What does OD do?

Despite the term “organisational development” falling somewhat out of favour in recent years in the US, with practitioners rallying behind the more mainstream “change management” banner, OD has been enjoying something of a revival in the UK. New titles and roles have sprung up, such as “head of OD and learning”, “head of workforce and OD” and “responsible for OD and internal communications”. In the public sector particularly, roles often combine responsibility for HR, change management and learning and development. In the third sector, this can also extend to governance and risk.

Despite this fascination with OD, it is not always clear what it involves – OD can look and feel very different from one organisation to another. This, of course, may be the secret of its longevity: OD practitioners require a broad skills set and range of experience as well as a deep understanding of the systemic nature of organisations. This is why it has remained as a field of practice (and one with a rich heritage), rather than a separate department. OD is a specialism, not a function.