Nine years ago this month, I published the first issue of The Leader Letter. As I was compiling last month’s blogs into tomorrow’s Ninth Anniversary issue, culture and organization development emerged as a core theme. Since anniversaries call out for looking back on our journey, this anniversary issue’s theme sent me looking at the roots of the Organization Development field.

One of the early OD works was a 640 page text book written by Newton Margulies and Anthony P. Raia entitled Organizational Development: Values, Process, and Technology. On page three they outline these core values of Organization Development:

1. “Providing opportunities for people to function as human beings rather than as resources in the productive process.
2. Providing opportunities for each organization member, as well as for the organization itself, to develop to his full potential.
3. Seeking to increase the effectiveness of the organization in terms of all of its goals.
4. Attempting to create an environment in which it is possible to find exciting and challenging work.
5. Providing opportunities for people in organizations to influence the way in which they relate to work, the organization, and the environment.
6. Treating each human being as a person with a complex set of needs, all of which are important in his work and in his life.”

McGraw-Hill published Organization Development in 1972. Looking back today on the 40^th anniversary of this book, the six core values of leadership, culture, and organization development are incredibly timeless. They’re perhaps even more relevant in today’s high tech, hyper-connected organizations running flat out at hyper speed.

How would your team or organizational members rate the effectiveness of your OD efforts against these developmental aspirations? This could be a powerful six point checklist to assess your progress.

April’s issue provides you with leadership checklists, research on healthy workplaces, and the links between culture and safety. We also examine how systems and processes must support leadership behaviors and whether there is a place for ego in effective leadership.

You can read the first anniversary issue of The Leader Letter in our archive. This is a complete archive of all the blogs and issues I’ve written. It’s laid out by monthly issue or you can review individual articles/stories filed in 29 topic areas under General, Organization Improvement, Self Leadership, and Leading Others.

May this be a time of reflection on your journey and renewal of your personal, team, and organization development efforts.