ODyssey An e-newsletter which aims to accompany OD practitioners on their journey in Organisation Development.

Issue #3, Feb 2010

What’s In

Keeping Ourselves Relevant

“UNCOVERING WHAT OD CAN DO FOR PLANNING” AN ARTICLE ON THE LINK BETWEEN OD AND PLANNING

Editorial

“Arriving at the end of the financial year means two things: closing FY2009, and planning for a fresh, new FY2010. As we reflect on the work done in the past year, let’s remember to celebrate our wins - even the small ones, and recognise the contribution of fellow colleagues where it is due. And as we plan for the new year, let us continue to build on what we have achieved but at the same time be mindful of the challenges that lie ahead. One of these would be to see how the practice of OD could continue to create value for our stakeholders. To ensure that OD continues to create value for our organisations, we need to learn to make OD relevant to our leader’s agenda. One way to do this is to understand how OD can contribute towards making better plans, and making plans better executed (see article on right). The other way is to be in a position to engage your stakeholders on OD issues, which many of you shared your views in the forum on “Planning for OD – How to Make Your Stakeholders Acknowledge the Elephant in the Room” held recently. For us at the Centre for OD, FY2010 promises to be an exciting time for us as we continue to partner the OD practitioners to execute plans to bring greater clarity and purpose to the work and contribution of OD in our Public Service, with initiatives such as the OD practitioner engagement survey and the inaugural ‘State of OD Practice’ Forum. As always, we welcome your views on how we can continue to make a difference in our organisations and the larger Public Service. ” ~ Low Chee Seng Director, Centre for OD

“Dear ODyssey, This is the time of the year when everyone is busy developing work plans for the coming year. Having spent a number of years in the Public Service, I’ve noticed that sometimes we simply go through the motions in preparing for the work plans, and I’m wondering if more can be done to improve the quality of work plans being developed. . . Having just met a fellow OD practitioner at an OD conference, it struck me that, in his organisation, the OD unit was structured as part of the Corporate Planning Division. . . I am intrigued by this prospect and I would like to ask ODyssey for its views on what OD can do for Planning. Sincerely, OD Practitioner Dear OD Practitioner Thank you for your question regarding the link between OD and Planning. This is a fascinating question to address because. . . ” To read the letter and full response, please click here.

What’s On

What’s Happening

OD PROGRAMMES & EVENTS

OD RESEARCH PROJECTS & PAPERS

MAR 2010 · OD Practitioners Foundation Programme · Complexity and Sensemaking Course APR 2010 · Inaugural Forum on The State of OD Practice · Course: “Culture Development Basics” · Lecture on Culture Development More

How Engaged are We as OD Practitioners? A first-of-its-kind study that will help in the development of the OD practice in the Public Service This will be a ground breaking effort as it would be the first time any attempt is made to assess the engagement level of a professional group that cuts across the entire Public Service.

The goal of this study is to uncover the engagement drivers of OD practitioners in the Public Service so that we as a community can be better informed on how best to address the development of the OD practice in a more systematic and systemic manner. To do this, Centre for OD has commissioned Towers Watson (a leading firm in employee engagement studies) to conduct this OD Practitioner Engagement Study. This will happen in early March and we seek the participation of all OD practitioners in this study. So do keep a lookout for more information regarding the survey… Thank you! More on other research projects

Contact Us

What’s Happened

We value your feedback. Share your comments, thoughts, suggestions & requests with us at cscollege_COD@cscollege.gov.sg. We look forward to hearing from you.

HIGHLIGHTS: OD Community of Practice Re-Fresh!

Mission “The CoP is a network of OD/OE practitioners that come together to exchange ideas, to share experiences, resources and expertise, and to develop as professionals, with the intent of enhancing the level of organisation performance, as well as to build OD/OE capabilities for the whole Public Service.” Vision “To be a Vibrant Community of OD Experts.” With that, the OD Community of Practice was formed in late 2008. 6 meetings and countless coffee refills later, the CoP is one year old and going on strong with 154 members from across 56 agencies. The good thing about being OD practitioners is that we make continuous improvement our full-time job. Aware that the CoP and CoP members have evolved since late 2008, the CoP Core Group organised a Re-Fresh session so that we can reflect on our progress as OD practitioners, and review – as a group – our personal and professional development plans and aspirations for 2010. One of the exciting initiatives that the CoP will be looking into as a result of the session is a taxonomy of Who’s Who in the OD Community. Here’s a recap of what was shared during the Re-Fresh. What we value most about the CoP: · Peer learning among members; exchange of experiences and ideas, sharing of good practices and knowledge · Network of OD practitioners and relationship building · Platform for collective sensemaking of issues Some wishes we’d like granted by Public Service leadership: · Be supportive of OD initiatives · Commitment and involvement from Senior Management in driving OE · Greater clarity on what OD should achieve for the organisation · Provide professional development and recognition of the OD practice · Be aware that leaders’ actions shape the organisational culture · Be willing to sponsor OD project experimentation that will help address business issues Top desired outcomes for the CoP in 2010: · To be a recognised professional voice of the OD Community in the Public Service · To increase level of competency of the OD practitioners · To establish a community of expertise · To promote cross agency sharing

What’s OD

Do You Know?

WHAT IS CENTRE FOR OD?

MYTH, OR FACT?

The Centre for Organisation Development (Centre for OD) supports and assists public organisations in their pursuit of continuous improvement and sustained organisation performance. Find out how we Engage, Educate & Equip

“OD does not have any impact on organisational performance.” Click the balloon for the answer

ODyssey is brought to you by Centre for Organisation Development (Centre for OD), Civil Service College.

You can also access current and past issues of ODyssey on the Centre for OD website. If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe from this newsletter, please contact us at cscollege_COD@cscollege.gov.sg. © 2010 Civil Service College The Singapore Public Service: Integrity Ÿ Service Ÿ Excellence