and creating a dynamic interplay between them.