Organizational development (OD) is a process that helps organizations work better today and become more adaptable to future changes. It is based on the principle that organizations are complex systems that are constantly changing and must take into account factors beyond the control of leadership, such as market conditions. The main objective of OD is to promote the well-being of its employees, increase overall productivity, and provide an environment that encourages employees at all levels to reach their full potential in order to meet the organization's objectives. There are many aspects that can be improved through organizational development, such as strategy, management, human resources and technology.
Other things you can do to improve your organization include organizational restructuring, business process reengineering, and strategic planning. Strategy involves changing the core identity of an organization, the way in which leaders describe their purpose and objectives, both internally and externally, to include effectiveness and efficiency as core values. Organizational development objectives are established taking into account the company's mission, vision, values, and performance objectives. The importance of organizational development in today's workplace is evident in its increasing popularity in MBA programs and in its increasing incorporation into leadership development programs for senior executives.
While human resources initiatives focus on practices related to personnel, organizational development moves away to take into account multiple contributions and tools that span the entire breadth and depth of the organization. Organizational development is a proactive approach that accepts change (internal and external) and uses it to renew it. It examines each task of an organization and analyzes its efficiency and accuracy. The goal is to integrate organizational development skills with the growing number of learning & development, performance improvement, and talent management solutions focused on increasing organizational effectiveness. With the increasing complexity of today's business world, organizations began to rely on measurable, science-based efforts of the organizational development process to achieve excellence and improve their competitive advantage. When it comes to achieving success through organizational development, there are five essential factors that need to be taken into consideration:
- Strategy: Changing the core identity of an organization by incorporating effectiveness and efficiency as core values.
- Objectives: Establishing objectives taking into account the company's mission, vision, values, and performance objectives.
- Human Resources: Focusing on practices related to personnel.
- Tools: Taking into account multiple contributions and tools that span the entire breadth and depth of the organization.
- Action Planning: Implementing an organizational development plan with action planning.
It helps organizations work better today while making them more adaptable to future changes. It also promotes the well-being of its employees, increases overall productivity, and provides an environment that encourages employees at all levels to reach their full potential in order to meet the organization's objectives. Organizational development is a complex process that requires careful consideration of multiple factors. It is important for organizations to understand how these five essential factors can help them achieve success through organizational development. By taking into account strategy, objectives, human resources, tools, and action planning when defining organizational development initiatives, organizations can ensure they are taking all necessary steps towards achieving their goals.
