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OK - is OD more than the sum of its parts?

Christine Brown

Hello there

I have a query about moving in to the field of OD. I have nearly 20 years experience of working across a range of projects, programmes and all manner of assignments although most of my role was communications focussed (working at a senior level in internal communications). I have designed and delivered workshops, conferences, coaching, action learning, learning and development programmes, leadership development, diversity talent programmes etc ....but this has all rather peculiarly been in partnership with HR rather than inside of it. i.e. I was viewed as the very 'keen' and 'able' comms partner or similar! 

My most recent in-house role was consulting and gaining buy-in for a suite of policies which effectively bridged the gap between IT and HR and even covered topics such as information management and cybersecurity. I struggle to find any part of OD that I have not worked on or contributed to over the years, and five years ago gained an MSc in Occupational Psychology. I now teach this part time at MSc level too. 

I'd dearly love to consolodate these skills  and experience with a role in OD. But due to never really sitting inside 'pure' HR and therefore never really gone after CIPD chartership (I've 'reported to' HR Directors and Partners with respect to project outcomes and workstreams but never as a direct report) should I still apply for roles? 

I'm 'qualifed' academically to the hilt but I feel recruiters put you in a box. its' a catch 22 in that I can't pursue gaining my CIPD chartership until I have a role to start building that portfolio story, and I was told flatly by CIPD helpline some years ago that I can only charter if I report into a Head of HR. 

thoughts? 

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  • "I was told flatly by CIPD helpline some years ago that I can only charter if I report into a Head of HR."

    Well, that isn't right, but as it was "some years ago", we'll never know, I guess. With regards a route to 'Chartership'... I'll escalate your query to a colleague on Monday, Christine. Every case is different, so it's hard to comment without knowing all the facts.

    I / we will be in touch.

Reply

  • "I was told flatly by CIPD helpline some years ago that I can only charter if I report into a Head of HR."

    Well, that isn't right, but as it was "some years ago", we'll never know, I guess. With regards a route to 'Chartership'... I'll escalate your query to a colleague on Monday, Christine. Every case is different, so it's hard to comment without knowing all the facts.

    I / we will be in touch.

Children
  • in reply to Steve Bridger
    Hi Steve/Elizabeth
    thanks very much for your replies! I'm happy to hold my hands up and admit if I got the wrong end of the stick in terms of CIPD information from the advisor when I was enquiring about Chartership routes. But I do clearly remember there being something in the verbal guidance about having a senior HR exec (preferably Director level) signing my logbook and I wasn't in a position to provide this because the OD work I was doing was not 'directed' by HR . Complicated I know.
    More than happy to have the conversation again with CIPD and explore options and totally appreciate the need for rigour.

    thanks again

    Christine
  • in reply to Christine Brown
    Your challenge now will be not your CIPD status but the extreme lack of real OD roles. They just aren't out there in any sizable numbers. Even large firms often don't have a real OD function and many people use the term OD to cover many other things.

    So if it were me I would be really looking at what I thought was OD and if there was actually sufficient opportunities in that field to give me a chance of breaking into it.
  • in reply to Keith
    Hi there
    Interesting view! Perhaps one advantage I have is that I’m only looking for contract work.
    I’ve taught many students who work in the field (perhaps in more entry-level L&D work) but OD is within their job title or department. Or indeed similar to my own background, the field of change and communications.
    Thanks all for your input.
    Christine
  • in reply to Christine Brown
    That's one of the issues. OD can and sometimes is seen as a L&D function - and its used by L&D folk to "sex up" their roles. It was used (In my view) at the same time as HR came in when L&D folk wanted a more business focused title.

    But real OD is some thing very very different. Organisational Design is 100% not (in my opinion) an L&D function.
  • in reply to Keith
    I agree - my view is that OD is about how the entire organisation works in harmony to deliver results. Importantly OD should be and is given the mandate to evaluate and intervene in addressing any issues. Covering leadership, training, culture, etc. Optimistic I know!
  • in reply to Christine Brown
    And much much more than that :-)

    OD should focus on developing organization capability through alignment of strategy, structure, management processes, people, and rewards and metrics.

    very few People teams are anywhere close to that definition of OD

    And its interesting is OD Organisational Design (for me) or Organisational Development (for most L&D practitioners who "do" it)
  • in reply to Keith

    Monday starts with a philosophical note....

    I must admit my perception of OD ("D" for design) is well aligned with that of Keith - an analysis of how the business needs to organise itself in order to be better adapted to the context it faces (and often a regularly changing context).


    The tactical processes required to support this new way of working then flow on from the new model, calling for changes in rewarding, developing, reporting.....There is a lot of confusion in the use of the term, which unless clarified can seriously muddy the waters.

    Between the two sits the much maligned process of "change management".

  • in reply to Ray
    Hello
    Just had a chat with Gary Lyseight from the CIPD advisory team. He was excellent and reassuring and I now have lots of information to plough through. But I feel more reassured that doors to recognition of my experience are opening rather than closing.
  • in reply to Christine Brown
    Great. Pleased Gary could help out. Onwards and upwards...