Organizational Development (O.D.) is the field of study and practice that focuses on various aspects of organizational life; aspects that include culture, values, systems and behavior.

The goal of O.D. is to increase organizational effectiveness and organizational health, through planned interventions in the organization's processes or operations. Most often, O.D. services are requested when an organization (or a unit within an organization) is undergoing a process of change.

At Clarity Works! our approach to the O.D. intervention is unique. Most traditional interventions start with a gap analysis, comparing 'where we are' to 'where we should be' or 'where we want to be'. The ultimate outcome of this traditional problem-solving approach is usually a focus on the deficits, failures or lack that produced the gap. It often involves pointing fingers and placing blame which can be detrimental to the organization.

At Clarity Works! the focus is on looking for the good stuff! Interventions are designed to uncover and leverage the root causes of your success. While an analysis of what is wrong might be necessary in technical or medical situation, when human beings are involved there is more value in the positive focus of an Appreciative Inquiry, one that is designed to appreciate the strengths and life-giving forces of the organization.

Appreciative Inquiry (Ai) is quickly becoming the most popular approach to organizational growth and change in use today. Since its inception in the 1980's at the Weatherhead School of Business, as the brainchild of Dr. David Cooperrider, Appreciative Inquiry has literally been used around the world by governments, non-profits and businesses, large and small.

Appreciative Inquiry was a key process as 5000 Manhattan residents sought consensus on the rebuilding and memorial to be placed at Ground Zero.

Appreciative Inquiry was the basis for the highly successful "Imagine Chicago" community development project that has spawned 100's of 'Imagine' projects world-wide, including Imagine Nepal, Imagine London, and Imagine Cape Town.

"After learning about Appreciative Inquiry and how to "look for the good stuff" I will begin using it in all my staff meetings. And I want use Ai to improve employee relations and the patient experience."

- Emma Doherty, Director of Emergency Svcs, Salina Regional Health Center

"The results of this work (Appreciative Inquiry) are quicker, deeper and more dramatic than any I have witnessed in nearly 20 years of OD work. In a period of months this company and its people have been transformed."

- Amanda Trosten-Bloom, Hunter Douglas Corp.

"Over 10,000 innovations were attributed to the Appreciative Inquiry process, earning GTE an ASTD award for the best culture change initiative in the country in 1997."

- Tom White, President GTE Telephone Operations