Ackoff, Russell L.

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Opening Commentary:  Organization Development and Change

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University of PennsylvaniaScholarlyCommonsBuilding ODC as an Academic Discipline (2006) ConferencesApril 2006Opening Commentary: "OrganizationDevelopment and Change"Russell L. AckoffUniversity of Pennsylvania, ackoff@wharton.upenn.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://repository.upenn.edu/od_conf_2006Academy of Management, Organization Development and Change Division, "Building ODC as an Academic Discipline," 7-8 April 2006.This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. http://repository.upenn.edu/od_conf_2006/3For more information, please contact libraryrepository@pobox.upenn.edu.Ackoff, Russell L., "Opening Commentary: "Organization Development and Change"" (2006). Building ODC as an Academic Discipline(2006). 3.http://repository.upenn.edu/od_conf_2006/3Opening Commentary: "Organization Development and Change"CommentsAcademy of Management, Organization Development and Change Division, "Building ODC as an AcademicDiscipline," 7-8 April 2006.This presentation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/od_conf_2006/3   ODC Conference:Building ODC as an Academic DisciplineApril 7, 2006Russell L. AckoffUniversity of Pennsylvania   THE MAJOR EVIDENCE OF THE STRENGTH OF THE U.S. ECONOMYIS THATNO OTHER ECONOMY IN THE WORLD COULD SURVIVE AS MUCH INEFFICIENCY AND INEFFECTIVENESS AS OURS.   VERY FEW OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS ARE DEVELOPINGAND WHAT CHANGES THERE ARE ARE NOT TOWARD DEVELOPMENT   CONTRARY TO COMMON USAGEDEVELOPMENT AND GROWTHARE NOT THE SAME THINGEITHER CAN OCCUR WITHOUT THEOTHER   DEVELOPMENTIS AN INCREASE IN ONE’S ABILITY AND DESIRE TO SATISFY ONE’S NEEDS AND LEGITIMATE DESIRES, AND THOSE OF OTHERS —THAT IS, AN INCREASE IN COMPETENCE    A LEGITIMATE DESIRE IS ONETHE SATISFACTION OF WHICH DEPRIVES NO ONEOF THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP   EARNING PRODUCES GROWTH:AN INCREASE IN SIZE OR NUMBER.STANDARD OF LIVING IS THE MOST COMMON INDEX OF GROWTH   LEARNINGIS WHAT PRODUCES  DEVELOPMENT.QUALITY OF LIFE IS THE MOST COMMONLY USEDINDEX OF DEVELOPMENT   SOME OF THE MAJOR CHANGES THATCAN LEAD TO DEVELOPMENT   1.A RE­ORIENTATION TOWARD MISTAKES   ONE NEVER LEARNS BY DOING THINGS RIGHT — ONLY FROM MISTAKESTWO TYPES OF MISTAKES:ACCOUNTING DEFICIENCYEFFECT = ORGANIZATIONAL PARALYSIS   2.COVER ALL TYPESOF CONTENT OF THE MIND:DATA, INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING AND WISDOM   DATA = SYMBOLS THAT REPRESENTINFORMATION = CONTENT OF DESCRIPTIONSKNOWLEDGE = CONTENT OF INSTRUCTIONSUNDERSTANDING = CONTENT OF EXPLANATIONSWISDOM = CONTENT OF EVALUATIONS   DATA TO UNDERSTANDING NEEDED FOR EFFICIENCY =Doing things rightWISOM NEEDED FOR EFFECTIVENESS =Doing the right things   3.REPLACE POWER OVER (AUTHORITY)WITHPOWER TO:(INFLUENCE)I.E., DEMOCRATIZE   THE MORE HIGHLY EDUCATED A WORKFORCETHE LESS EFFECTIVE ISTHE EXERCISE OF AUTHORITY OVER THEM& the less likely it is to encourage them to use all they know that is relevant to their jobs.   4.INSTALL A LEARNING AND ADAPTATION SUPPORT SYSTEM   SUCH A SYSTEM• produces a record of each important decision including expected effects• monitors to determine if expectations are fulfilled• diagnoses and corrects failures,and monitors correction decisionsand   4.INSTALL A LEARNING AND ADAPTATION SUPPORT SYSTEM   The knowledge that anyone in the organization has that is relevant to the work of another in the organization is available to him/her.   5.DEVELOP AN INSPIRING VISIONTHROUGH STAKEHOLDERIDEALIZED DESIGN.   AN IDEALIZED DESIGN OF AN ORGANIZATIONIs that design its designers would have if they were free to have any design they wanted right now.   PLANNING BACKWARDS FROM THIS DESIGN TO THE CLOSEST FEASIBLE APPROXIMATION TO IT simplifies planning by an order of magnitudeincreases the designers’ concept of what is feasible, andincreases creativity significantly.   Man has been able to grow enthusiastic over his vision of unconvincing enterprises.  He has put himself to work for the sake of an idea, seeking by magnificent exertions to arrive at the incredible.  And in the end, he has arrived there.  Beyond all doubt it is one of the vital sources of man’s power to be thus able to kindle enthusiasm from the mere glimmer of something improbable, difficult, remote.Jose Ortega y Gosset, 1956.

https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&amp;context=od_conf_2006

Opening Commentary: Organization Development and Change

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