OD Out Loud! A New, Innovative OD Conference
Physician, Heal Thyself: Why the Future of OD Demands a Radical, “Out Loud” Intervention
There is a growing, quiet exhaustion rippling through the field of Organization Development. We find ourselves trapped in a paradox: as organizational systems worldwide grow more complex, volatile, and deeply fractured, the very practitioners trained to heal them are systematically sidelined, watered down, or hidden under the comfortable corporate umbrella of “leadership development.”
I recently sat down for an energizing conversation with fellow MPOD alumna Faith Addicott to talk about the current state of our field. Her blunt response to this systemic stagnation? "Physician, heal thyself."
If we want organization development to occupy its rightful, mission-critical seat on executive committees—distinct from and independent of traditional HR structures—we must fundamentally reshape how we gather, how we speak, and how we measure our value. This realization is the catalyst behind OD Out Loud, an upcoming gathering designed not as a standard academic conference, but as a direct challenge to the field.
Moving Beyond the Noun: OD as an Applied Verb
One of the most profound shifts championed by the organizers of OD Out Loud is a complete redefinition of the practice itself.
The conference approaches organization development as a verb rather than a noun—as an active intention and an applied science. Whether you are an engineer, an anthropologist, a nurse, or a marketer, the moment you apply your unique domain knowledge to design healthier, more sustainable, and human-centric systems, you are actively doing OD work. It is time our language, our communities, and our pathways to practice reflected this inclusive reality.
The Core Confrontation: Flipping the Stage
Traditional conferences gather dozens of the smartest minds in a room, only to force them to sit in silence while a single person presents a white paper on a stage. OD Out Loud completely dismantles this hierarchy. There are no passive presentations. Instead, the power is radically distributed, transforming every attendee into an active contributor tasked with co-creating toolkits, checklists, and solutions to the field’s greatest challenges.
Four Critical Tracks: The Dojos
To move from philosophical agreement to systemic action, the gathering is anchored by four immersive, three-day Dojos. These 90-minute progressive tracks demand that participants roll up their sleeves and build real, practical outputs:
Data Storytelling for OD: Led by Patty Phillips and Jack Phillips (ROI Institute). This track tackles our historical failure to prove our worth. Participants will explore how to build rigorous, systemic measurement into interventions from day one, converting complex data into undeniable narratives that command corporate authority.
Telling the Tale - OD in 10: Led by Verhanika Willhelm and Bethany Hystad. This performance-based track utilizes theater techniques to answer a deceptively simple question: Do you actually know how to quickly explain what OD is? It is time to stop hiding behind academic jargon and practice speaking our truth with unapologetic clarity.
OD for Social Transformation: Led by Joanna Prieto. This dojo reunites practitioners with the core human values that drew them to this work in the first place. It addresses how to confidently maintain a stance of non-negotiable inclusion and justice, even when client systems resist.
The Greater Elephant: This track explores the modern fracturing of OD into disconnected mini-fields—such as change management, IO psychology, and executive coaching. Together, participants will seek the unifying through-line required to navigate constant complexity and evolutionary change.
Balancing "Doing" with "Being"
While the Dojos are focused on intense, structured work—such as co-creating immediate ethical checklists for corporate AI implementation—the organizers recognize that true system transformation cannot occur in an emotional vacuum. To ground this rigorous work, Case Western Reserve University faculty member Corrine Coen will lead structured T-groups throughout the event, ensuring essential relational grounding and psychological space for the healers themselves.
Furthermore, the conversation is intentionally looking beyond Western borders. By establishing five active global online hubs spanning South America, the Caribbean, Southern Africa, and India, OD Out Loud is actively learning “from the margins,” integrating ancient matrilineal systems, regenerative living designs, and neurodiverse frameworks into the core paradigm.
Building the Path Forward for Emerging Talent
OD Out Loud is walking its talk by setting aside 20% of its tickets exclusively for students at half-price. In exchange for six hours of volunteer sweat equity, these emerging practitioners will be fully integrated into Dojo and lab teams as Teaching Assistants, granting them direct, close-working access to senior facilitators and tangible, resume-building project experience.
The Time is Now
We cannot afford to remain fragmented, silent, or scared. We need a shared language, a collective buffer against risk, and a megaphone.
OD Out Loud is an invitation to step out of isolation and help build a worker-owned cooperative capable of sending speakers into communities, offering low-bono consulting to social justice nonprofits, and establishing our place at the executive table. Let's stop following the market. Let's build the future until the market follows us.
Registration is now open. Learn more and secure your spot at goodworkcollective.net/convening.