ODKM

At a recent professional event, a speaker suggested that many organization development (OD) graduate programs excel at teaching theory but fall short in equipping students with the practical skills necessary to become effective OD practitioners. According to this critique, such programs produce graduates who can cite theory and write research papers, but struggle with the pragmatic aspects of OD engagements like contracting, client management and project management.

I didn’t come to the Organization Development and Knowledge Management (ODKM) program at George Mason University because I had everything figured out; I came because I didn’t.

When the editors were discussing these first editions of the ODKM Learning Edge, we wanted to include community voices. We hoped to hear from alumni from a wide span of the 30-year program.

The current curriculum in the Master of Organization Development and Knowledge Management program at the Schar School of Policy and Government is a mix of classes that have been part of the curriculum since the very beginning as well as newer classes meant to address the current working and organizational landscape.

We enter group spaces carrying invisible scripts: how to belong, how to lead, how to stay safe from conflict or vulnerability. But what happens when those scripts no longer work? When the group itself becomes a mirror, reflecting back our blind spots, our values, and our deepest questions about power, safety, and connection?

On September 13, four students from ODKM Cohort 29 will host a Learning Community event, Secret Agents of Change: Inner Development for Outer Transformation. The event will be a fun-filled day of engaging discussions, interactive activities, and expert insights into the IDG framework.

The Inner Development Goals (IDGs) are a new framework of 23 leadership competencies that were developed in 2021 through a collective process involving some of the biggest names in organization development, coaching, and adult development, including Peter Senge, Otto Scharmer, Robert Kegan, and many other names you would likely recognize.

As the Schar School’s ODKM heads toward its third decade, here’s a rundown on how it got there and what’s the future holds for this distinctive master’s program.