Organization development (OD) has many definitions, but at its core, it applies the science of human behavior to help organizations perform better and become healthier places to work. It does this by improving how people communicate, collaborate, and make decisions together (Cheung-Judge & Holbeche, 2021). Organization development is also a planned, ongoing process. It draws on research and established theory to understand how a change in one part of an organization can affect the whole (French & Bell, 1999).

Why should my organization care?

A growing body of data links employee satisfaction, quality of life, and organizational health to a company's overall performance. Disengaged non-managerial employees in the United States cost organizations an average of $4,000 per year. These costs shift dramatically based on an employee's position within the company — disengaged executives, for example, cost an organization upwards of $21,000 annually (Martinez et al., 2025). Additionally, the workplace toxicity in the United States costs approximately 23.8 billion US dollars per year (Labrague et al., 2020). 

While these are some things which organization development consultants can assess and address, my first blog post addresses what other organizational impacts consultants can help remedy. Each post will take a dive into exploring how OD can positively impact a company.