Wrapping it up

After the last interview my partner interviewed the food director. We chose to interview her since all the other people we interviewed said that Food was a huge component in the organization. One thing that I actually enjoyed dissecting was the brochure that we picked up. I thought that there was a collective team atmosphere in our organization and this was shown even in their brochure. For example, the opening letter in the brochure is signed Sincerely, The Staff. In other organizations it might have been signed by the CEO, but this was to let people know that everyone in the organization was on the same page. The importance of food was also shown in the brochure as many statements from the residents mentioned something about the food and how much they liked it.There are many team/collective word phrases used in the brochure as well. I got a sense of home when I went in to the organization and there is a line in the brochure that states, "We encourage every resident to give their apartment a feeling of "home" by decorating any way they choose". Even the way the open spaces are decorated reminded me of someones home as well. Another quote from a resident in the brochure says, "I love the organization because I am surrounded by love and I get hugs all the time". I experienced this as when I went to one of my interviews the director gave me a hug to start the interview and also at the end of the interview. I think overall it was such a positive experience in the organization and also to witness a well ran organization that aims to meet its mission, but also lives its mission out to the fullest.

When OD comes to me

So as a continued update on the progress of organizational diagnosis I have an interesting twist. My organization that I am observing actually came to my place of work. I did notice that many of the activities listed was to attend a women's basketball game and I was excited to hear that the organization that I was observing would be in attendance. I think now my best bet is to call up and ask how the event was for the organization and if it coincides with many of the ideas stated in the mission statement. I did take note the planning that went into attending the game as the coordinators called the day before to make sure that everything would be taken care of for their residents. Their health and any obstacles that may hinder a successful night for them were discussed before even attending. This was from parking and even seating, asking questions about how far parking would be and how many steps there were for the residents to climb. You can see from this that they really care about their residents and work together with other organizations to make sure that their residents are not only cared for inside the facilities but also outside. After the game I did spot some residents and they seemed very pleased with their experiences and I noted many smiles and when asked if they had good seats and had a good time they were very satisfied. In previous conversations with coordinators in the organization they comment a lot about really living life and I cannot help but think that during a basketball game such as the one they attended, the energy atmosphere and liveliness of the crowd was a truly great experience for the residents that stimulated all of their senses. My next plan is to do a follow up casual interview to ask what they thought of the game and what they gathered from the residents.

It Takes a Villages II

So I was fortunate enough to get a quick follow up interview with one of the directors in the organization that we have gained access to. Thinking back it was quite interesting even where the interview took place. It has established a very open family oriented culture and was shown by having an open conversation out in the main area of the organization. There was no need to go into an office and be so formal. I was also greeted and sent off with a hug. If this is how the director is with someone they have had few interactions with I can only imagine and have witnessed what she is like with the people that she works with on a daily basis. I delved more into rituals and common practices that are carried out and help create an environment that was outlined in the organization's mission.

The mission of our organization is:
Providing an enriched retirement living experience by honoring personal growth, excellence and mutual respect. Our services will always be delivered with compassion, integrity and great joy. Our core effort is to support a long, healthy and socially engaged life. Laughter is a healing touchpoint in all that we do. Operational programs are flexible to accommodate the unique backgrounds, interests and emerging needs of our residents. The integrity of the human spirit is to be protected above all.


It was great to take these statements that were included in the mission statement and use it as our guide to assist in our interviews and asking questions. There is a great emphasis on living life and social interaction. During the interview this was stressed as very important as the social aspect helps directly with the lives and health of the people they serve. Looking at artifact such as the calendar one can immediately tell there are so many things to do which in turn implies that there is a lot of responsibility for the director. The director works with 2 other people all in the same office so that there is constant communication in planning. She also mentioned that there were many phone calls that are taken a day and she prides herself on responding to people as quickly as possible. This was validated by how well she has communicated with us in setting up visits and accommodating us. There was an emphasis on the job not just being a job but really getting involved with the people that they serve and with other staff.


One of pieces of information that I remember and took note of was that the director had her own individual motto that matches up with the mission of the organization. Her motto is: Make someone happy today. This is what is also her signature on her email as well. She said that if she made someone laugh then she has done her job. Laughter is a unique point of emphasis in the mission statement and creates an environment that many people would love to be a part of.

It Takes a Village

So entering our organization this week we were lucky to have such luck in in finding an organization that welcomed us with open arms which was already a reflection of what their mission statement was and how they do things there. Immediately so many facts were thrown at us from every angle and not only from answering questions, but from mere observations and numerous interactions. We also got an invitation back within the first few minutes. From all of the materials that we had collected online it was great to see what in essence felt like the website come to life. Stories and rituals were being told left and right and questions were answered even before we needed to ask them. It was also very relaxed where the "interview" became a really interesting and fun conversation. For me I also began to see how this organization and what it stands for bears a lot of similarity to what my current organization does and tries to do for our student athletes. The message of the organization is pretty clear and everyone in the organization from what we saw that one day seems to convey it. We are excited to go back and dig a little deeper and ask more critical question that can get to the heart of exactly how the organization works. I am interested more in the communication factor. We were also given a clue that food was very important in the organization we are visiting and that was a surprise. So it was something we may not have expected, but now that leads us down a trail as to why food is so important and then to see what they do and how they handle food to communicate its importance. So with all the questions that we asked we know that there are so many more that have emerged. Also just from a student standpoint it was also interesting to debrief after and see what stood out to me and get all that I remembered from the conversations and observations out. I have not discussed what I remembered with my partner yet, but it will be even more interesting to see what she remembers and what matches up and what either of us saw differently.

Getting Started

So using the blog to update to recap how our organizational diagnosis is going...it is safe to say that a lesson learned in organizational diagnosis is to be patient. Just setting up the observation can be a hard enough task let a lone worrying about what you will be investigating once as allowed access. It also teaches you lessons in communication as you have to be wary of pushing your way in. Even though we have been given the green light to come and do a tour and observe I do get a little scared that we may come off as a little aggressive. Not that I think we are, but thinking about maybe some of the other organizations that others may be trying to gain entrance to or if I was trying to get observations done in another venue. It also makes me think ahead about Kate's advice and making sure to end our first meeting with another meeting. Right now we have been communicating over email and it looks like we will be entering our organization this week and Rita and I will be making decisions as to going in together and going in on different occasions separately. I liked Rita's point of recognizing our age difference and I have wondered what will be peoples reactions to us and if there will be different responses to answers based upon our age. All of these ideas going into the OD will definitely shape our questions and conversations.

On a side note as said before I just wanted to add a little response to Todd's blog last week and my latest thoughts that this OD excites me and has hands down been the best thing for me to come out of the program. On top of everything I have learned I have enjoyed that this class within the program has opened my eyes to a whole new view on options in the future. That I would never have thought of consulting or even knew anything about it but I can't wait to learn more and make the best of this assignment and practicing it in the field.

Getting Ready

In getting ready to do our organizational diagnosis I have enjoyed trying to dig deeper. I compare it to being an archaeologist and looking for evidence of what life is really like in an organization. Or further more what it was like and examining the history of the organization. What is even better is the preparation to go into the organization is looking at all of the initial information that can be gathered before the first hello. With technology at our fingertips we can gather artifacts and symbols from websites, ad, and television commercials. Also doing this type of project one has to be very open minded and let the facts speak to you. Listening and watching become your greatest tools. The mission statement and the language used are also clues to what is really going on in the organization and with the employees.

Determining if this language and behaviors really stand up for what the goal and the culture of the organization is trying to embody is to me a fun exploration. Taking notice of all the small details which could in fact down the line have a huge impact. As mentioned in the previous blog I would like to go into an organization and seeing what good practices are occurring before I set my sight on potential problems. I have also envisioned walking and talking with workers and engaging in friendly dialogue rather than coming in with an overbearing researcher disposition. It will be interesting to see who opens up and how much. I even look forward to comparing how other groups did and what their experience was like. Even discussing in class from the point of gaining entrance into an organization for observation we saw many different variations and we also saw how the organization works just by scheduling appointments. We have to take notice of everything. Maybe it is a mix between and archaeologist and detective gaining facts but looking at the deeper meaning of those facts and how they fit together to paint a story of what can be done in the organization to help it in its attainment of it's goals.

Positive Change

So in my ever changing mind of what the heck I want to do with my life...this whole consulting organizations has been very eye opening. I have undoubtedly enjoyed reading for class which hasn't always been the case ;), but the readings that we have been supplied with for class have been completely applicable to so many things in my daily life and workplace. The one that stood out the most was Dr. Bushe's Article on Appreciative Inquiry. Of course this is right up my alley because by nature I am a positive person.

As current leaders and leaders that are brought in to make changes we may always assume that there is something wrong going on. However what Bushe points out is that we must also investigate what is going great in the current state of the organization. Bushe also uses this type of organizational diagnosis to create a more open space for stakeholders in the organization to feel comfortable to disclosing information needed to paint a picture of what is happening. It is also good to gather this positive information because a leader can now figure out what is working and think of how to make those processes even better. This type of change can help reinforce employees and even move for a change to a new vision of success.

Asking questions can also become less daunting as it may be easier to ask people what they liked most or what their favorite story, etc. Using this technique can also up the gateway to also finding out problem spots by comparing good experiences to not so good experiences. The stories become important as these stories help establish what the culture is and what people within the organization find important to help them work in the best conditions and to be more productive while working towards an organizations goal.

A few quotes to leave you with that stood out the most were:
"What if, instead of seeing organizations as problems to be solved, we saw them as miracles to be appreciated?"

and

Appreciative inquiry, as a method of changing social systems, is an attempt to generate a collective image of a new and better future by exploring the best of what is and has been."