Future OD Practices and Practitioner Competencies; Outcomes of a Delphi Conference Moderated by Saul Eisen

Purpose Our world is changing at an accelerating rate, and in multiple dimensions. These emerging trends and forces are changing the context in which organizations function, and the requirements of their leaders for assistance from consultants. This project provides a strategic perspective for the field and the practice of OD, and for the continuing professional development of OD practitioners. Conference Design This Delphi conference was designed and moderated by Saul Eisen. The Delphi method generates responses to a sequence of questions, which are put to a defined group of relevant experts. Their answers to each question are summarized and fed back to them, prioritized by the group, and then the prioritized list provides the context for the next question. Panel participants in this Delphi conference represented a range of relevant expertise. Of the 39 participants, 12 had experience and expertise as internal consultants, 18 as external consultants, 21 as educators in OD, 19 as managers, and 4 as futurists. The sequence of questions considered by our panel were: Phase 1 of this Delphi process provides an environment scan for organizations in a changing world. What are the most significant trends and forces that you believe will affect organizations during the next decade? Phase 2 considers possible implications of these trends – what significant challenges or opportunities will they create for organizations and their managers? Phase 3 considers possible implications for practice in organization development – what new or emerging intervention strategies and approaches will be needed to respond effectively to these challenges and opportunities? Phase 4 considers possible implications for professional development in OD – what new or emerging competencies will be needed to implement these intervention strategies effectively? The prioritized outcomes of the four phases are listed on this site (see links menu below). An analytical summary, authored by Saul Eisen, Jeanne Cherbeneau, and Chris Worley, is titled "A Future-Responsive Perspective for Competent Practice in OD." It will be published as a chapter in the new edition of Practicing Organization Development, edited by William Rothwell, Roland Sullivan and Gary McLean, and published by Jossey-Bass. We gratefully acknowledge the generous technical and professional support for this project provided by Lenny Lind, President of CoVision, whose WebCouncil environment (www.webcouncil.com) served as the communication medium for this Delphi project.

This site is copyrighted © 2002 by Saul Eisen, Ph.D. Permission is granted to use this material for educational purposes, as long as it is not substantially changed, and attribution to the source and authors is included.

Delphi Home	Phase 1. Emerging Trends	Phase 2. Challenges and Opportunities
Sonoma State OD Program	Phase 3. Intervention Strategies	Phase 4. Future Competencies