Transforming Organizations: A People-First Approach

Denver N. Ritz, Organizational Development Manager, Hormel Foods

1.How do you foresee emerging trends in organizational development affecting your ability to meet your business needs?

First, I think we need to realize who we are and the impact we make. But we also need our business to invest in and believe in the work we do every day. Organizational development professionals are privileged to sit at the intersection of human potential and organizational growth. Our work is transformational to individual contributors, people leaders and the enterprise. Our team believes our role is building capability, unleashing potential and amplifying inclusion.

Organizational Resilience and Change Management: In the face of a continuously shifting and often unpredictable business environment, the importance of organizational resilience and change management cannot be overstated. As organizational development teams, it is our responsibility to equip our organizations with the tools and mindset to build resilience, adapt swiftly to change and navigate disruptions. We must also be vigilant in observing reactions and outputs to enhance future initiatives. Change is a constant.

Data-Driven Decision-Making: I feel like Taylor Swift is saying this. Still, we are in an era of data and analytics and the importance of data-driven decision-making is something we can no longer ignore. As organizational development practitioners, we must harness the power of data to measure the impact of our interventions, identify areas for further growth and make informed decisions to enhance our team members, people leaders and businesses.

Remote Work and Virtual Teams: I recently read that 50 percent of offices have implemented an RTO policy. However, remote work and virtual teams equally present opportunities and challenges for organizations. We must adapt strategies and tools to continue recruiting talent from a generation that more than ever values flexibility, coach people leaders to manage remote teams effectively, maintain a sense of belonging, foster collaboration and ensure productivity.

2.If your company can consent to this, can you share your experiences from a significant organizational development project you’ve led?

Experience mapping is something our team started last year that I am really excited about. This involves systematically documenting and analyzing the skills, knowledge, experiences and competencies required for various critical roles within our organization. Once implemented, experience mapping will help our organization identify critical roles, assess the current and future capabilities necessary to be successful in that role and strategically build development plans for team members who appear on a succession plan.

 "Engrain a culture where you lead people and manage work. This ensures that your culture centers on creating people leaders, not just managers"

3.What are some of the challenges in your business that current services cannot provide an optimal solution?

Too often in my career, I have seen organizations rely on systems that try to be everything at once to simplify accessibility. However, we often sacrifice our ability to manage approaches, remove complexity and gain access to the data we need to grow talent and make strategic decisions. A one-stop shop is great on grocery day, but this is not always true for all internal human capital and organizational development needs.

4.Any advice, suggestions, or warnings you would give to professionals in your similar role working in other companies in the HR space regarding dos or don’ts?

Engrain a culture where you lead people and manage work. This ensures that your culture centers on creating people leaders, not just managers. People leaders cultivate a culture of innovation, adaptability and inspiration within organizations. They inspire others to exceed expectations, drive positive change and navigate complexities with vision and integrity, fostering a resilient and thriving organizational ecosystem.

The company you bring along with you will become your largest ally and help minimize any edits after implementation. While people outside of organizational development may not be the experts in the space like us, their input is valid and critical. They can speak to the culture and behaviors of their areas, see things from their perspective, identify your blind spots from being too close to the work and better build alignment to avoid major competing priorities—learning professionals, business unit leaders from a variety of areas, HR Business Partners, etc. Challenge yourself to keep changing up the people you bring in. The more people understand organizational development, the better.