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.