Training and Organizational Development
Since graduating from business school with a degree in Organization Development this fall, I’ve received many kind congratulations and support. I’m thankful for the many in my network who champion me and are excited about good development work in organizations. I’ve been asked many interesting questions about Organization Development, or OD, and how it’s best utilized in our companies. One repeat question I often receive is, “What is the difference between training and development?” I want to highlight the differences and what I’ve learned about Organization Development.
Begin Development runs a Management Training program that I am very proud of. This training is more of a single focus on one organizational challenge. The training sessions focus on improving an individual's leadership and manager skills. Training emphasizes soft skills, such as communication, conflict resolution, and empathy, which enable better teamwork and more progressive relationships.
In more of a system-wide approach, Organization Development is a critical and science-based process that helps organizations build their capacity to change and achieve greater effectiveness. This is achieved by developing, improving, and reinforcing strategies, structures, and processes.
OD applies behavioral sciences to understanding and influencing mindset, culture, and beliefs that drive behavior – and in turn, affect strategy, structure, and process. Even if the focus is primarily on an individual element within an organization, OD seeks to understand the broader impact on the entire system. Rather than a blueprint for how things should be done, OD is an adaptive process for planning and implementing change.
OD is oriented to improving organizational effectiveness as measured by three dimensions:
Ability to solve own problems and continually improve and change itself.
Strong financial and technical performance, including sales growth, acceptable profits, quality products/services, and high productivity.
An engaged, satisfied, and learning workforce.
Organization Development takes a holistic approach, looking at the big picture before deciding to take action on any particular area. Aspects like culture, team dynamics, org structure and design are considered to ensure that applying management training, or any other single technique/tool, will be the most effective solution.
Both training and development can be extremely effective, depending on your goals and approach. More questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
