I’m at the OD Network Conference in Seattle (Oct 17-21), where starting later today Organization Development practitioners will discuss the future of the field, conduct learning sessions that intend to advance the theory and practice of OD, and generally interface with each other on how to best serve their clients and employers.  This may be a watershed year as there are several projects in the works that may invigorate the field with new social and collaborative online technologies such as microblogging sites (ie Twitter), social networking sites (ie. LinkedIn, Facebook), wikis, blogs, and other online interactive environments. It may take some time until the field routinely uses the most advanced online tools on client engagements (change management efforts, team-building, leadership development, etc.), but I have high hopes considering the conversations I’m already hearing.

This year includes an action research project called Flocking To Seattle, spearheaded by a workgroup that includes graduate student Anna Russell. Their project mission:

The work of Flocking to Seattle researchers is to learn about the value of microblogging for OD practice by influencing a self organizing conversation over Twitter and initiating connections through the OD community around the events of the OD Network’s Annual Conference.

Platinum Sponsor Plus Delta Consulting has chosen to launch their blog and new media campaign at the conference, while endeavoring to educate their colleagues on the importance of digital media in the field of OD. They have a strong commitment to online social and collaborative opportunities for both community interaction and to augment the effectiveness of OD interventions. I’ve recently joined the Plus Delta team and was tasked with launching the new blog and soon-to-be online social interactions. It’s been a pleasure to work with such dedicated, professional, and intelligent individuals who clearly see where the field of OD is headed. And look at this view from the offices! All of the team will be tweeting from @PlusDelta and liveblogging the conference, with special interviews scheduled. CEO Jeremy Lurey may also tweet from his personal account!

Alex Dunne, attendee, has volunteered to run the official Twitter account for the OD Network Conference: @ODNetwork, and is planning to hand out labels so attendees can add their Twitter handle to their badges. He is starting various other projects (check back here for late additions).

Jackie Alcalde Marr, Mary Ellen Kassotakis, and Arthur Jue lead a session called “Social Technologies for Communicating, Collaborating, and Connecting,” essentially teaching OD practitioners the value of social networking within OD. Their new book is called Social Media at Work.

*I will add to this post here when Flocking To Seattle shares their results*

Moira Nordholt's Tweetuplift December 2008

Since the inaugural voyage of The Schwaggin Wagon, I’ve been more aware of examples of people using the power of new media to quickly organize and mobilize individuals for brief acts of philanthropy–what I’ve called Flash Philanthropy. Now that the microblogging site, Twitter, has a larger user base, there is a greater potential for ad hoc acts of charitable mobilization that take less and less time to set in motion. Simply put: Twitter gets the word out fast when it’s time to create ad hoc groups based on a shared idea.

Back in the Spring of 2008, six of us organized the wagon project in less than 10 days, and it played out in 72 hours. A few days ago, vegan consultant and cookbook author Moira Nordholt organized her Tweetuplift in less than 48 hours and it played out in two! We used Twitter in the service of our project, whereas Moria used Twitter to organize her project in the first place. How did she gather ten people to give up their time on Christmas day (in order to hand out food and supplies to those in need)? How did she gather them in the pouring rain, with no mandate or preconceived structure, giving less than two days of lead time for anyone to alter their plans? Answer: Twitter–but not just Twitter. Specifically the fact that well-known and well-followed people chose to take up her cause and “re-tweet” her call on Twitter, meaning they re-broadcasted the call for volunteers for which Moira had originally asked. This allowed a wider audience of people to hear about the ad hoc event, and choose to take part. Continue reading →

Haiti Before Hurricane Gustav

UPDATE: See Gustav Wiki for clearinghouse of info on Gustav.

The folks who post on Twitter have sprung into action over Hurricane Gustav and New Orleans. They’ve publicized that an ad hoc social network using the popular NING white-label software has been created to help those affected by the storm to connect and help one another. Perhaps Twitter, with it’s up-to-the-minute capabilities, will supercharge information flow about the online tools that worked back in 2005: A Wikipedia page, repurposing Craig’s List (with Craig Newmark’s blessing of course), and good old cell phone technology. All these were examples of social and collaborative technologies being used or re-used to assist with the humanitarian efforts of relief agencies, or simply to help one person assist another directly.

Right now, people like Tim Street, Nicole Jordan, Peter Shankman, and Craig Newmark are sending message bursts to their followers on Twitter to publicize the NING Gustav site. I’m not sure who set it up, but kudos to that person! 

UPDATE: Andy Carvin set up the NING site (@acarvin on Twitter) at the suggestion of Wayne Sutton, who is also active in these efforts. Thanks to @jazzychad on Twitter for compiling a Hurricane Gustav Twitter Tracker to help us follow the updates, which will, in turn, help the helpers to get the word out in other ways (many of those affected do not use Twitter). Andy Carvin has also lead the way for a wiki page of Gustav Twitter resources; read his blog post about all this for even more resources, like the Gustav Wiki, fashioned after the Katrina wiki.

Here’s what I wrote back in 2005 about the Tsunami & Wikipedia/online collaboration, as a guest blogger on the North Star Leadership Group website, at the request of Adam Carstens and John Beck:

(it can also be accessed via archives here)

October 25, 2005

Information Helps in Disaster Relief

By [Michael] Liskin 

The current U.S. citizenry is often called apathetic and cynical. Yet I suggest that we are witnessing a surge of ad-hoc opportunities for those in our nation—and the world—who have always wanted to get involved in direct social or political action but lacked the knowledge, the time or the proximity to do much good. Continue reading →