Episode 227: If OD Can’t Create Hope, Who Will?

About this episode

The episode discusses how organizational development can foster hope and energy in challenging times.

Let’s be honest. The world feels a little nuts right now. Divided. Loud. Unsettled. Tired. And organizations don’t exist outside of that. They absorb it. So in this episode, we ask a simple but uncomfortable question: What does OD need to be when the world feels like it’s coming apart? And maybe even harder… How do we act hopeful when we don’t always feel hopeful ourselves? That’s not fluff. That’s leadership. Instead of offering grand theories, we get practical. We suggest starting here: Stop trying to fix everything. Start by finding the energy. In every organization — even the messy ones — there are pockets of good energy. People who still care. Teams that still want to build something better. Conversations that feel constructive instead of draining. If you think in systems, you know this is true. OD’s job? Go find that energy. Name it. Amplify it. Build from it. We also talk about diagnosing energy instead of just diagnosing problems. Ask: • Where do people feel most alive? • Where do meetings feel productive? • Where is there momentum — even if it’s small? Energy is data. And then we double down on participation. Because when people help shape the way forward, they create…

People in this episode

Hosts: Bob Stapleton, Joyce Wilson-Sanford

Topics covered

• organizational development
• leadership
• hope
• energy
• participation

Keywords

• organizational development
• leadership
• hope
• energy
• participation
• diagnosing energy
• constructive conversations

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Power vs. Force

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• Episode 234: The Workplace as an Island of Sanity: Creating Stability in Uncertain Times · May 7, 2026 · 23 min
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