OpenSourceOD
OpenSourceOD
Dr. William Brendel
With 25+ years of global consulting experience, Bill has facilitated organizational strategy and culture transformation in organizations across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. His approach combines his rich consulting background (1) with empirical research (2) , including frameworks and practices that have helped leaders and teams cultivate deeper presence and purpose in service to successful change efforts, employee engagement, retention, innovation, strategic performance, and well-being.
While earning his doctorate in Adult Learning & Leadership from Columbia University, Bill served as a Strategic Planning Manager at Panasonic Corporation, where for over seven years he utilized OD methodologies to produce measurable improvements to operational efficiency and strategic innovation. During this time, Bill's research provided deep insight about the transformative role of presence (mindfulness) and purpose (meaning) in organizational life. Bill's earliest work at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York illustrated the way nurses facilitate meaningful care by exploring existential aspects of narratives with hospice patients (3) . During this time he also conducted research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, studying the measurable impact of Meaning Centered Therapy on end-stage cancer patients. During these early years he was also an internal OD consultant at New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he facilitated numerous successful patient-centered transformation efforts.
In an effort to help leaders recognize and embody a deeper sense of purpose at work, Bill's consulting role was complemented by his groundbreaking research in the space of mindful leadership development, where he published the first empirical study to demonstrate correlations between mindfulness and modern leadership traits, including creativity, resilience, and tolerance for ambiguity (4). Through a combination of his research and practice, Bill's signature contribution to the field of OD is a paradigm called Conscious OD, including practices and frameworks that help leaders navigate adaptive challenges and create leaps in the value of their organization by suspending ego and expertise, which are shown to hinder inclusion and innovation respectively (5). In large part, due to this work and the establishment of OpenSourceOD, a website that democratizes OD knowledge and skills through assessments, simulations, and practice resources (6), Bill won the OD Network's 2021 Lisa Kimball Evolving the Field of OD Award.
Bill is also the creator of the first and only validated OD competency measure (7), called The MOST Assessment (Mastering Organizational & Societal Transformation), which helps emerging OD practitioners identify meaningful career paths that align with their intrinsic values and strengths. Based on an extensive two year study of OD careers, competencies, and characteristics, his comparative analysis of the field titled Charting a Meaningful OD Career (8) earned him the OD Review 2023 Article of the Year Award. The MOST is now utilized by the OD Network each year in its Global Competency Framework training, as well as numerous graduate OD programs, and by local OD networks. It is also included in a widely textbook on OD titled Organization Development: The Process of Leading Organizational Change (9). Bill was also the lead editor on a key text utilized by OD enthusiasts titled History & Evolution of Organization Development (10) adopted by the OD Network in their OD Essentials series.
At the 2024 Academy of Management Conference, Bill was presented with the 2024 Article of the Year Award for Ways of Being: Assessing Presence & Purpose at Work (11), published in the Journal of Management Spirituality & Religion. This article describes how Bill and his colleagues psychometrically validated the Presence & Purpose Inventory. Renamed The Headspace Assessment, this free online assessment provides a customized report with insights that help employees recognize patterns, strengths, and areas for growth. This self-awareness can lead to enhanced interactions, better decision-making, and a more fulfilling professional life (12) .
Bill's most recent innovations include the Use of Self GPT, an AI app designed to help leaders and facilitators deepen self-awareness and effectively apply their core values in service of positive change. Trained extensively in Use of Self Research and practice, this GPT helps learners recognize and overcome the self-talk, worries, and triggers that hinder their ability to act in alignment with their values. It supports reflection on real-life scenarios and offers strategies to embody your values effectively. Bill also recently developed the The Open Assessment, which draws upon recent behavioral science research to uncover critical group dynamics, leadership practices, team learning processes, and organizational design characteristics that contribute to psychological safety and open organizational engagement.
Finally, Bill is the creator of OD Immersives, collaborative video simulations that bring real OD case studies to life. Inspired by real consulting cases, participants get to walk in the shoes of consultants, learning the art of OD practice from the inside-out. Developed with the help of OD luminaries like Ed Schein, Peter Block, Frances Baldwin, Tonya Wilson, Peter Vaill, Dave Jamieson, and more, each simulation is designed to help OD practitioners and HRBPs facilitate change by delving into their own interiority, embracing reflection in action, navigating paradox, and confronting cognitive dissonance and adaptive challenges. In part, OD Immersives helped Bill earn the OD Network's 2024 Larry Porter Communicating OD Knowledge Award.
In addition to consulting with organizations on large and small scale change efforts, and developing shared innovations through OpenSourceOD, Bill currently serves as an adjunct professor at Penn State University, where he teaches Appreciative Inquiry. Bill has also served as a trustee on the OD Network Board and Chair of the OD Education Association.
Consulting
Bill makes consulting engagements easy by helping clients diagnose, discuss, and address their specific needs. Depending on the scope of work, he may play one or more of the following roles to ensure a successful engagement.
Facilitating the Development of a High-Quality Strategic Plan
Bill can help you develop a high-quality and widely understood strategic plan, which integrates drivers of innovation across your organization’s existing structures, systems, culture, talent, management practices, and leadership behaviors.
Harnessing Employee Motivation, Ideas, and Consensus
Bill can also help you systematically inspire your employees and gain critical buy-in by involving them in the process and dovetailing with your organization’s existing strategic initiatives and projects. Organization Development (OD) is a systematic, consultative approach that helps organizations develop and align structures, systems, culture, and talent for increased performance, marked by innovation, agility, and employee engagement. OD values participation, choice, openness, and learning.
Applying Cutting Edge Frameworks & Tools
Bill continues to develop a wide array of frameworks and tools, and has an entire constellation of tested approaches to organizational change and can flexibly apply the right ones at the right times. This makes it possible to expedite innovation, remove hurdles, develop efficiencies, and cultivate engagement. Some of the more exciting indicators of success that clients enjoy - before the strategic plan is ready to launch - include the ability to:
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Attract, retain, and develop employees with innovative and inclusive competencies
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Develop leaders who model, support, and inspire creativity amongst employees
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Stimulate and reward breakthrough solutions to internal processes and external services
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Keep your stakeholders pleasantly surprised!
Client Case Studies
Publications
Brendel, W. (2022). Charting a Meaningful OD Career: A Novel Framework and Assessment for Aspiring Practitioners. OD Review. 54(4).
Brendel, W., Risch, T., Sadique, F., & Jamiesion, D (2022). OD Essentials Volume 1: History & Evolution of OD. OD Network Incorporated.
Shufitinsky, A., Brendel, W., Matthews, T. (2022). In Need of Evidence: A Call for Organization Development Research. OD Review. 54(4).
Brendel, W., Byun, S., & Park, M. (2022). Ways of Being: Assessing presence and purpose at work. Journal of Management Spirituality & Religion.
Brendel, W. (2022). Conscious Organization Development: A distinctly mindful theory and practice. Organization Development Journal. 40(3).
Brendel, W., Arman, F., & Farzam, L. (2022). Beyond Talk: Developing consciousness for genuine inclusion. Organization Development Review. 54(2).
Brendel, W. (2022). Chapter 1: Transformative Learning. In Rothwell, W., Campbell, J., & Ealy, P. (Eds.), Building Effective Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs: Transforming Organizational Culture Using Change Management. Routledge.
Brendel, W. (2022). Introduction & Overview. In Rothwell, W., Campbell, J., & Ealy, P. (Eds.), Building Effective Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs: Transforming Organizational Culture Using Change Management. Routledge.
Brendel, W. (2022). Learning to Navigate Challenges to Humanity through Virtual Reality OD Simulations. OD Network Conference. Orlando Florida.
Brendel, W., Samarin, I., & Sadique, F. (2021). Open-Source OD: a platform for creating mindful applications. Organization Development Review. 53(5).
Brendel, W., & Hankerson, S. (2021). Hear no Evil? Investigating Relationships between Mindfulness and Moral Disengagement at Work. Ethics & Behavior. doi: 10.1080/10508422.2021.1958331
Gunnlaugson, O., & Brendel (2021). Advances in Presencing Volume III. Trifoss Business Press. Vancouver.
Brendel, W., Samarin, I., Sadique, F. (2021). Introducing SERA: An Open-Source Code for Developing Innovation and Inclusion Programs and Interventions. Academy of Human Resource Development Virtual Conference. February 17 – 19.
Gunnlaugson, O., & Brendel (2020). Advances in Presencing Volume II. Trifoss Business Press. Vancouver.
Gunnlaugson, O., & Brendel (2019). Advances in Presencing Volume I. Trifoss Business Press. Vancouver.
Brendel, W. (2019). Catching up with Otto Scharmer and Adam Yukelson. In Gunnlaugson, O., & Brendel, W. (Eds.), Advances in Presencing Volume I. Trifoss Business Press. Vancouver.
Brendel, W. (2019). Beyond the Prism: What ancient wisdom traditions offer facilitators and participants of the presencing process. In Gunnlaugson, O., & Brendel, W. (Eds.), Advances in Presencing Volume I. Trifoss Business Press. Vancouver.
Brendel, W., & Cornett-Murtada, V. (2019). Professors Practicing Mindfulness: An Action Research Study on Transformed Teaching, Research, and Service. Journal of Transformative Education, 17(1), 4–23. doi:10.1177/1541344618762535
Brendel, W., Hankerson, S., Byun, S., Cunningham, B. (2016). Cultivating leadership dharma: measuring the impact of mindfulness practice on creativity, resilience, tolerance for ambiguity, anxiety, and stress. Journal of Management Development, 35(8)
Brendel, W. & Chou, C. (2016). Transforming Organizational Change through Collaborative Digital Storytelling. Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange, 9(1), 13-26.
Brendel, W. (2016). Mindfulness based consulting. In Jamieson, D., Buono, A. & Barnett, R. (Eds.), Consultation for Organizational Change Revisited, Vol II. IAP Publishers. Research in Management Consulting and Contemporary Trends in Organization Development and Change Series.
Brendel, W., & Bennett, C. (2016). Learning to Embody Leadership through Mindfulness and Somatics Practice. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 1523422316646068.
Brendel, W. & Bennet, C. (2016). Embodied Leadership Development: Transforming Leadership through Mindfulness and Somatic Practices. Academy of Human Resource Development Conference. Jacksonville, FL.
Brendel, W. (2014). Awareness and the Absentminded Professor. 11th Annual Transformative Learning Conference, New York, New York. October.
Brendel, W. (2014). The Mindful Organization: Transforming Organizational Leadership and Culture through Mindfulness Practice. Organization Development Network Conference. Philadelphia, PA. October
Brendel, W. & Chou, C. (2013). Transformative Digital Storytelling facilitating Organizational Change. MN Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development, MN.
Brendel, W. (2012). What the Terminally Ill can teach us about Existential Dimensions of Transformative Learning. 10th Annual Transformative Learning Conference, San Francisco.
Brendel, W. (2009). Narrative-driven transformative learning among hospice patients. Eighth Annual Transformative Learning Conference, Hamilton Bermuda.
Brendel, W. (2009). Exploring a framework for narrative driven transformations in medicine. Journal of Transformative Education, Volume 7.
Poppito, S., Prosper, T., Brendel, W., Moreno-Milan, B., Garcia, C., Galek, K., Breitbart, W. (2009) Therapeutic Bridges to Meaning: An existential qualitative analysis of the co-creation of meaning in Individual Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy. Abstracts of the 11th World Congress of the international Psycho-Oncology Society. Vienna, Austria - June 21-25.
Poppito, S., Prosper, T., Brendel, W., Galek, K., Moreno-Milan, B., Breitbart, W. (2008, November) tracking the leading edge of meaning in advanced cancer: An existential-developmental qualitative analysis of Individual Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy session transcripts. ANTEA Worldwide Palliative Care Conference, presented in Rome, Italy.
Brendel, W., and DasGupta, S. (2007). Transformative medicine: A dialogue between transformative learning and narrative medicine. 7th Annual Transformative Learning Conference, University of New Mexico, presented in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Brendel, W. (2007). Pedagogy of the terminally ill: Exploring meaning making among hospice patients through transformative learning theory. 7th Annual Transformative Learning Conference, University of New Mexico, presented in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Brendel, W. (2006). On transformative learning and end-of-life discussions. 6th Annual Transformative Learning Conference, Michigan State University, presented in Lansing, Michigan.
Brendel, W. (2006). Critically reflective narrative for the dying. Narrative Matters Conference, presented in Halifax, Nova Scotia.