Renewing Jewish Congregational Life Using Blended OD Methods
In this case study we describe how a team of consultants worked with thirty Conservative Jewish congregations to catalyze transformational change using blended OD methods. This hybrid approach is an example of how practitioners may support the change efforts of many communities over a short period of time.
The Theoretical Frame
Over the last decade, the OD field has come to accept the distinction between Diagnostic and Dialogic forms of OD and change work. Some consulting activities like SWOT analyses, force-field analyses, and Likert-scaled surveys are more associated with Diagnostic OD or classic strategic-planning. Methods such as Appreciative Inquiry and Future Search, and techniques such as Open Space and the World Café are more associated with Dialogic OD. While both forms of OD embrace humanistic and democratic values, it has been argued that practitioners of them operate from different ‘mindsets’.
