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The article outlines Asia OD Network's (AODNs) contribution to preparing the OD scholarpractitioners in the Asian region. The first part of the article gives an account of the advanced OD programs and their academic features offered by higher education institutions in Thailand, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Myanmar. Workplace changes, market dynamics, technology, and employee demographics pose multiple challenges for Asian organizations, and the next part of the article briefly focuses on the significant OD practitioner activities. Lastly, the article narrates the perspectives and practices that emerged during the 'conversation circle.'at the OD conference, EVOLVE 21, for developing human capacities to prepare future-ready organizations. These include the major collaborative change activities initiated by organizations on diversity and inclusion, leadership development, the role of OD professionals in revitalizing communities, and how the East and West can learn from each other in preparing the next generation of scholars-practitioners in Asia.
I still remember one day in 2000 I asked my professor why leaders needed to learn OD. Professor Peter Sorensen replied: "Some people forgot what they learned, and they need to relearn when they are in the lead roles." He continued to tell me that "You are an OD seed to be rooted in Asia." Now I am in the leadership role, and reflecting on what Professor Sorensen said to me two decades ago, I realize his self-fulfilling prophecy profoundly affects me; his answers were his vision on me. - Leehsing Lu
It has been more than 20 years since I co-authored the book Organizational Behavior, published in Taiwan. The book has been adopted by several universities there as a foundational textbook. I was invited to deliver an opening remark on "Embracing and Cultivating Humility" at the Asia Organization Development Network (AODN) Summit in Shanghai, China, in 2016. There were five tracks scheduled for the Summit's afternoon session- developing Leadership in Asia, exploring the dynamics of change in organizations, community, and society; transforming organizations in Asia, building on diversity, respecting culture, and creating a new OD in Asia. I acknowledged that these are the most prominent issues in OD in Asia. It is time for us to take on humanistic and whole systems approaches to cultivate and prepare the next generation of OD scholar-practitioners in...