Although the theory and methods of organization development (OD) assessment and diagnosis have been covered in other books, there is a lack of practitioner-focused guides that introduce real-world case studies and tools rooted in the methodology. This book will fill that gap, providing practical perspective and insight from practitioners and consultants currently practicing OD assessment and diagnosis. Organization Development (OD) differs from management consulting in that OD assessment and diagnosis is not a prescriptive consulting engagement. Instead, OD methods include engaging clients to build change leadership initiatives customized to their particular situation. OD is not about a consultant telling a client company what to do. It is about an OD professional guiding client companies on their journey towards the best end point for their particular situation. This book will address that journey. The theory and foundational principles of OD are covered, but the primary focus is on providing practical applications to businesses. While the book is grounded in sound academic theory, its strength is its practitioner-focused methodology containing vignettes and tools that individuals can use to help guide the assessment and diagnosis efforts in their own or their client organizations.

Although the theory and methods of organization development (OD) assessment and diagnosis have been covered in other books, there is a lack of practitioner-focused guides that introduce real-world case studies and tools rooted in the methodology. This book will fill that gap, providing practical perspective and insight from practitioners and consultants currently practicing OD assessment and diagnosis. Organization Development (OD) differs from management consulting in that OD assessment and diagnosis is not a prescriptive consulting engagement. Instead, OD methods include engaging clients to build change leadership initiatives customized to their particular situation. OD is not about a consultant telling a client company what to do. It is about an OD professional guiding client companies on their journey towards the best end point for their particular situation. This book will address that journey. The theory and foundational principles of OD are covered, but the primary focus is on providing practical applications to businesses. While the book is grounded in sound academic theory, its strength is its practitioner-focused methodology containing vignettes and tools that individuals can use to help guide the assessment and diagnosis efforts in their own or their client organizations.

Career Recovery: Creating Hopeful Careers in Difficult Times provides readers with powerful strategies they can use to create hope and manage their careers throughout their lifetimes. The book introduces readers to the hope-action theory, an empowering approach that highlights the connection between hope, academic engagement, student retention, job search success, career goal clarity, and cultivating a meaningful career path. In Section I, the text introduces the essentials of hope-action theory. The chapters illuminate the challenges of effective career self-management in a post-pandemic world and the importance of hope in career planning. Section II examines the crucial process of engaging in self-reflection to develop self-clarity. Readers uncover their unique passions, skills, personal styles, and values. Section III highlights the need for support in career and educational planning. It teaches readers how to move from self-exploration to seeking support and fostering future opportunities. The final section focuses on implementing key decisions and transforming possibilities into realities. Career Recovery is an energizing resource that helps readers discover and channel hope to support the development and management of their chosen career paths.

Career Flow and Development: Hope in Action introduces students to Hope-Action Theory, a model that emphasizes the centrality of hope in identifying positive career possibilities grounded in self-clarity emerging from systematic self-reflection. The book highlights how students can apply self-clarity to create a personalized vision of a future professional or educational career. Based on leading theories of human behavior and organizational management, the Hope-Action Theory provides students with a dynamic set of tools that support and encourage effective decision-making. Readers learn how to leverage hope, self-reflection, self-clarity, visioning, goal-setting, as well as planning, implementation, and adaptation strategies, to guide their careers. The book challenges students to develop specific goals and plans, set those plans in motion, then utilize new experiences to inform their ongoing decision-making. The text provides stories, examples, case vignettes, activities, and assessments to reinforce the material. The Hope-Action Inventory helps student assess areas of opportunity and personal growth. Career Flow and Development is an ideal resource for courses in career planning. It can also be used by career advisors working with students or within counseling programs to show future practitioners how to conduct career interventions.