Inside the Open OD Method: How openness shapes real work and real results
Description
This hands‑on workshop takes you inside the thinking, research, and practice behind the Open Assessment and the wider Open OD method.
You will explore:
How the Open Assessment was built and the research behind its scales
How each dimension connects to psychological safety, growth mindset, satisfaction, retention, and performance
The correlation logic used to uncover patterns across teams, leaders, design, and learning
How to interpret sample results and trace patterns in real organisational cases
The full Health & Human Services transformation case, illustrating openness in action
A practical sense‑making approach that teams themselves can use to interpret their own data
The workshop is experiential — you will work with real outputs, examine data, explore meaning‑making, and practice the steps teams use when navigating their own patterns.
This session is for OD practitioners, coaches, HR partners, leaders, and anyone who wants a grounded, research‑based way to understand the forces that help — or hinder — healthy team behaviour.
No prior experience with the Open Assessment is required.
Date | Thursday 23rd July 2026 |
Time | 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
|
Venue | |
Ticket Price | Early bird available till 30 April ODA member – $595 early bird ($695 full price) |
Overview
Join Dr. William Brendel for a hands-on session that takes you inside the thinking, research, and practical method behind the Open Assessment and the broader Open OD approach. This workshop expands on the keynote by showing why and how the assessment was built, and how the correlation process uncovers the forces that shape satisfaction, retention, and performance.
You will learn how Dr. Brendel analyzes results, how he identifies patterns across teams, leaders, design, and learning, and how these insights inform real OD practice. The session will also explore the full Health & Human Services case, giving you a clear view of how the Open OD approach supported trust-building, better decisions, and stronger performance.
The workshop is experiential. You will examine outputs, interpret data, and practice the sense-making steps that teams use when they explore their own patterns. The focus will be on understanding the Open OD method, not on selling or administering a product. There will be space for grounded Q&A to help you see how these ideas fit your own work.
Objectives
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
✔️ Describe the research and development process behind the Open Assessment.
✔️ Understand how each scale connects to openness, satisfaction, retention, and performance.
✔️ Interpret sample results and trace patterns across interpersonal and technical dimensions.
✔️ Understand the correlation logic that informs targeted action planning.
✔️ Use the Open OD sense-making steps to guide team conversations based on data and lived experience.
✔️ Draw practical lessons from the full Health & Human Services transformation case.
Who Should Attend
This workshop is for practitioners who want a deeper look at how openness shapes real work, real teams, and real outcomes. It is a good fit for:
OD consultants who want practical ways to help teams read their own patterns.
HR partners who support leaders through change, learning, and culture work.
Coaches who guide clients through tough conversations, learning moments, and growth.
Leaders who want a clearer view of how openness affects trust, performance, and retention.
Researchers and educators interested in the science behind psychological safety, growth mindset, and team learning.
Anyone who wants a grounded, research-based way to understand the forces that help or hinder healthy team behavior.
The workshop does not require prior knowledge of the Open Assessment or its backend process.
About Dr. William Brendel
Dr. Brendel is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Institute for Applied Behavioral & Organizational Sciences at Sacred Heart University and a global OD consultant with over 25 years of experience. A graduate of Columbia University, he has spent his career helping leaders and consultants drive human-centered innovation.
He is also the founder of OpenSourceOD.com, a platform that brings practical OD tools, assessments, and wisdom to anyone committed to positive change. His work includes the creation of the MOST —the first theoretically and psychometrically validated OD competency model and assessment —now freely available to the field.
Recent Awards
2025 Innovative Inventions in OD Award – International Society for OD and Change
2025 OD for Human Flourishing Award – Organization Leadership & Development Network
2024 Larry Porter Award for Communicating OD Knowledge – OD Network
2024 Article of the Year – Journal of Management Spirituality & Religion
2023 Article of the Year – OD Review
2021 Lisa Kimball Award for Evolving the Field of OD – OD Network
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
