Practicing Organization Development, 5th Edition

CHAPTER NINELaunch: Assessment, Action Planning, and Implementation

D. D. Warrick

All phases of the organization development (OD) process are important, but the “launch” phase is the most important step in the OD process. The success of OD efforts depends on it. If done well, the probability of successful change will be high and the benefits considerable. If done poorly, the aftermath can be far-reaching. Frequent failed change can result in a lack of confidence and support for change efforts made by organizations. It can also result in a lack of confidence in leaders, wasted time and resources, reduced productivity, resistance to change, and even losses in competitive advantage and the ability to attract and retain the best talent.

The term launch was coined by Warner Burke (2008, 257). It is a phase of OD in which valuable information is gathered and a collaborative approach is used to evaluate the information, plan actions around the change process, and implement changes using methods that can significantly improve the probability of successful change. This phase of OD can be used to plan innovative changes and needed changes. This chapter recognizes that many approaches can be used and that the material presented here can be used to varying degrees depending on the type and size of changes involved, the needs and openness of organizations to various approaches, and the knowledge and skill level of those leading changes. The fundamental thinking and principles presented ...