Organization Development and … Physical Therapy?
Ever wonder about lessons we could learn from physical therapy applied to organization development? Me neither! However, I believe there are a few lessons we might be able to transfer from physical therapy to organization development.
Long story short — last year I injured my shoulder and at the time did not quite realize how serious it was. Having a past 20 year experience with Kyokushin Karate, I was more than familiar with pain (broken foot, broken hand, broken ribs etc) but this was my first long time engagement with physical therapy.
A bit of background may be helpful. When I injured my shoulder, I knew it hurt (obviously). I went to the doctor shortly after and they thought I might have injured my rotator cuff, provided some exercises to do, and said if I did not feel better to follow up with a specialist. I waited, too long, and when I went in next time, the new doctor thought I may have ruptured a bicep, and other injuries, but did an X-ray which showed nothing useful. This lead to the next step of an MRI which showed the shoulder had been broken when dislocated and there was substantial soft tissue damage. Well at least I now had an accurate diagnosis and further consultation with another specialist. Surgery was not recommended and we proceeded to physical therapy. How often do organizations have a difficult time diagnosing a problem? How often do organizations start a course of corrective improvement only to find out they have been headed down the wrong path and need to shift the direction of their efforts?
Say hello to my little friends.
So onward to the recommended physical therapy. Of course we all have some preconceptions, maybe what we see on television or listen a friend’s experience. As I started physical therapy for the shoulder injury, it was a bit of a learning experience. Okay, a lot of a learning experience. The good news is it looked like I’d probably avoid surgery, and with continued rehab hoped to avoid what they call “frozen shoulder” (which can take 2–3 years before you are unfrozen in that joint). I knew intellectually that what was learned each week in my appointments and what I did in between appointments would really be the key. However, the relationship with the therapy itself was very interesting to say the least. I had a range of exercises and tools provided by my therapist (or adapted by myself). The tools are just a means to an end though. This is so easy to forget in organization development. Many OD practitioners come armed with instruments or tools (team interventions, individual coaching, psychometric instruments, etc) but it is too easy to become enamored with the tools when they need to be engaging in a process consultation. * Note: organization development (or OD) can be defined in a few ways but here is a common one “What is Organization Development?” . Another definition: Organization Development is a system-wide process of planned change aimed toward improving overall organization effectiveness by way of enhanced congruence of such key organizational dimensions as external environment, mission, strategy, leadership, culture, structure, information and reward systems, and work policies and procedures. Bradford & Burke 2005
Phase I
He is doing something “to” me. I have to admit that I looked at my appointments as having something done to me. My therapist was awesome (let’s call him Sam). But I was miserable. Unfortunately most days I felt like the dude in the picture.
So I jumped into my rehab pretty rigorously. I had been in pain and discomfort for a couple of months by this time and I wanted things to get better fast. They did not. My progress was slow. Glacial even. My muscles and tissues had stiffened up to protect the injured area. By now simple daily acts of living (putting a cup on shelf, hanging up a jacket etc) were difficult. I think that often an organization might feel the same way when they want immediate progress in organization development, but it takes time to complete ongoing diagnosis, set the foundation, build rapport and so on. At times I could even tell that Sam was a bit frustrated by the lack of progress. Organizations want results fast. Regardless if they are working with an internal team or have hired outside help, resources are going into developing the organization. Of course they expect quick results. By the same token, consultants can also get frustrated by a lack of progress.
Phase II
So a few metrics to help provide context. Normal range of rotation would be around 180 degrees for rotating my arm forward and up, I was stuck at 110 degrees. It was around this time that I became even more proactive with my recovery. I followed the suggestions such as going in for a cortisone shot. I doubled down on the frequency of Physical Therapy appointments. It was also recommended that I start getting massages to help loosen up some very very tight muscles. Plus a couple of other suggestions.
Although I saw that I needed to be driving the experience, I was also dependent on Sam. Sam, being very good at what he did, was more of a facilitation expert. I saw that he plied his craft well, being agile as needed, concentrating on one area while easing off on another. He also was able to have a firm foundation yet work on the fly as needed. To me he exemplified the “Self as an Instrument” which OD practitioners (aspire to) adhere to. It was not initially easy to accept I needed to double or triple the time and money I was putting in to my rehab. I was motivated to make changes, but just like an organization may balk at finding they need to put more resources into a change than expected, I accepted these changes, but not on day one and not without some grumbling.
Phase III
Well, slowly I started to see results. Instead of a long “one step forward two steps back” story (although that is of course often the case with any kind of organizational change), I will just say that my forward rotation continued to get better. I had broken past 130 degrees, after being stuck for a long time below that. Then eventually I went past 145 and 155 (after a lot of warm up) etc. This does not mean I was 100%, but by then I could now: pay the machine at a parking ramp, steer my car with my left hand, reach for food at a drive through, hang up clothes with my left arm, and started to experiment with putting on a jacket the normal way, etc. Progress! Range of motion was waaay better, strength will take a while to get back. Moral of story = if you are going to break anything in a complicated area like your shoulder, do it when 25 years old, not when 2x that age :-)
More importantly I now saw the physical therapy through a different lens. I was not having something done to me, nor was I the primary driver. Now I saw it as a dynamic interaction between myself and Sam. After several months I trusted him implicitly, and my muscles no longer tightened up while doing the work. There were even a few times Sam was not available and I saw a colleague of his. A different pace and focus was good and the alternative physical therapist might concentrate on a different focus. It was all good.
Epilogue
I compare the process with action research in Organization Development. Sam would assess, plan, design an intervention and then measure results. Along with constant feedback loops. Then lather rinse repeat…
And now I continue the process on my own. The engagement with Sam is over, and has been for months. I continue with exercises, I maintain my flexibility and gradually regain strength. Of course there are many differences and the comparison is not completely one to one. However, I have found the comparison helpful. OD practitioners also may aspire to facilitate the process of learning so that they can help an organization to help themselves and then disengage as the organization moves forward without them. Next time you are working on a organizational culture shift, implementing a new performance appraisal system, or doing a large scale change, keep in mind action research and how physical therapy can help teach us a few lessons.
