It happened again yesterday. This trope, "speaking truth to power," was trotted out in a Zoom meeting when someone was talking about something frustrating in their work life. I hear people say “speaking truth to power “ a lot, but I’m not sure anyone really thinks about what it says about them, or their workplace. … Continue reading Speaking Truth to Power
A Work in Progress
When I write about organization development in my blog, I try to keep the insider jargon at a minimum. I want my ideas to be appreciated by readers who may not be as familiar or comfortable with the vocabulary of OD. I find this to be a worthwhile challenge because (a) I should be able … Continue reading A Work in Progress
An OD View of Crisis
In the Chinese written language the character for crisis is a combination of two words that in Western cultures are frequently interpreted as representing both “danger” and “opportunity.” This is a misinterpretation that has been widely repeated in business, education and politics where it is often used as a rhetorical device - an optimistic “call … Continue reading An OD View of Crisis
Is Anti-Racism an Ideology or is it a Practice?
Using a simplified definition, anti-racism is about actively identifying and opposing racism. It is rooted in action and its purpose is to actively change the policies, behaviors, and beliefs that perpetuate ideas and actions that are influenced by racism. Many of the critics of anti-racism describe it as a politically-motivated ideology, which I don't agree … Continue reading Is Anti-Racism an Ideology or is it a Practice?
Critical Race Theory, Part 3
The practical reality about critical race theory is this - Even if Critical Race Theory helps to expand the ways in which social problems involving race can be viewed and, even if it has contributed to changing perspectives on these problems, it doesn’t tell us anything about what action to take to resolve these problems. … Continue reading Critical Race Theory, Part 3
Critical Race Theory, Part 2
There is a “Catch 22” when it comes to Critical Race Theory. Explaining what it is not is complicated by how hard it is to describe what it is. The “mysterious” nature of CRT, the difficulty of understanding it, especially when removed from the context in which it was created, is the very thing makes … Continue reading Critical Race Theory, Part 2
Have You Heard of Critical Race Theory?
Thanks to a class in Critical Theory that was offered as part of my doctoral training in Organization Development (shout out to Stephen Brookfield!), I’m one of the few people who had more than a passing awareness of Critical Race Theory before it became a ideological cudgel for the far-right. In my critical theory class … Continue reading Have You Heard of Critical Race Theory?
A Case for Critical Pragmatism in OD
Here is a link to my latest publication from the December 2021 issue of the OD Review. The Abstract reads: To respond to the grand challenges of epoch-defining phenomena like a global pandemic, climate change, and social justice movements, the multi-disciplined, problem-driven approaches of organization development (OD) must come to the fore. In this article … Continue reading A Case for Critical Pragmatism in OD
I’m Reckoning With Reckoning
I've noticed that reckoning has become the go-to word for talking about extreme situations that expose some disturbing reality that had previously been hidden from view. It's often used in discussions involving racial and gender disparities and in activist movements like Black Lives Matter and #MeToo. Increasingly, we see reckoning used in the context of … Continue reading I’m Reckoning With Reckoning
Advice for the Day
My horoscope printed in today's StarTribune.... Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) There's no shortage of disagreeable ideas, though insulting their endorsers with an opposing opinion holds no appeal. If you have nothing to prove, you'll forgo 100 arguments to save your energy for what matters. In other words, I don’t have to attend every argument I’m … Continue reading Advice for the Day
Hello, I'm Lisa Meyer 