7.1-Diagnosis and Feedback

7-DIAGNOSIS AND
FEEDBACK
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
After the completion of the chapter, students will be able to:
1. Develop skills in interpreting data using different tools;

2. Illustrate the best practices in recognizing and handling resistance.
INTRODUCTION
 To many organization development (OD) practitioners, there is nothing quite as overwhelming
as the volume of data that is generated from conducting interviews, focus groups, surveys,
observations, and collecting unobtrusive measures.
 Depending on the length of the engagement, the size of the organization and data gathering
effort, or the magnitude of the problem, such data can easily amount to hundreds or even
thousands of pages of notes and reports.
 These notes may contain individual stories and interpretations, vivid observations, and
statistical data from surveys, each of which may be consistent or contradictory with each other
or the client’s or practitioner’s initial interpretations.
 At this point, the practitioner is faced with the challenge of sorting through it all to answer a
deceptively simple question and discuss it with the client: “What is going on here?” This is the
objective of the diagnostic and feedback phases of the OD process.
DISCOVERY, ASSESSMENT, ANALYSIS,
AND INTERPRETATION
 While diagnosis is a common term among practitioners, it is unfortunate that it holds the
connotation of the doctor-patient consulting model.
 Some writers prefer terms such as discovery, engagement, and dialogue (Block, 2011, p. 163);
assessment (Franklin, 1995; Lawler, Nadler, & Cammann, 1980; Noolan, 2006); or analysis
and interpretation.
 Practitioners agree that the purpose of diagnosis is to “help an organization understand its
behavior and its present situation—what’s going on, how it’s going on—so that something can
be done about it” (Manzini, 1988).
 Diagnosis is not only an informational activity, it is aimed at generating action.
Diagnostic Phase Interrelated Activities
1. Analyze the data, including sorting them into key themes. The consultant must summarize and
abstract key points from the data. The consultant will look for common themes in the data and
organize them in a way that helps the client understand the problem.
2. Interpret the data. Interpreting means drawing conclusions that are supported by the data. The
consultant’s role is to present the facts as well as to facilitate understanding and implications of the
interpretations, beliefs, attitudes, opinions, and inferences offered by organizational members.
3. Select and prioritize the right issues that will “energize” the client. Almost all data gathering
activities will produce a long list of issues, concerns, and contributing problems, and some will be
only minimally related to the current problem. Selecting those that are most energizing will help the
client to be motivated to focus on a narrow set of issues to be addressed, implying a shorter list of
actions.
FINDING PATTERNS BY ANALYZING
DATA
Methods for Analyzing Data (Babbie, 1992)
1. Deductive process - the analyst applies general principles or a theory to a particular

circumstance or set of observation.
2. Inductive process - the analyst reasons from the observations or the data to elicit general
principles or a theory.
Benefits of Using Model for Diagnosis
1. It makes coding data easier. Models present a finite number of categories into which data can
be sorted. With pre-established categories, the practitioner can more easily sort interview
comments into various groups.
2. It can help with data interpretation. The practitioner can notice which categories contain more
or fewer comments, or can notice which aspects of the model are over- or underemphasized.
Models also show relationships among categories that can be used for action planning.
3. It can help to communicate with clients. Unlike lengthy theories or complicated academic
language, models are often graphic depictions that may be more easily understood and that can
more clearly direct a client’s attention to particular areas of interest.
INTERPRETING DATA
Avoiding Bias in Interpreting Data

SELECTING AND PRIORITIZING
THEMES
Criteria in Selecting and Prioritizing Themes
1. Relevant. Issues shared with the client should be relevant to the problem for which the
consultant and client have contracted.
2. Influenceable or manageable. It will build energy when the consultant presents issues that the
client can change.
3. Descriptive. The most useful data will describe current facts, rather than using themes to
judge, evaluate, pinpoint blame, or isolate individual contributions to problems.
4. Selective. Not all of the themes in the data can or should be discussed. Choosing the top few
issues to present will focus attention on those that are the most important, leaving out those issues
mentioned less frequently.
5. Sufficient and specific. Enough detail should be provided so that the client can consider
specific actions to take.
Selecting and Prioritizing Themes
FEEDBACK
Recommendations for Managing the Feedback Session and Presenting the Data:
 Even though the client may see it as ritualistic, begin with positive data.
 Ensure that the themes described in the feedback report provide enough detail to be accurately
defined and useful. Some consultants pick one or two representative quotes from interviews as
an explanation of a particular theme.
 Quantitative data can illustrate trends and how widespread agreement is across the
organization, but they can also provide too much detail for clients.
 Language choices are important in presenting the data.
 Practitioner should not make an assumptions about the client’s feelings instead focus on the
facts.
 Be willing to confront the tough issues.

RECOGNIZING RESISTANCE
 Resistance is commonly seen as a major barrier between the change agent and successful
implementation of the change, manifested in behaviors such as ‘‘‘push-back,’ ‘not buying in,’
‘criticism,’ ‘foot dragging,’ ‘workarounds,’ . . . not responding to requests in a timely manner,
making critical or negative comments” (Ford & Ford, 2010) and other sabotaging actions.
 Managers and change agents strategize about the best ways to succeed in the face of
opposition and search for the approaches, activities, and strategies that will get employees to
drop their resistance and embrace the change. Kotter and Schlesinger (2008) advise managers
to take a variety of actions on a continuum from educating members and inviting participation
to manipulating and coercing them.
Description of Client Resistance (Block, 2011)
Give me more detail.
Flood you with detail.
Time
Impracticality
I’m not surprised.

Attack
Confusion
Silence
Intellectualizing
Moralizing
Compliance
Methodology
Flight into health
Pressing for solutions

ETHICAL ISSUES WITH DIAGNOSIS
AND GIVING FEEDBACK
 The possibility of using data in the feedback meeting in a manner that violates the anonymity
of the participants.
 The practitioner faces the dilemma of interpreting data in a way that genuinely reflects the
data, not the practitioner’s own choices of issues or concerns.
 The greatest ethical dilemma occurs when the consultant chooses to collude with the client by
avoiding or minimizing difficult feedback.

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7-DIAGNOSIS AND

After the completion of the chapter, students will be able to:

1. Develop skills in interpreting data using different tools;

1. Deductive process - the analyst applies general principles or a theory to a particular

Avoiding Bias in Interpreting Data

 Be willing to confront the tough issues.

Give me more detail.

Flood you with detail.

I’m not surprised.

Flight into health

Pressing for solutions

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