But then you look at modern organizations. We keep shortening our language and expressions. Think about how teenagers use online chat rooms. They sim- ply select icons to indicate a thought or feeling. They do not really express them- selves. They just select an icon. And so it is too often in today’s organizations. We do not have time for open-ended, unstructured discussions and time together. And what is happening to our relationships as a result of that? The more we rely on the abbreviated expressions of e-mail, the testier people become. People misread communication that is so abbreviated. The more people substitute quick e-mails for real communication, the more we sacrifice ourselves. A few years ago people at Microsoft invented the term facemail. It refers to face-to-face communication. Think about that! Although we cannot live with- out each other, we have to coin a word to indicate what ought to be the most basic, fundamental, and expected form of communication. With that thought as backdrop, think about what speed has deprived you of in the very relation- ships that should nourish you at work and at home. Dealing with Fear There is one other troubling aspect about living in our times. That is the in- crease in fear. I travel frequently, and that means I step outside our culture and step back in about once a month. And this is giving me a very good lens on the shock treatments to which we are being subjected. It seems so clear to me how much of our culture is now focused around fear. We are told to fear this, fear that, fear whatever. If I were to describe where we are, it would be that we are moving deeper into fear. I think we need to notice what happens to us during the times of fear. Parker Palmer taught me years ago that every world religion has the same fundamental view that people should not be afraid (Palmer & Marty, 1983). And why is that? It seems to me that fear leads to the loss of our humanity, our gen- erosity, and our willingness to be interested in others. And you may be able to track that problem in your organization. How do people respond when they are afraid? After 9/11, fear was prevalent everywhere. During that crisis—and the unending series of crises that have fol- lowed on it—how have people reacted? Have you seen the best or worst in them? Have you seen selfless or self-serving behaviors? In a recent biography out on Lyndon Baines Johnson, the author has coined a wonderful phrase: that power does not corrupt so much as reveal us (Hershman, 2002). I feel the same way about crises. Any crisis situation reveals who we really are. So you can look at yourself, you can look at those you love, you can look at your organizational colleagues and ask yourself, What is fear or crisis revealing? When people are afraid, their brains shut down. They lose their memory and their ability to see patterns. OUR WORK FOR THE TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE 651 36_962384 ch28.qxd 2/3/05 12:23 AM Page 651 Again, I would invite you to reflect on your own organization. As people become afraid, they lose the ability to see patterns—to look at the big picture. People are losing the willingness and ability to look beyond their own work right now. As we become more overloaded, and more afraid, we drive each other to some state that is beyond exhaustion. But what people really need to do is look at problems from many perspectives, and that is simply not possible when people are overloaded and afraid. It leads me to reflect on systems thinking. I have been focused on systems thinking for years. But right now I think that systems thinking is not possible— or at least not very easy—when people are overloaded, beyond exhaustion, and afraid. I have also noticed that it is increasingly difficult to call people together. It simply takes longer for people to find the time to breathe together, think together, and then work through fears and a sense of being overwhelmed to reach creative ideas about how to solve problems or seize opportunities. I am curious whether you see these problems in your organization. Another thing that happens is that, when we are afraid, we lose our desire to integrate with others. It just seems so obvious to me. When we fear, we for- get about participation, we forget about people, and we forget about what peo- ple need. We just do whatever we think we need to do to survive. I was in Silicon Valley not long ago. The glory days are over, of course. Did you know that the unemployment rate in Silicon Valley was around 27 percent mid-year 2003 and that local newspapers refused to publish that fact? And you can tell because traffic is almost nonexistent. When they held Comdex, the big computer annual trade show, in Silicon Val- ley, they had banners announcing the conference slogan: “Take Charge, Take Control, Take Command.” When I saw that, I thought to myself, “Now, there is wishful thinking.” But it does express a deeply held wish by many that, as the times become more scary, we want to take back control from the events that seem to overwhelm us. Yet if we’re to truly regain any sense of control, we can only do that through slowing down, engaging more people, and thinking through how to develop intelligent solutions. But it seems we are in survival mode in many places right now. A close friend of mine, who was a very senior executive at Intel until recently, went back to visit for the funeral of his mentor. His men- tor was a wonderful man who had brought in a number of mavericks and inno- vators in Intel’s early years. As this core of pioneers and innovators during the great days of Intel were all brought together again, they realized that today they would not be hired at Intel because they were too pioneering and too innovative. Right now the hiring profile is to find safe people who will say yes. And so, I ask you, do you see in your organizations—or those you consult with—that power is being pulled back to the top? Or do you see that participa- tion is growing and that trust in the people of the organization is on the increase? Which is it? 652 PRACTICING ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT, 2ND EDITION 36_962384 ch28.qxd 2/3/05 12:23 AM Page 652 If you have heard me speak before, you have heard me say that, as risk lev- els increase, the only truly effective thing we can do is develop extraordinary trust in people. When things get tough, uncertain, turbulent, chaotic, the only thing we can trust is each other, our commitment, and our sense making. And where I learned this was by watching the Special Forces. Now we have all seen how the Special Forces operate recently. But in the early 1990s I had the opportunity to visit the Special Forces. What I saw has stayed with me ever since. The leaders of the Special Forces knew that they had to send out young men who are very enthusiastic, well-trained, and well- selected into high-risk situations where there often would not be a commander present. They learned early on that, in that situation, you need to depend on the individual’s intelligence. So they spend as much time teaching people to think well as in training them physically or in the use of weaponry. I had occasion to observe the same principle when I went to visit a DuPont chemical plant, the manufacturer of fifteen very toxic chemicals. The way to create safety in that manufacturing environment is to build trust and fully engage people in making intelligent decisions. They trusted people to use their judgment and make good decisions as needed, without waiting for anyone above them in the organizational hierarchy. So for me the lesson is clear. The way out of a difficult, chaotic, and uncer- tain time is to develop far greater capacity among everybody in our organiza- tions. But I have to say I see it going the other way right now. And that is a tragedy because we will not get the security and safety that we think we need by letting all the power gravitate to the top. As we deal with more stress and more fear in the future, we must learn that letting power go to the top is leading to doom and suicide. We cannot let that con- tinue. COPING WITH THE TIMES I want to give you some ideas about how I think we might be able to cope with the times and deal with the stress, fear, and overload that we are facing. My first idea is that the only thing that we can really depend on is each other. We cannot depend on plans. We cannot depend on technologies. And we cannot depend on anything except our own human capacity. My second idea is that I believe we need to start looking at every process we choose and ask whether it creates a stronger social fabric. What does a proposed process, or a proposed decision, do to our relationships? You can just ask that question when you are making a decision. Ask questions like (1) Does this process we propose bring more people in? (2) Does it rely on people’s intelli- gence? (3) Does it bring in more diversity? I do not mean just the kind of diver- sity we can see but different perceptions of what is going on in the world. OUR WORK FOR THE TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE 653 36_962384 ch28.qxd 2/3/05 12:23 AM Page 653 My third idea is to ask this: What does this process do to help us make mean- ing together? Right now, we too often do not make meaning together. We do not build community. So when we face a decision, we should ask: Does this process allow us to make meaning together and to develop shared meaning? I have found in my own work that, in the most difficult circumstances, if people can just come together and talk truthfully to each other, that is often enough. We do not need to fix a bad situation so much as simply get together and talk about it. And it is amazing how motivating it is to speak the truth in an organization with your colleagues. It does not matter how bad the situation is—it can be moti- vating if we know honestly what is going on and share that with each other. CARING, CONTRIBUTION, AND CREATIVITY I just came out of a board meeting in Chicago with my own non-profit institute. And we learned the importance of three C words—caring, contribution, and cre- ativity. While I am not a big fan of catchy slogans or clever phrasing like that, I do believe it can be helpful here. Caring Does the process you are about to choose bring out people’s caring? This word caring is strange. I ran across it, surprisingly, while reading about knowledge management. In several studies in knowledge management, the success of the effort hinges on the willingness of people to share their knowledge with col- leagues. “Caring” became a critical factor in predicting whether knowledge would be shared or not. People who feel cared for share their knowledge. That is not strange at all. If I care about this organization, then I will tell you what I know. If I feel that the leadership of the organization cares about me, I will tell you what I know. But if I feel that I am being treated like a robot or an automaton, or if I believe the organization lacks integrity, I will not share what I know. So caring and feeling cared about become fundamental in success. It is not the billions of investment on technology. It comes down to a very human need. Contribution People will make a contribution if they feel cared for. That is the second prin- ciple. Another way of saying this is to look at the process you are planning to use and ask “What is the level of respect in the process for people’s intelligence?” and “What is the expectation about what they can contribute?” Are we just involving them because we feel that we must? Or are we doing it because we know that a process is useful only when it invites people to contribute and is respectful of them? 654 PRACTICING ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT, 2ND EDITION 36_962384 ch28.qxd 2/3/05 12:23 AM Page 654 Creativity When people feel cared for and they feel that their contributions matter, then they become more creative. Whether we go to school, come out of a terrible family situation, or come from a terrible national situation, if we feel respected and are asked to contribute, it is amazing how creative people can become. I have worked in underdeveloped nations where I am constantly amazed at how terrible circumstances can lead people to be creative if they feel they are cared for and feel that they are invited to contribute. CONCLUSION What I have offered here is intended to bring out the best in people in the worst of times. For all the overload, stress, and fear we face, if we can take the time to reflect on what we are doing and how we are doing it and we can come together and deal with the problems we face, then we will be up to the challenge. I was just working with a nun who set up a wonderful program globally. She was feeling bad, as most people do who work globally and see how terrible the conditions are in the world for such a large part of humanity. She was trying to console some of her sisters. She acknowledged that people can become exhausted as they try to solve problems in the world. It can all seem so over- whelming. But the point here is that you cannot afford to be too tired. You must be will- ing to assume leadership to relieve the fractures that exist in this world. And that principle holds as true for our organizations today as it does for those who work in underdeveloped nations. I would just ask you how willing you are to assume leadership to help people get together. Can you assume leadership in your organizations to help people slow down long enough for some reflection? I think it is important now to know what to take a stand for these days. For me the answer is that we must be willing to take leadership to help people build stronger relationships and work together. I would ask you to look at what you are doing to see if you are participating with many of us in trying to strengthen the web of human relationships in this time. References Hershman, D. (2002). Power beyond reason: The mental collapse of Lyndon Johnson. Fort Lee, NJ: Barricade Books. Janov, A. (2000). The biology of love. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. Palmer, P., & Marty, M. (1983). Company of strangers: Christians and the renewal of America’s public life. Edmore, MI: Crossroads Press. OUR WORK FOR THE TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE 655 36_962384 ch28.qxd 2/3/05 12:23 AM Page 655 APPENDIX I A SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR OD COMPETENCIES Christopher G. Worley, William J. Rothwell, and Roland S. Sullivan 656 ∂ ∂ Directions: Use this assessment instrument to identify how important various competencies associated with success in OD are to your job in your organization and how much need you have for professional development. For each compe- tency and work activity area listed in the left column below, circle an appropri- ate response code in the right column to indicate how much need for professional development you feel you have in this work activity area. Use the following scale for the right column: 1 = no need; 2 = some need; 3 = need; 4 = much need; 5 = very great need. When you finish the rating, use it as a discussion tool with your immediate supervisor or other relevant stakeholders to identify areas for your professional development in OD and as a foundation for estab- lishing a professional developmental plan in OD. Practicing Organization Development, 2nd Ed. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com 37_962384 appa.qxd 2/3/05 12:21 AM Page 656 Need for Professional Development No Need Very Great Need Competency Category: Self-Mastery An effective OD practitioner can . . . 1. Be aware of how one’s biases influence 12345 interaction 2. Consult driven by their personal values 12345 3. Clarify personal boundaries 12345 4. Manage personal biases 12345 5. Manage personal defensiveness 12345 6. Recognize when personal feelings 12345 have been aroused 7. Remain physically healthy while 12345 under stress 8. Resolve ethical issues with integrity 12345 9. Avoid getting personal needs met at 12345 the expense of the client 10. Solicit feedback from others about 12345 your impact on them Competency Category: Ability to Measure Positive Change An effective OD practitioner can . . . 11. Choose appropriate evaluation methods 12345 12. Determine level of evaluation 12345 13. Ensure evaluation method is valid 12345 14. Ensure evaluation method is reliable 12345 15. Ensure evaluation method is practical 12345 Competency Category: Clarify Data Needs An effective OD practitioner can . . . 16. Determine an appropriate data 12345 collection process APPENDIX I: A SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR OD COMPETENCIES 657 Practicing Organization Development, 2nd Ed. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com 37_962384 appa.qxd 2/3/05 12:21 AM Page 657 Need for Professional Development No Need Very Great Need 17. Determine the types of data needed 12345 18. Determine the amount of data needed 12345 Competency Category: Facilitate Transition and Adoption An effective OD practitioner can . . . 19. Help manage impact to related systems 12345 20. Use information to create positive change 12345 21. Transfer change competencies to 12345 internal consultant or client so learning is continuous 22. Manage/increase change momentum 12345 23. Mobilize additional internal resources 12345 to support the ongoing change process 24. Determine the parts of the organization 12345 that warrant a special focus of attention 25. Ensure that learning will continue 12345 Competency Category: Integrate Theory and Practice An effective OD practitioner can . . . 26. Present the theoretical foundations 12345 of change 27. Articulate an initial change process 12345 to use 28. Integrate research with theory 12345 and practice 29. Communicate implications of 12345 systems theory 30. Utilize a solid conceptual framework 12345 based on research Competency Category: Stay Current in Technology An effective OD practitioner can . . . 31. Use the latest technology effectively 12345 32. Use the Internet effectively 12345 658 APPENDIX I: A SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR OD COMPETENCIES Practicing Organization Development, 2nd Ed. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com 37_962384 appa.qxd 2/3/05 12:21 AM Page 658 Need for Professional Development No Need Very Great Need Competency Category: Ability to Work with Large Systems An effective OD practitioner can . . . 33. Facilitate large group (70–2,000 12345 people) interventions 34. Apply the competencies of 12345 international OD effectively 35. Function effectively as an internal 12345 consultant 36. Demonstrate the ability to conduct 12345 transorganizational development 37. Demonstrate the ability to conduct 12345 community change and development 38. Utilize a change model to guide whole 12345 system change or transformation Competency Category: Participatively Create a Good Implementation Plan An effective OD practitioner can . . . 39. Co-create an implementation plan 12345 that is (1) concrete; (2) simple; (3) clear; (4) measurable; (5) rewarded; and (6) consisting of logically sequenced activities Competency Category: Understand Research Methods An effective OD practitioner can . . . 40. Utilize appropriate mix of methods 12345 to ensure (1) efficiency; (2) objectivity; and (3) validity 41. Utilize appropriate mix of data 12345 collection technology 42. Use statistical methods when 12345 appropriate APPENDIX I: A SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR OD COMPETENCIES 659 Practicing Organization Development, 2nd Ed. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com 37_962384 appa.qxd 2/3/05 12:21 AM Page 659 Need for Professional Development No Need Very Great Need Competency Category: Manage Diversity An effective OD practitioner can . . . 43. Facilitate a participative 12345 decision-making process 44. Be aware of the influences of cultural 12345 dynamics on interactions with others 45. Interpret cross-cultural influences 12345 in a helpful manner 46. Handle diversity and diverse situations 12345 skillfully Competency Category: Clarify Roles An effective OD practitioner can . . . 47. Clarify the role of the consultant 12345 48. Clarify the role of the client 12345 Competency Category: Address Power An effective OD practitioner can . . . 49. Identify and engage formal power 12345 50. Identify and engage informal power 12345 51. Deal effectively with resistance 12345 Competency Category: Keep an Open Mind An effective OD practitioner can . . . 52. Suspend judgment while gathering data 12345 53. Suppress hurtful comments during 12345 data gathering Competency Category: Help Clients Own the Change Process An effective OD practitioner can . . . 54. Reduce dependency on consultant 12345 55. Instill responsibility for follow-through 12345 56. Collaboratively design the change process 12345 660 APPENDIX I: A SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR OD COMPETENCIES Practicing Organization Development, 2nd Ed. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com 37_962384 appa.qxd 2/3/05 12:21 AM Page 660 . stakeholders to identify areas for your professional development in OD and as a foundation for estab- lishing a professional developmental plan in OD. Practicing Organization Development, 2nd Ed. Copyright. responsibility for follow-through 12345 56. Collaboratively design the change process 12345 660 APPENDIX I: A SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR OD COMPETENCIES Practicing Organization Development, 2nd. job in your organization and how much need you have for professional development. For each compe- tency and work activity area listed in the left column below, circle an appropri- ate response