Where Does It Hurt?: Health and Disharmony in Organizational Ecosystems

Organizational development consultant Ora Grodsky draws on decades of working with social change organizations and years of experience as an acupuncturist to develop a framework for understanding organizations as living ecosystems within which the flow of energy can promote healthy operations or provoke disharmony. This provides a powerful metaphor for diagnosing and addressing organizational challenges, as well as creating and maintaining organizational health. The framework of organizational ecosystems consists of four concentric layers: Individual, Team, Organizational and Societal. Beginning at the interior of the ecosystem and moving out, from Individual to Team to Organizational to Society, the discussions of each layer include a picture of harmony and disharmony in the layer, a discussion of how the layer influences and is influenced by other layers, a set of diagnostic questions for assessing the health of the layer, and a set of interventions that are particularly effective for maintaining health, fostering growth or addressing disharmonies. This book is designed as a hands-on practical guide for organizational leaders, social entrepreneurs and consultants.