Meetings often suffer from a poor reputation, yet they remain one of the most effective tools organizations have for sharing information, building cohesion, resolving conflicts, and navigating overlapping responsibilities. Admittedly, meetings can wander off topic or test one’s patience, but they are still far preferable to the archaeological dig required to follow a long email thread. And as for the groans about “another meeting”—people also complain about rain, yet it continues to fall.

Reading has become something of an endangered activity. Most people now skim rather than read, not because they are exhausted or overworked, but because constant smartphone use has shortened attention spans to the length of a fruit fly’s afternoon. In today’s world, if you cannot be brief, you may as well be invisible.

Employees frequently describe themselves as overworked and perpetually rushed. Yet a surprising amount of time at work is spent surfing the web, texting, or perfecting the art of looking busy. The truth is that most people are capable of doing more than they actually do—though few are eager to admit it.

Not every meaningful contribution at work can be measured. Sometimes helping a colleague succeed is far more valuable than achieving one’s own neatly defined objective.

Ironically, the more organizations attempt to clarify roles, responsibilities, and processes, the more gaps appear—gaps into which tasks fall and accountability quietly disappears. Complexity, it seems, refuses to be legislated out of existence.

AI is powerful. So were machines and computers. And electricity. And clean water. Man, woman, birth, death, infinity. Plus ca change, plus ca reste la meme chose. (The more things change, the more everything stays the same).

Finally, all organizations are political. Politics—meaning the use of influence, persuasion, and power—can advance the organization’s goals or serve personal agendas. There is good politics and bad politics, but never a politics‑free workplace.

Veteran Canadian broadcaster Howard Schwartz interviews me on the strategy and tactics of the on-going effort to downsize the American civil service.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/58p8x341zrhfr4a4vy924/An-axe-not-a-scalpel-Podcast-04-25.mp3?rlkey=m4e30guo4c6e9jejefhkgcbqm&st=c1ebga72&dl=0

1. Clients who don’t understand what OD is may want to know what the deliverables are up front before they sign the consulting contract.
2. OD consultants box themselves into a corner if they acquiesce and define measurable outcomes up front.
3. Clients who want detailed proposals are painting themselves, and the consultant into the corner of possible irrelevance.
4. What should the client do if there are no results whatsoever and they feel they are treading on water?

Let’s see how to deal with these issues.

1. Organizational Development does lead to concrete positive changes. Some of these changes happen unexpectedly; some can be planned. Many cannot be planned. “That’s the way it is”. The most meaningful changes happen incrementally, not in “one fell swoop”. Deliverables imply a concrete happening. Change which is set free by OD is a slow, palpable difference is the way things are done which cannot be well defined up front. It can be very partially defined with wide strokes, if needed, but not “set in stone”. Outcomes should be reviewed and revised at least once every two months. I recalibrate outcomes monthly.
2. OD is not measurable. Many things are not measurable, not only OD. Many things that can be measured are meaningless. If you want to hire an OD consultant who is ready to have you measure outcomes? You will hire a 3^rd rate consultant.
3. OD is not a software platform with a clear SOW (scope of work). The more that a proposal goes into fine details, the more likely it is that the proposal will NOT serve as an enabler, but rather as a hindrance with enables the needed flexibility to achieve results.
4. If this is the case, the match between the client and the consultant needs to end. Not every consultant can work with every client. As in all relationships, chemistry is critical.

20% of dogs who are sedated after the age of 14 die, never to wake up from the sedative. Thems is not good numbers.

Nevertheless, George’s halitosis was unbearable. When he yawned, he cleared the room. A Google search on canine health (I hate myself for doing that) revealed the dangers of neglecting a gum cleaning, even it entails possible death during sedation. There is a “easy” dilemma for ya. Reminds me of my dermatologist who chops off melanoma in situ from my body, while telling me that melanoma in situ is over-diagnosed.

George doesn’t care about his breath. I should have mentioned that. George suffers from canine dementia. He is incredibly old for a mid-size poodle yet he is in perfect health. Btw, that is very common on one side of my family: a very long life with all the marbles in disorder.

At times, George walks in circles; he bumps into walls on bad days. He has no sense of direction whatsoever. He gets stuck in corners or bumps into glass doors when the going gets rough.

Were this the case every day, I would have put him down long ago. A long life is not worth it if it entails suffering; that is true for me, and for him.

It is not because of egoism that I decided to risk teeth cum gum cleaning which he underwent today. George loves eating. He loves sniffing at leaves. When the wind blows, he sticks his head out to feel the air at its fullest. He has a will of his own. In the heat-he is unwilling to walk outside. Mid-day outings are a nightmare. In the morning and in the evening, he enjoys the outdoors, albeit his slow gait. A few times each week, he returns to his old ways; jumping up high when I come home, and running around the house, full of energy.

So, I decided to have his gums cleaned as well as removing hair in his ears under full sedation.

Dr Yuval told me that once George woke up, the admin would call me to pick up the boy, probably near noon.

At 11 am I could wait no longer. I went back to the clinic and paced back and forth, like I did when my daughter gave birth.

At 12.30, George emerged from the recuperation theatre. Clean gums; minus 2 teeth, smelling like a lily.

                                     All’s well that ends well-leaving the clinic

Post script.

It was a tough two days after the gum cleansing. The sedation really worsened George’s dementia and he was walking into walls as well as  getting stuck behind doors. It was necessary for me to pull an all nighter.

After 24 hours, he calmed down-after vomiting and crapping all over, again from the sedative. BUT he is fine now- and still smells like a lily.

Never forget, not only is a dog, your best friend, YOU ARE THE DOG’S BEST FRIEND. It is not a one way street.