"...if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, then think on these things."
The fields of organization development and human systems change are going through a theoretical metamorphosis in which change has become much less about detection of error, analysis of chronic problems, or exclusive treatment of the deficient, the broken, and the problematic.
Positive Organization Development (POD) emphasizes a strategic focus on relational and human factors – balancing economic well-being, social responsibility, and environmental sustainability. It also focuses on change management, leadership development, visionary leadership, transformative cooperation, organizational transformation, organizational behavior and societal benefit. Strength-based approaches such as Appreciative Inquiry, emotionally and socially intelligent leadership and sustainable enterprises form the foundation of POD.
IN A NUTSHELL: POSITIVE ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT ALIGNS ORGANIZATIONAL STRENGTHS AND MAKES WEAKNESSES IRRELEVANT.
Like the exciting shift in medicine from anti-biotics to pro-biotics or the movement in psychology from analysis of dysfunctions to examination of human strengths, the field of organization and management theory finds itself in the midst of a positive revolution in change – something that now and for the future promises to elevate and extend our images of what it means to organize, what it means to transform organizations and what is the field of study known as positive organization scholarship
What is Positive Organization Scholarship?
Organizational development (OD) was founded on a set of techniques and strategies for changing, developing, and enhancing the functioning of organizations – especially the internal human features of the organization. In recent years, a movement in OD has emerged that focuses directly on “searching for the best in people, their organizations, and the relevant world around them. It involves in a central way the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system’s capacity to apprehend, anticipate, and heighten positive potential.”
The foundation of this movement is Appreciative Inquiry. Appreciative Inquiry refers to a composite of change practices that are based on the assumption that organizations have a positive core which, if revealed and tapped, unleashes positive energy and positive performance.
IN A NUTSHELL: APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY IS THE COOPERATIVE SEARCH FOR THE BEST IN PEOPLE, THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE WORLD AROUND THEM.
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