Charles Seashore, Ph.D., is the facilitator of this Organizational Development discussion. Click here for more about Charles Seashore. Below is his mission statement for the forum.


THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR MISSION

I think our mission is to help us think together, get charged up and inspired together, and look to one another as part of a gradually emerging community where each of us shares the opportunity to "make things happen". Through the medium of messages short and long, we should be able to serve as catalyst, learner, teacher, and friend to the curious inquirer within each of us. Our structure allows us to have many foci within the spectrum of organization development broadly conceived. I would love it if the words depth, spirit and soul appeared as frequently as productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency. OD is a field which has a strong value base. In that sense we are purposeful and choiceful in our activities and keep a critical eye on those forces of evil which lurk around all organizational processes, including those promoted with the best of intentions. So perhaps we can explore our development as :

• an inclusive community of scholars and practitioners at all stages of development,
• bringing energy and commitment to sharing and responding with spirit and enthusiasm,
• to enliven ourselves and make a contribution to working in organizations with a desire to continually better the human condition -- for all of us.

The game has already begun so our first task is to make sure something useful and enriching follows not far behind. Welcome to the Behavior Online Organization Development Forum with all of the assurance of the pilot who radioed back to the cabin that "we may be hopelessly lost but we're right on time." Continual additions and refinements to the mission are of course always welcome.

With warm regards,

Charlie Seashore