Traveling Toward Transformation...
It has been great to be a part of the Social Justice in Organizational Change Anthology and to end the summer with another chapter in it, co-authored with Dorie Ellzey Blesoff and reviewed by Sarah Owusu , Liza Jager, MSLOC, OLCC and Matt Minahan .
Gilpin-Jackson, Y., & Blesoff, D. E. (2024). Traveling Toward the Transformation of Organization Development and Change with Possibility and Courage. In K. S. Scott (Ed.), Social Justice in Organizational Change: An Inclusive Anthology. https://doi.org/10.21428/3ce64483.9271b072
This chapter gave Dorie and I an opportunity to consider the possibility of Transformation for Organization Development and Change (ODC) scholarship and practice, through the lens of my Grey Zone Change Framework. It was an opportunity to ask what would be needed to transition, learn, develop together and embrace the possibility and courage required for the journey. It is overall, a call to communities of action:
This is a call to all of us to see anti-oppressive ODC as a possible new way.
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This is a call to make conscious the unconscious biases and mental models that have undergirded dominant norms and practices, both in the telling of human history and in the personal narratives we live by.
This is a call to push against what we’ve been told is impossible, or improbable, or not worth struggling toward, to have the courage to stay committed to our collective vision and show, in our minds, bodies and spirits, what is possible for humans to accomplish with each other and in partnership with the Earth.
This is a call to have courage to take action…and persevere through the difficult dynamics of navigating through the Grey Zone of Change to keep moving toward that desired future.? Resmaa Menakem said it so well: “At its best, activism is a form of healing. It is about what we do and how we show up in the world. It is about learning and expressing regard, compassion, and love.”?(Menakem, 2017, p. 244)?
As is true of all complex systems transformations, this call is as much personal as it is systemic. As we note in the chapter, we are aware, as co-authors, that we are also a part of the context, knowledge systems and structures that we have been raised within as scholars and practitioners in Organizational Development and Change. Here is an excerpt of my reflection on the process of working on this chapter with Dorie. I hope it inspires you to join the project and take on the calls to action to move towards the possibilities for positive change and transformation that this era of interregnum is ushering humanity toward....
~~~See my reflection on co-authoring the chapter here~~~
President at Crosby & Associates - Leadership and Organization Development Experts
2 个月Lovely article. However, as a lone voice in the wilderness, I caution that the belief that "self-organizing systems" and similar anti-authority thinking is also a bias, and one that has dominated the organization development profession for decades. Let us not throw the baby out with the bathwater (western societies oppressive history being the very dirty bathwater). Lewin's democratic principles of leadership are as recipe for true inclusion with role clarity, including the role of authority in systems. This is not "western" so much as a dynamic of the human condition. One can easily find examples, such as the Incas, of dysfunctional authority in indigenous cultures throughout time, as well as highly collaborative structures. Recent anthropology indicates that concepts like political liberty and freedom were adopted from the indigenous people's of North America by the European thinkers of the enlightenment. So like all of us biologically, our thinking is also a mixture of people's throughout time...including the idea of progress. Eliminating hierarchy is not necessarily progress. Creating truly democratic hierarchy may be the best path forward for all. To be completely open minded one must also be open minded to that imho.
Result-driven professional with administration, office, meeting and project management, marketing, communications, public speaking, and financial management skills. A dependable, ethical, problem solver and team player.
2 个月Congratulations. Love your dedication and focus. Well done.
As your co-author I can testify to what a deep and meaningful discovery experience it was to co-create our chapter centered on your Grey Zone model and bringing in so much of what we’ve both learned about change and transitions. I will always be grateful for the growth and delight along the way.
Reaching to realize the human potential for all
2 个月Wonderful article, very well done, and a pleasure to read and review. Lots of lessons for all of us!
Case manager
2 个月Thanks for sharing!