As organisation development professionals, we believe in a world where organisations and communities are productive, healthy and sustainable, where leadership is authentic and individuals are engaged to perform at their best.

 

CfOD has developed an enviable reputation for excellence in our field. Our professional practice is:

 

Values based

  • Leadership – that is adaptive and authentic, that excites people to exceptional performance
  • Engagement – enabling full participation and willing contribution of discretionary effort
  • Respect and Inclusion – of people, ideas, perspectives and cultures
  • Collaboration – work collaboratively with our clients, and encourage collaboration, mutual trust and respect in individuals and groups
  • Authenticity – we strive for authenticity and congruence, and encourage these qualities in those with whom we work
  • Self-awareness – knowledge of ourselves and our impact on the system.  We are committed to ongoing personal and professional development, and lifelong learning

 

Supported by theory

At the core of CfOD’s facilitation methodology is rigorous and consistent theory drawn from complex adaptive systems thinking, modern physics and the newest developments in neuroscience and the social sciences.  What makes our practice unique is because these tools and models are informed by a unifying theory of organisational development, where theory is condensed into fundamental, practical concepts and applied with mastery by our facilitators.

 

Systems focused

We approach organisations, teams and individuals as open systems. We intervene with sensitivity and awareness in the knowledge that change in one area of a system always results in changes in other areas; and change in one area cannot be sustained without supporting changes in other areas of the system.

 

Reflective

CfOD practitioners continuously re-examine, reflect and integrate discoveries throughout change, transition and learning as processes to achieve desired outcomes. We encourage our clients to engage in reflective practice to deepen their learning and ensure sustainable behavioural change, generous knowledge sharing, creative solutions and innovation.

 

Inquiry based

Our interventions are based on a balance between content and process.  This involves proactive inquiry and assessment of the internal environment in order to discover and create a compelling need for change and the achievement of a desired future state.  We know the important questions to ask, and how best to ask them.  Our methods have the flexibility to adapt to specific business and team cultures. We expect to adapt agendas in real time to accommodate the unexpected; to allow people space to be creative while delivering the desired outcomes.

 

Client centred

A critical pillar of our consulting work is to focus sharply on the needs of the client in order to promote client ownership of all phases of the work and support the client’s ability to sustain change independently. CfOD works in a pragmatic and practical way with our client partners.  Whilst our practice is informed by theory, we measure our own success as OD practitioners on how well we integrate into our client system, whether the impact we stimulate is positive and sustainable, and how seamlessly we exit the system when the time comes. We pride ourselves as being a part of the system and apart from the system at the same time.

 

Culturally appropriate

Our aim is to create and sustain a healthy effective human system as an interdependent part of its larger environment. Edgar Schein says, “Organisational culture is basically a set of shared values and beliefs which interact with an organisation’s people, structure and systems to produce behavioural norms. It is the “social glue” that binds an organisation’s members together.” In simple terms, CfOD supports our clients to define shared values and beliefs, assumptions and expectations to establish agreed behaviours, which demonstrate engagement and cultural health.  This is the way we do things around here.

 

Builds capability

CfOD is committed to building internal capability and leveraging tacit knowledge and experience in our client systems. We do this by applying our knowledge and experience in these areas: Leadership development: A comprehensive range of programs to build leadership capacity with organisations, including executive, middle and frontline managers, leading change and transition and team leadership. Coaching and mentoring: CfOD has one of the largest Executive Coaching and Mentoring practices in Australia. All our coaches have both social science qualifications and senior line management experience. Our selection and matching processes are an important part of our success.  Our coaches are expected to maintain currency and undergo professional supervision. Our Coaching and Mentoring suite includes executive coaching and mentoring, Manager as Coach training, Manager as Mentor training, establishment of internal mentoring programs, peer to peer learning programs, career transition coaching, mediation and conflict resolution. Facilitation and process consulting: CfOD practices the most current and respected methods and techniques for effective process consulting and facilitation including Appreciative Inquiry and World Café Forum. Learning and development: A comprehensive catalogue of learning and development options in all areas of professional and personal development.