Organizational Development and Sense-Making Approaches

Organizational Development and Sense-Making Approaches
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Organizational Development and Sense-Making Approaches
Organizational change is an evitable part of any business that seeks to grow over time. The change often involves the introduction and elimination of some aspects so that a better environment is created. The change managers thus play a fundamental role in implementing the change introduced within an organization at any time (English, 2011). Due to the need to achieve positive outcomes introduced by organizational change, the change managers often adopt approaches that align with distinct change management images, such as the coach and interpreter images. With this respect, this essay explores the organizational development approach linked with the coach image and the sense-making approach associated with the interpreter image. Additionally, an analysis of the two approaches will be discussed further.
Organizational Development (OD) Approach
The organizational development approach is linked with the coach’s image of change. Ideally, in the coach image of change management, the role and responsibility of the manager include facilitating and mentoring the involved entities within an organization so that positive outcomes can be realized. They actively guide the organization through the change process (Mackey, 2015). Usually, the OD approach mostly focuses on ensuring that the interventions created are effectively implemented to create a supportive culture and motivate employees to be more productive over time. Palmer, Dunford, and Buchanan (2022) assert that the OD approach recognizes an organization as an interconnection of entities that must rely on collaboration to achieve certain goals and objectives.
Evaluation of the OD Approach
The OD approach has been identified as exhibiting particular strengths to introduce change within an organization. All employees at all levels within an organization are directly engaged in the implementation of change. This form of employee direct involvement increases the likelihood of their motivation being boosted (Mackey, 2015). They are also motivated to be more focused and innovative in their duties and responsibilities. Additionally, the OD allows for open communication and collaboration among employees and other stakeholders in the change process. With this, knowledge and skill sharing become more pronounced and gradually enhanced. In general, since the OD approach considers the organization a system, any challenges are addressed at an individual and organizational level.
Despite the OD approach being an effective change facet, it also faces challenges. For instance, the approach re...