OrgDev with Distinction

Dani Bacon and Garin Rouch

The Org Dev podcast is all about Organisational Development, a practice that has the power to transform organisations, shape cultures, and empower individuals. Yet, it's often shrouded in mystery and misunderstood. But fear not, because on this podcast, we pull back the curtain to reveal the inner workings of Organisation Development. We demystify the concepts, unravel the strategies, and delve into the real-life experiences of professionals who are driving real and significant change and innovation within organisations.

  1. 6D AGO

    Leading with Purpose, Not Control with Dr Louise Van Rhyn - OrgDev Episode 87

    We'd love to hear from you so send us a message! What does leadership look like when it’s driven by purpose rather than control? In this episode of the OrgDev Podcast, we’re joined by Dr Louise Van Rhyn, social entrepreneur, leadership and organisation development practitioner, and founder of Symphonia. Louise shares powerful insights from more than four decades of practice working with leaders, organisations and large-scale social change initiatives across South Africa and beyond. We explore why certainty shuts down contribution, how unsolicited advice is often experienced as judgement, and what it really means to lead as a citizen rather than a parent or expert. Louise reflects on her work with Partners for Possibility, the role of listening in leadership, and why leadership development only works when it is connected to the wider organisational system. This conversation is a deep invitation to rethink leadership as creating the conditions for others to think, contribute and thrive rather than having the answers or exerting control. You’ll hear about  – Leading with purpose, not authority  – Why relationships shape thinking, action and results  – Citizen leadership and shared responsibility  – The hidden cost of certainty in leadership  – Listening as a core leadership practice  – Why leadership development is organisational development A thoughtful and challenging episode for leaders, OD practitioners, HR professionals and anyone interested in more human, effective ways of working together Dr. Louise van Rhyn is a distinguished social entrepreneur and leadership development practitioner. She is the founder and CEO of Symphonia Leadership Development, a social enterprise dedicated to developing leadership capacity at scale. Dr. van Rhyn's work focuses on mobilizing active citizenship and addressing significant social issues through cross-sector collaboration and citizen leadership. Her innovative leadership development process, Partners for Possibility, has positively impacted over one million people and has been recognized with numerous awards for its innovation and impact. Dr. van Rhyn's commitment to creating flourishing and inclusive organizational communities is evident in her work with leaders across various sectors. Wish you had a handy recap of the episode? So did we. That’s why each week in our Next Step to Better newsletter, we’re sharing From Pod to Practice – a 2-page visual summary of each episode designed to help you take the learning from the podcast and into your work. You’ll get: ■ Key insights from the episode ■ A reflection prompt ■ A suggested action Sign up now to get From Pod to Practice delivered to your inbox each week: https://distinction.live/keep-in-touch/ About Us We’re Dani and Garin – Organisation Development (OD) practitioners who help leaders and people professionals tackle the messiness of organisational life. We focus on building leadership capability, strengthening team effectiveness, and designing practical, systemic development programmes that help you deliver on your team and organisational goals. We also offer coaching to support individual growth and change. Find out more at www.distinction.live We'd love to connect with you on Linked In: linkedin.com/in/danibacon478 https://www.linkedin.com/in/garinrouch

    1h 3m
  2. DEC 9

    Why Transformation Fails - And What Works with Dr Gwen Stirling Wilkie - OrgDev Episode 85

    We'd love to hear from you so send us a message! Why Do Transformations and Change Fail - And What Can Leaders Do About It?  Where do leaders go when the map runs out – when the terrain ahead is shifting faster than they can chart it? Today on the OrgDev Podcast, we’re stepping into the space where the known meets the unknown, and where transformation takes root. In this episode. we’ll hear how Gwen blends rigour and relationality, why she believes leadership must be both human-centred and AI-enabled, and what seeds she’s planting for the future of Organisation Development. Wish you had a handy recap of the episode? So did we. That’s why each week in our Next Step to Better newsletter, we’re sharing From Pod to Practice – a 2-page visual summary of each episode designed to help you take the learning from the podcast and into your work. You’ll get: ■ Key insights from the episode ■ A reflection prompt ■ A suggested action Sign up now to get From Pod to Practice delivered to your inbox each week: https://distinction.live/keep-in-touch/ About Us We’re Dani and Garin – Organisation Development (OD) practitioners who help leaders and people professionals tackle the messiness of organisational life. We focus on building leadership capability, strengthening team effectiveness, and designing practical, systemic development programmes that help you deliver on your team and organisational goals. We also offer coaching to support individual growth and change. Find out more at www.distinction.live We'd love to connect with you on Linked In: linkedin.com/in/danibacon478 https://www.linkedin.com/in/garinrouch

    1h 5m
  3. DEC 9

    Design Thinking for Real-World Workplace Problems with Giles Wright - OrgDev Episode 86

    We'd love to hear from you so send us a message! How Can Design Thinking Solve Your Organisation's Most Intractable Problems? Design thinking has transformed how we approach products and services - but what does it really look like when we apply it to people, culture, and organisations?  How do we move from post-it notes and empathy maps to real organisational change?  To explore the intersection between design thinking and organisation development, we’re joined by Giles Wright – an experienced practitioner who’s helped leaders and organisations use design principles to rethink systems, services and culture   Wish you had a handy recap of the episode? So did we. That’s why each week in our Next Step to Better newsletter, we’re sharing From Pod to Practice – a 2-page visual summary of each episode designed to help you take the learning from the podcast and into your work. You’ll get: ■ Key insights from the episode ■ A reflection prompt ■ A suggested action Sign up now to get From Pod to Practice delivered to your inbox each week: https://distinction.live/keep-in-touch/ About Us We’re Dani and Garin – Organisation Development (OD) practitioners who help leaders and people professionals tackle the messiness of organisational life. We focus on building leadership capability, strengthening team effectiveness, and designing practical, systemic development programmes that help you deliver on your team and organisational goals. We also offer coaching to support individual growth and change. Find out more at www.distinction.live We'd love to connect with you on Linked In: linkedin.com/in/danibacon478 https://www.linkedin.com/in/garinrouch

    58 min
  4. NOV 28

    Rethinking Leadership When the World Won't Behave with Professor Chris Mowles - OrgDev Episode 84

    We'd love to hear from you so send us a message! Is it time to rethink leadership and management? Many leaders work under the illusion that they can control what goes on but in reality organisations are messy, and unpredictable. So what does this Complexity  really means for how organisations function, how leaders make decisions, and how people navigate uncertainty. One person who has challenged the neat models and tidy solutions we often reach for – instead opens up more real, human, and sometimes uncomfortable conversations about leadership, change, and organisational life is Professor Chris Mowles Wish you had a handy recap of the episode? So did we. That’s why each week in our Next Step to Better newsletter, we’re sharing From Pod to Practice – a 2-page visual summary of each episode designed to help you take the learning from the podcast and into your work. You’ll get: ■ Key insights from the episode ■ A reflection prompt ■ A suggested action Sign up now to get From Pod to Practice delivered to your inbox each week: https://distinction.live/keep-in-touch/ About Us We’re Dani and Garin – Organisation Development (OD) practitioners who help leaders and people professionals tackle the messiness of organisational life. We focus on building leadership capability, strengthening team effectiveness, and designing practical, systemic development programmes that help you deliver on your team and organisational goals. We also offer coaching to support individual growth and change. Find out more at www.distinction.live We'd love to connect with you on Linked In: linkedin.com/in/danibacon478 https://www.linkedin.com/in/garinrouch

    53 min
  5. NOV 20

    How to Deliver Strategy at Scale with Maria Farres Cancer Research UK

    We'd love to hear from you so send us a message! What does it take to deliver on an ambitious strategy – especially in a mission-driven organisation where the stakes are high and capacity is limited? How do you align people, processes, and systems to deliver on the organisation's ambitions? Our guest this week is the Maria Farres, Director of Organisational Development & Employee Experience at Cancer Research UK, where she leads work on org. development, leadership & talent, EDI, employee experience, and building change capability across the charity. Wish you had a handy recap of the episode? So did we. That’s why each week in our Next Step to Better newsletter, we’re sharing From Pod to Practice – a 2-page visual summary of each episode designed to help you take the learning from the podcast and into your work. You’ll get: ■ Key insights from the episode ■ A reflection prompt ■ A suggested action Sign up now to get From Pod to Practice delivered to your inbox each week: https://distinction.live/keep-in-touch/ About Us We’re Dani and Garin – Organisation Development (OD) practitioners who help leaders and people professionals tackle the messiness of organisational life. We focus on building leadership capability, strengthening team effectiveness, and designing practical, systemic development programmes that help you deliver on your team and organisational goals. We also offer coaching to support individual growth and change. Find out more at www.distinction.live We'd love to connect with you on Linked In: linkedin.com/in/danibacon478 https://www.linkedin.com/in/garinrouch

    56 min
  6. NOV 14

    Leading Transformation and Change with Sophy Pern Ammalo - OrgDev Episode 82

    We'd love to hear from you so send us a message! What really derails a change project – the plan, or the relationships behind it? Our guest today, Sophy Pern, has spent her career helping leaders and teams untangle the relational dynamics that quietly shape whether strategy and change succeed or stall. An international consultant, facilitator and executive coach, she works with executive leaders on strategy engagement, organisation design, operating models, culture change and team development. Sophy is known for bringing depth, clarity and humanity to complex organisational challenges, and for building OD and Design capability in organisations and professional communities across Europe. Wish you had a handy recap of the episode? So did we. That’s why each week in our Next Step to Better newsletter, we’re sharing From Pod to Practice – a 2-page visual summary of each episode designed to help you take the learning from the podcast and into your work. You’ll get: ■ Key insights from the episode ■ A reflection prompt ■ A suggested action Sign up now to get From Pod to Practice delivered to your inbox each week: https://distinction.live/keep-in-touch/ About Us We’re Dani and Garin – Organisation Development (OD) practitioners who help leaders and people professionals tackle the messiness of organisational life. We focus on building leadership capability, strengthening team effectiveness, and designing practical, systemic development programmes that help you deliver on your team and organisational goals. We also offer coaching to support individual growth and change. Find out more at www.distinction.live We'd love to connect with you on Linked In: linkedin.com/in/danibacon478 https://www.linkedin.com/in/garinrouch

    1 hr
  7. OCT 31

    Master the Art and Science of Organisation Design and Change with Jaimini Lakhani - OrgDev Episode 81

    We'd love to hear from you so send us a message! How do you make sure your organisation’s design is truly fit for purpose – not just neat on paper, but aligned to the strategy your future depends on? And how do you work with senior leaders in a way that builds real trust – so you can understand how value is created in their world, and the tough trade-offs that come with redesigning it? Today we’re joined by Jaimini Lakhani – founder of Lumiere Consulting and a leading expert in organisation design and strategy. Jaimini has helped some of the world’s most recognisable organisations navigate complex moments of change, connecting strategy, structure and people in ways that deliver real impact. Wish you had a handy recap of the episode? So did we. That’s why each week in our Next Step to Better newsletter, we’re sharing From Pod to Practice – a 2-page visual summary of each episode designed to help you take the learning from the podcast and into your work. You’ll get: ■ Key insights from the episode ■ A reflection prompt ■ A suggested action Sign up now to get From Pod to Practice delivered to your inbox each week: https://distinction.live/keep-in-touch/ About Us We’re Dani and Garin – Organisation Development (OD) practitioners who help leaders and people professionals tackle the messiness of organisational life. We focus on building leadership capability, strengthening team effectiveness, and designing practical, systemic development programmes that help you deliver on your team and organisational goals. We also offer coaching to support individual growth and change. Find out more at www.distinction.live We'd love to connect with you on Linked In: linkedin.com/in/danibacon478 https://www.linkedin.com/in/garinrouch

    1h 3m
  8. OCT 24

    The Power of Presence - Inner work of the OD Practitioner with Dr Frances Baldwin - OrgDev Episode 80

    We'd love to hear from you so send us a message! What separates good OD practice from great OD practice – skill, strategy, or self-awareness? You can have the tools. The models. The frameworks. But what really shapes your impact as an OD practitioner? According to Dr Frances Baldwin, it’s not what you do – it’s who you are. Frances has been shaping the field of Organisation Development for more than five decades. Yet when you ask her what truly makes a difference in this work, she doesn’t start with methods or models. She talks about presence. About congruence. About the quality of the inner condition we bring to our practice. After fifty years of working across industries and continents, Frances is clear: it’s your presence, purpose and self-awareness that enable trust, unlock change and create real impact. In this episode, she brings depth, wisdom and a lifetime of embodied OD practice to the conversation – reminding us that development always begins with who we are. Wish you had a handy recap of the episode? So did we. That’s why each week in our Next Step to Better newsletter, we’re sharing From Pod to Practice – a 2-page visual summary of each episode designed to help you take the learning from the podcast and into your work. You’ll get: ■ Key insights from the episode ■ A reflection prompt ■ A suggested action Sign up now to get From Pod to Practice delivered to your inbox each week: https://distinction.live/keep-in-touch/ About Us We’re Dani and Garin – Organisation Development (OD) practitioners who help leaders and people professionals tackle the messiness of organisational life. We focus on building leadership capability, strengthening team effectiveness, and designing practical, systemic development programmes that help you deliver on your team and organisational goals. We also offer coaching to support individual growth and change. Find out more at www.distinction.live We'd love to connect with you on Linked In: linkedin.com/in/danibacon478 https://www.linkedin.com/in/garinrouch

    1h 9m

About

The Org Dev podcast is all about Organisational Development, a practice that has the power to transform organisations, shape cultures, and empower individuals. Yet, it's often shrouded in mystery and misunderstood. But fear not, because on this podcast, we pull back the curtain to reveal the inner workings of Organisation Development. We demystify the concepts, unravel the strategies, and delve into the real-life experiences of professionals who are driving real and significant change and innovation within organisations.

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