Member Spotlight.

Roland Sullivan, one of the founders of the Minnesota OD Network, introduced Julie to the organization many years ago. She joined because it seemed to be an excellent source for professional development and learning about the change efforts and techniques used by other organizations. Julie remembers learning about polarity management, appreciative inquiry, and how to give and receive feedback at MNODN sessions. Workshops on methods like open space, whole scale organizational transformation, and future search were either offered by MNODN or were recommended to her by MnODN colleagues. As a member, Julie also had opportunities to present to the organization the change efforts occurring at the agencies in which she worked.

While she never served as a board member, Julie served for two years as the chief organizer of a MNODN special interest group of internal OD practitioners. Many of the gatherings were held via early virtual meeting platforms because internal practitioners often could not break away to attend regular monthly meetings.

Julie notes that the advice she offers may not be helpful to everyone interested in joining the field but here are a few of her pointers.

· Listen to the stories you hear about the organization, especially the ones employees tell. You can learn a lot about the culture and how change efforts may proceed. Two of Julie’s favorite questions are: What does one have to do to succeed around here? What is considered a failure? Sometimes she asked the questions out loud; other times she just made mental notes as organization members spoke.

· You may not need a specific degree to enter the field, but you should know your capabilities. If you have certain change approaches or methods with which you are confident, use them. However, be sure to take opportunities to learn additional theories and methods, or partner with others who have complementary strengths. Great if you have a degree in this field, or a related field, but seek out certifications if they are available and you are interested in the topics. There is no replacement for being prepared, competent, and able to signal to clients that you have some savvy.

· Clarify the objective of your client(s). What a client asks for is not always what the client needs. One of Julie’s favorite examples of this was a request that arrived for a team building session. The next day the client wanted a reorganization. After a field trip to the location, Julie determined with the group that it needed a new strategy to bring in customers. Neither a team session nor a reorganization would resolve that issue! Much may emerge during a change process that cannot be anticipated but do try to start with the real need. Good luck!