| THE ROLE |
CHARACTERISTICS |
BENEFITS |
COSTS |
| Manager
The CEO, executive director, president or the manager of a
department are all people with the primary responsibility to take
action for system improvement.
OD Team - an extension of the manager’s authority; team
shares responsibility for OD effort. |
Has the legitimate authority for shaping
processes, structures and climate; also for initiating and
monitoring; visible, accountable. |
Easier to make entry into the system.
More focused on results. Has a defined place in the organization. |
May be drawn away from OD effort by other
demands. Becoming the target of the system’s cynics and those
resisting improvement effort. |
| Internal
Consultant
Has a defined position within the organization that carries
responsibility for consulting and training activities toward
organizational improvement. Is not a manager with the authority to
initiate OD efforts.
|
Visible. Is accountable to
several sources (the internal client, the client’s
"boss"). Needs contracts with others in order to function. |
Is part of the system. Can
develop a highly integrated sense of how to do an OD effort in this
particular organization. May be more secure (financial and
psychological). |
Less status than external
consultants.
Dependent on others for authority to function. Low influence.
Political binds. May be under pressure to do projects or do them in
a manner that violates own sense of good practice. |
| External Consultant
Is not part of the organization’s on-going life. Is contracted
with to provide consulting and training services to facilitate
improvement. |
High visibility. Temporary in the system.
Has a formal contract. |
Independence in selecting work. Possible
variety of clients. Clear contracts. May see things the insiders
fail to see. May be able to productively use dependence. |
Has to generate own clients. Lack of
peers to work with in efforts -- lack of critique, loneliness. May
be unfamiliar with the organization and the product or services it
offers -- may lead to misunderstandings, lack of integration in
approach. Not seeing the long-term results. |
| Internal Change Agent
Any member or employee in the organization that acts for
improvement on their own authority. Has no organizational
authorization for the effort. |
Role is not formally defined or
authorized. May call for low visibility. May be risky. |
Acting on own values. Sense of purpose. |
Risk of punishment -being ostracized,
loss of job or membership. |
