Our Graduates!

End-of-program comments, September/09

Here is the overall score given for the entire program by the participants who completed the post-session evaluation, followed by a few of their comments.
(Quoted with permission.)

On a scale of one (low) to five (high), how did you feel about the program as a whole?
Average score = 4.9

The impact on my future

"This has been an exceptional learning experience – one that will certainly have a positive impact for me in my career! Thank you all!"

"The program changed my whole view of change management and how to work more effectively with organizations… I have a desire to apply what I have learned, to move beyond problem solving, into emergent worlds,
while accepting uncertainty."
Richard Hamel, B.Sc., MBA; VP, Marketing and Sales, Side Effects Software

"The CODI program had a direct and immediate impact on my work as an internal OD consultant. It provided me with tools and strategies… clarity in how to contract with internal clients… new models and frameworks. My ability to ask vital/important questions that get people to think differently has
improved significantly."
Lauri Sanci, MA; Centre for Organizational Learning and Teaching, Centennial College

"The CODI program was solid, practical, engaging, inclusive, and hugely thought-provoking. It broadened my thinking and offered me exciting new ways of seeing things and innovative ways to help my clients."
Sharon Bar-David, LLB, MSW; independent consultant

"I am inspired with new ways of thinking about systems, people, and myself. I now would feel comfortable, as an OD consultant, to be in the "I don’t know"position, as I see the benefit of that to all that are seeking change."
Vered Eyal, B.Sc, MSc; independent consultant

The Program

"I loved the GROW model, the 4 Fold Way, the Integral model, the Consulting Styles Inventory, and Complex Adaptive Systems. Also, all of Module 4 on Large Scale Interventions was fascinating to me."
Jennifer Lombardo, BA, WWHP(c); Region of Peel Public Health

"The OD discipline is new to me but I believe we received an excellent cross-section of OD, from small scale work (coaching) to large scale interventions.
I’m very satisfied."
Jennifer Sims, B.Comm., LLB; independent consultant

"The program will have a great influence. Being able to participate in a program with such excellent facilitators and such careful attention to diverse learning styles was inspirational… The content was excellent, moving from individual as OD practitioner, to models and ways of understanding systems and change, to large scale models… Learning when, why and how to use the models was
very important."
Kathleen O’Connell, MSW, RSW; independent consultant

"Excellent, excellent, excellent! I feel so very fortunate for the whole CODI Fundamentals experience. The program content and overall design provided the close-up view of OD concepts, methodologies, processes and interventions necessary for in-depth learning."
Mary Cliff, Training and OD Specialist, Central West Community Care
Access Centre (CCAC)

"The balance of presentation, real experiences, experiential learning, and reflection was very effective."
Richard Hamel, B.Sc., MBA; VP, Marketing and Sales, Side Effects Software

"The continuity was very good. It was a seamless."
Vered Eyal, B.Sc, MSc; independent consultant

"The facilitators are an amazing group of people. Clearly all experts within their fields, and compassionate, funny and thoughtful… I learned as much from watching them facilitate as I did from my own work. Excellent."
Jennifer Sims, B.Comm., LLB; independent consultant

"My training and facilitation skills have improved considerably just watching five highly skilled facilitators deliver the program content."
Lauri Sanci, MA; Centennial College

"It enriches the educational experience for me when I get different perspectives on the various approaches from multiple disciplines."
Jennifer Sims, B.Comm., LLB; independent consultant

"The faculty were excellent. I greatly appreciated the fact that they were both highly skilled facilitators and OD professionals with many years of experience. I found them to be approachable and willing to provide coaching and support both in and out of the classroom."
Lauri Sanci, MA; Centennial College

The Group

"I now have a new community to bounce ideas off and to share struggles and successes with!"
Jennifer Lombardo, BA, WWHP(c); Region of Peel Public Health

Feedback on “Living the Learning Organization” with Dr. Marilyn Laiken

This session was outstanding. I could listen to Marilyn’s insights all night long!

An excellent exercise to demonstrate the learnings. Fabulous facilitation.

Everything worked well. Really enjoyed the group experience.

The exercise worked well to demonstrate Senge’s five dimensions of a
Learning Organization.

Enjoyed the insights shared by Marilyn and the group.

Thanks you!

Enjoyed the opportunity to participate in the team process and learn from it.
The workshop provided a version of Senge’s five disciplines and much more. I’m taking learnings for future team processes.

Excellent value for money and time! Of particular value were the debrief sessions and the reflective process.

The exercise was excellent! Enjoyed the reflection as well… I see many ways to use this exercise. I would enjoy more of these evenings.

Back to top

"Usually by mid-afternoon I’m feeling lethargic at a workshop. I can’t believe how energized I am. I just can’t stop learning!" VP

"Clear, concise, practical." RG

"The best part was being able to apply the theory to real situations." JK

"Marilyn was able to simplify a very complicated topic… The simulation is valuable and fun." KW

"One of the best programs I’ve ever attended." AD

"Relevant, pertinent, practical." DD

"The best training program and the most useful learning experience
in ten years." ST

"The best course I’ve ever attended." WO

"The difference is that this course changes you at a core level."

Back to top

How satisfied are you with your experience in this workshop?

Rate your satisfaction on a scale of 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied).
Average score: 5.0

"Practical. Theory explained well with great examples."

"As usual, thanks for your groundedness and for being such a
fantastic role model."

"The session was great. Facilitator was amazing and
very knowledgeable. Loved it!"

"Great facilitation! Liked working on actual dilemmas at work."

"Excellent as usual. Also, it was very effective to attend the session as a team."

Back to top

"My best hope is that a participant leaving the CODI program will be confident in their ability to assess a consulting situation, in collaboration with the client, and be able to provide the most appropriate intervention from an array of many in their repertoire. They will be acutely aware of their own consulting style, preferences and skills, and know when to offer them and when to refer to others. They will be a reflective practitioner who is constantly learning about themselves, their clients and the field - able to build on their own strengths and be honest about their areas for development. They will be genuine and transparent with others - seeing who they are personally as the key instrument for change. They will believe strongly in a theory/practice integration as increasingly skillful practitioners who are able to explain their choices from a strong theory base. Finally, they will leave with a cohort of colleagues from whom they can continue to draw support, as they take their skills and knowledge into the world, with the intention of making it a more humane, equitable, peaceful and growth enhancing place."

Marilyn Laiken, PhD
Academic Director, CODI

What does success look like?

"I think of it in terms of where participants will be in their heads, hearts and hands. In their heads, they will have a solid understanding of important models and theories that form the foundation of thinking in the OD field and that inform how we work with clients. They will know that the competencies they focused on with us are consistent and often beyond what has been identified by the field. They will handle complicated issues with confidence and the ability to design what is needed, avoiding cookie-cutter approaches. Knowing they have a solid foundation, and that they have a network of colleagues, they will not be shaken if they are with a client facing highly complex issues and feel somewhat puzzled about alternative routes to achieve the development needed. They will know it’s ok to be puzzled and to work with the client to explore options. In their hearts, they will feel generous-spirited about sharing ideas, and have compassion for themselves and others. They will feel passionate about the capacity of organizations and individuals to grow in positive directions. They will both respect the wisdom of the client and have the courage to be challenging. In the hands-on part of this view of success, they will have a large toolkit within which they will have their guiding principles, clear values, self-awareness, along with techniques and tools derived from best practices and thoughtful creativity. We are all more than the sum of our parts. Having grown their capacity for reflection about themselves and how they are using themselves as instruments for development, participants will be better integrated. They will engage more knowledgeably and authentically with their clients - to whom authenticity or the lack of it will be quite apparent."

Diane Abbey-Livingston,
MEd Faculty, CODI

Back to top