10/30/2017 Upsilon Prime Mid-Program Assessment

Upsilon Prime Mid-Program Assessment

Welcome to the MSOD Upsilon Prime mid-program self-assessment. We hope that you emerge from this process
with greater clarity about your capabilities and areas for growth as an organization development practitioner.

It may be bene cial to answer the descriptive questions in a Word document and copy/paste them into the answer
sections. If you have any questions about this assessment please contact Kim Weiss, Assistant Director, Logistics &
Operations, at (310) 568-5598 or kim.weiss@pepperdine.edu.

1. Name *

Hannah Elise Jones

Conceptual Understanding

2. I am able to articulate key concepts, theories and models, covered during

the rst year of MSOD. *
Examples: Use of self as instrument of change, SPINE, group dynamics, consulting skills, organization culture, cross-
cultural entry model, norms, etc....

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither Agree nor Disagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

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3. I can integrate (relate, connect, combine, bridge) OD concepts, theories,

models and experiences to make sense of situations and effectively
intervene. *
Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither Agree nor Disagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

4. Describe two speci c examples of when you have applied OD concepts.

What was your rationale for using the particular models, concepts or
theories you selected? *
The concept of self as instrument has been a regular xture in my life since intensive one. In
both my personal and professional life I am paying a lot of attention to how I show up and the
impact my own behaviors, states of mind, biases, and perceptions have on others and my
environment. It has helped me to more effectively manage my relationships and show up in
them with authenticity and integrity. I have been using the Star Model of organizations as a
tool to help me think through different facets of my analysis for clients in my current role. The
model helps me to break down and highlight important components of organizations that I
should be considering in analysis of their culture. I also use some of the components of group
dynamics quite frequently in my observation of client work. Norms and defensive routines
show up a lot in my work with teams and I appreciate having a lens through which to view
these interactions.

Use of Self as Instrument of Change

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5. I am committed to developing self-awareness. *

e.g. gaining clarity about my personal values; setting clear personal boundaries; managing my biases and defenses;
recognizing when personal feelings have been aroused.

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither Agree or Disagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

6. What actions have you taken to further develop your self-awareness? *

Part of my SLC is deliberately engaging with and expressing my emotions, which has helped
me gain clarity on my behaviors and responses with others. I have been practicing expressing
my emotions and communicating through them in challenging times which has been helpful to
me in showing up more effectively with others. My own clarity around my emotions and my
ability to express them helps me be in better control of them with others and within myself.

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7. Describe a speci c situation where using your “self-as-instrument” has

impacted your professional effectiveness. *
In a meeting with my boss and a coworker we were discussing a deliverable for a client. I was
in charge of piloting this new delivery so we were creating things as we went. My boss and I
had differing opinions on how the project should go, but she owned the client relationship so
she had the ultimate say in what I should be creating. One of her particular requests was far
outside of the norm of things we deliver, and was edging into information that organizationally
we have never publicized or used in our consulting work. When I explained this to her rationally,
she said that she didnt care how we had done things before, we could do them differently.
Recognizing I was not going to make progress with an intellectual argument, I decided to
speak up about what I was actually experiencing. I told her I felt uncomfortable with her
request because of the ways it would impact our organization and I didnt know if others
agreed with this approach. Expressing my personal emotion of discomfort helped her see my
true experience, and as a result we brought a few more people into the conversation and
moved forward in a way that everyone was happy with. This is a huge departure from my
normal way of operating in a situation like this, but my growing self awareness helped me to
quickly assess my real feelings about the situation and act in a more authentic manner that
resulted in a better outcome.

Consulting Skills

8. I have a working knowledge of consulting skills and the consulting

process. *
Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither Agree nor Disagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

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9. Describe a consulting engagement. (This can be something that you are

currently involved with.) Identify how you addressed each stage of the
consulting process. Where were you most challenged? Where did you feel
the strongest? What was your key learning as a result of your engagement?
*
In my role as a consultant, we have a sales team that does the formal contracting, and I enter
the client system after that is complete. Part of my learning about the consulting model has
been to place more importance on the contracting phase, even if I am not involved in the actual
signing of the agreement for the project. I instead focus on recontracting, internally and
externally. I read the statement of work to get clear on what was actually agreed to, share my
understanding of that agreement internally with both the sales person and the rest of the
project team, and raise any ags that I see. This helps me to contract with my team in a way
that sets us up for greater alignment down the line. When I make contact with the client I focus
on expectation setting within the context of the scope I have just clari ed internally. Our team
utilizes project plans, timelines and sample deliverable in this phase to ensure that there is
agreement on what the end results are. This allows me to have conversations with the client
that clearly outline my role as their consultant. Because we deliver employee engagement
survey data, there is often a lot of 'scope creep' in our project. Clients want more reports, more
analysis, extra presentations... Learning about the contracting phase has helped me hold my
ground on what is most important and focus on the value I believe I add in the process. I am
focusing more on discovery through my regular meetings with clients leading up to the
deliveries. I am joining more project meetings to hear how their needs and priorities evolve
over time. And as an organization we are honing in more and more on how to stimulate a
decision to act. In my current role I am focused on providing information and advice, not
supporting implementation. For that reason, clients are not expected or obliged to make any
decisions with us. They take the insight we provide and make their decisions internally for the
most part. For that reason I am not as close to the Feedback, Engagement and Extension
phases in a meaningful way. I am most challenged in the Feedback phase because we do have
an opportunity when we are in the room delivering results to encourage action and strongly
recommend it, but I always feel somewhat unquali ed to make a strong push for action
because I really only know the organization through this particular survey. Our model does not
utalize other approaches that allow for a more intimate knowledge of the client environment,
so I always feel like my recommendations are generic to a certain extent, not that they are
wrong, but that they might not be the best t for this organization or this team. I am very strong
in the delivery of information and feedback, just not the pushing to a decision to act and
implement. Overall my greatest learning is in the importance of contracting. Beginning a
project with a clear agreement, both behavioral and contractual, helps me feel con dent in my

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service and in the relationship I am able to build with the client, both of which help me push
myself closer to supporting them in their commitment to action in a meaningful way.

10. I am developing skills in group facilitation *

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither Agree nor Disagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

11. Describe a situation where you were the faciliator and how you led this
process. *
I have quite a bit of facilitation experience in my professional career, but facilitating for MSOD
is challenging me to think about how I facilitate more closely. In my traditional facilitation
experience, I am in more control because I am the outside expert. People tend to defer to me
and follow my suggestions for timing and process. Because I dont have this expert role in the
context of our program, I am much more aware of my behavior in facilitation and focus on
being more facilitation in every sense. However, sometimes I have gone to far, and defer to
others instead of really facilitating the conversation or process, because I am more conscious
of how I might be perceived in this context. This has happened on several occasions in our
learning group and is something I am observing through my SLC goal related to building my
own personal power.

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12. I can conduct literature searches and apply what I learn to practice. *
Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither Agree nor Disagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

13. Where are you in your literature review? Articulate other situations
where you have gone to the literature and applied what you learned to
practice. *
I have nished a second draft of my literature review. I am currently conducting a literature
review for the creation of a new leadership framework for my organization. Having the
experience of working on my thesis has refreshed my skills from undergraduate and is really
helping me to apply this skill outside of school.

14. I am developing a working theory of OD practice. *

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Neither Agree nor Disagree

Agree

Strongly agree

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15. Describe your working theory of OD practice. Include the beliefs, values,
assumptions and models that inform your emergent theory. *
My working theory of OD practice is rooted in the theory of an organization as a living system. I
believe that any action in that system is an intervention that can have ripple effects far beyond
the original point of intervention. I believe that all individuals within the system are capable of
great potential and that the practice of OD has the opportunity and great responsibility to
shape the system in a way that lets that individual potential ourish. My personal values of
growth, wisdom, self-respect and consistency all contribute to my conviction in this working
theory of my practice.

Program Assignment Progress

16. I am current on my thesis project *

Disagree

Agree

17. I have successfully completed all session papers *

Disagree

Agree

18. I am making progress on my strategic learning contract *

Disagree

Agree

Narrative

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19. Narrative self-assessment. Brie y describe your strengths and areas for
development as an OD practitioner. *
I am skilled at connecting the dots, at pulling information together and making sense of it in a
compelling way. I am effective at placing theory into practice in a digestible and relevant
manner. I am a big picture thinker motivated by possibilities and questions. I am observant and
attune to my environment. I need to improve my natural impulses to ask questions of others
and practice genuine inquiry. I am working on strengthening my spiritual and emotional
connection so I am able to come to interactions openly and authentically. I am learning to own
my own power in a way that supports my con dent delivery of work. I am developing my ability
to deepen professional relationships and manage them effectively for consulting work. I am
striving to improve my practice of giving and receiving effective feedback. I am working on not
walking away from people or situations that frustrate me too much.

20. Anything else that you would like us to know about you and your
development as an OD practitioner? *
Not at this time, I feel my answers have been relatively comprehensive

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