Engage with one another, develop knowledge and skills, share expertise, and contribute to our community.

DC Area OD Practitioners CoP

Description:
The DC Area OD Practitioners CoP provides a supportive and learning community for new and experienced practitioners, both internal and external.

Our mission and vision is to:
● Provide an opportunity for people to learn from the presenters and their colleagues.
● Share successes and challenges in working with clients.
● Enhance participants’ competence and confidence in their OD work.

Meeting Frequency:
First Thursday of the month, September through June.

Leader: Mark Sachs
email: admin@cbodn.org

Mark Sachs has been an external OD consultant and executive coach for more than 15 years and he works with clients in the areas of organizational diagnosis, managing change, teamwork, and boundary management. He holds a Masters degree in Organization Development from the American University/NTL Institute Program, and BA and MA degrees in Sociology from Rutgers University. Mark is an International Coaching Federation, Professional Certified Coach (PCC).

Upcoming events

    • 05 Mar 2026
    • 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    • Zoom
    Register

    Reigniting the Workforce: Root Causes and Actionable Strategies for Employee Engagement

    Facing unprecedented dips in employee engagement, organizations are struggling with decreased productivity, high turnover, and significant bottom-line challenges. Engagement is a multifaceted issue.

    This session moves beyond the symptoms to explore the critical root causes: Psychological Safety, Shared Accountability, and Communication Barriers.

    You will leave with simple, yet powerful activities designed to catalyze honest conversation, dismantle barriers, and foster a more inclusive, high-performing culture where both employees and leaders are motivated for success.

    Presenter: Alex Suchman

    Alex Suchman is the CEO and co-founder of Barometer XP, whose mission is to create cultures where people are excited about their work because they feel a strong sense of purpose and belonging. She was a finalist for the Metro DC ATD Award for Excellence in Innovative Learning, has been featured in Forbes and in Kaizen Made Easy’s Top 9 Leadership Conversations, and is a sought-after speaker and thought leader on using play as a tool for organizational effectiveness and employee success.



    • 02 Apr 2026
    • 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    • Zoom
    Register

    Building High-Performing Teams in the Age of AI

    Don't miss this practical, human-centered workshop for leaders navigating complexity!

    As AI reshapes how work gets done, many teams are moving faster—but not always smarter. Tools are improving, yet collaboration, trust, and clarity often lag behind. The real challenge isn’t choosing between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence—it’s learning how to integrate both to build teams that adapt, perform, and thrive.

    This interactive 90-minute, co-facilitated workshop equips leaders and team members with a shared language and practical tools for building high-performing, adaptive teams in an AI-enabled workplace. Participants will explore what truly makes teams effective, where AI can strengthen performance, and where human judgment, relationships, and leadership remain essential.

    Through guided discussion, hands-on experimentation, and real-world application, participants will:

    • Co-create a common vocabulary around the core elements of effective teams
    • Examine how those elements show up (or break down) in workplace dynamics
    • Explore the benefits and pitfalls of AI vs. Human Intelligence (HI) in adaptive teams
    • Experiment with the ATPD Team Assessment Tool to surface strengths, gaps, and opportunities
    • Leave with clear, actionable steps to strengthen team performance

    This session goes beyond theory. It creates space for honest reflection, shared insight, and forward-moving decisions—helping teams align around what matters most while navigating change with clarity and confidence.

    Whether your teams are just beginning to integrate AI or are already feeling its impact, this workshop offers a grounded, human-first approach to building teams that don’t just keep up—but perform at their best.

    Presenters — Marc Stoecker and Shoba Chandran

    Marc is an ICF-accredited coach (ACC), certified Co-Active coach, and Positive Intelligence® practitioner with over 20 years of experience in learning and development and adult education. He is the founder of Prism of Purpose Coaching & Training, where he designs and facilitates soft-skill and technical-skill experiences that help individuals and teams build resilience, clarity, and purpose during times of change.

    Marc’s work blends evidence-based coaching, experiential learning, and embodied practices to create spaces where people can think clearly, reconnect with their worth, and take meaningful action. He supports professionals across corporate, nonprofit, government, and association settings throughout the United States.

    Shoba is a Certified Master Facilitator® (INIFAC), Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, Scrum Master and CTI trained coach; with over 20 years’ worth of experience in the organizational and learning and development fields. She founded Innovation Matrix LLC, specializing in strategy retreats, work-planning, and leadership development.

    Her facilitated workshops create a safe, structured space for tough conversations and clear decisions; teams leave aligned on priorities with owners, timelines, and next steps. She also designs engaging adult-learning programs with real work application and feedback. She co-authored Collaboration by Design, a practical field manual on planning and leading effective workshops. Shoba has worked across Asia Pacific and the United States, serving commercial, government, and nonprofit organizations.

    • 07 May 2026
    • 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    • Zoom
    Register

    Explore A Self-Managing Organization (SMO)

    Many organizations today feel the strain of hierarchy—slow decisions, overwhelmed managers, stifled innovation, and talented people who disengage because the system leaves little room to lead. Self-managing organizations (SMO) offer a proven alternative, showing that more adaptive and human-centered structures can outperform traditional models.

    Yet many leaders remain unaware that these approaches are already succeeding at scale. This interactive discussion is a session that introduces the core principles and evidence behind SMOs, translating research into practical insight for business and association audiences. The goal is simple: to spark informed curiosity and open a doorway to more resilient, participatory ways of working.

    Deanna Doan will share her in depth research in this area and offer lessons learned from the experience in standing up this type of organization and tips on how to make it work.

    Presenter — Deanna Doan

    Deanna is an enabling partner and co-founder of Eleccion LLC. She has more than 20 years of consulting and leadership experience across government and commercial markets, with expertise in designing and implementing highly decentralized organizations. Prior to founding Eleccion, she was vice president at Allegheny Science & Technology, managing a diverse portfolio of programs across the Intelligence and DoD markets. Prior roles include advising senior intelligence community leaders on strategy and improvement initiatives.

    Deanna holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Virginia Tech, a master’s degree in Operations Research from George Mason University, and is currently a doctoral student at Virginia Tech where her research focuses on decentralized organizational structures. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Lean Six Sigma green belt.

Past events

05 Feb 2026 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Revealing and Transforming Invisible Dynamics with Organizational Constellations
08 Jan 2026 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Understanding the Consultant’s Role Working with Organizational Anxiety
04 Dec 2025 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Battling Burnout? Start with Awareness
06 Nov 2025 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Understanding the Consultant’s Role Working with Organizational Anxiety
02 Oct 2025 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Strike the Right Chord: The Six Essential “Notes” of Leadership
04 Sep 2025 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Unlock the Power of the Body in Organizational Change
05 Jun 2025 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Setting Effective Boundaries and Limits With Ourselves and Others
01 May 2025 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Change Adoption – Tempest in a Teacup or Maelstrom In The Open Sea
03 Apr 2025 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - OD In The Public Sector
06 Mar 2025 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Negotiate With Less Stress And More Success!
06 Feb 2025 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Why Your Worth Worry is Worthless
09 Jan 2025 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Building Bridges In An Organization: What Can Allies Do? How To Make A Difference Together
05 Dec 2024 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - I Bet My Holiday Cultural Tradition Is Stranger Than Yours
07 Nov 2024 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Working With God: The Ten Modes of Elevated Leadership
03 Oct 2024 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - The Human Element
05 Sep 2024 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Change vs Transformation: What's the Difference? Why You Should Know.
06 Jun 2024 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Unlocking Organizational Growth: A Practical Approach to Demonstrating Impact. Enhancing Client Perceptions of How Our Work Drives Profitability and Success
02 May 2024 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Is Future Search In Your (Or Your Client’s) Future?
04 Apr 2024 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - The Business Of OD: Learning From Each Other
07 Mar 2024 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Unlocking Human Potential: Redesigning Work with Generative AI
01 Feb 2024 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - How To Revamp A Meeting!
04 Jan 2024 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Action Planning: The First Step in Operationalizing A Strategic Plan
07 Dec 2023 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Collaborative Communication Workshop
02 Nov 2023 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Lewinian Social Science and Racism
05 Oct 2023 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Above the Line: Effective Thinking for Today's Workplace Challenges
07 Sep 2023 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: How Identifying and Leveraging Our Strengths Leads to More Self-Awareness and Engagement With Others
01 Jun 2023 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Professional Presence: Showing Up When We're Distracted, Exhausted, and Uncertain Ourselves
04 May 2023 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Don't Just Have the Soup: How Analogies Support Coaching and Leadership
06 Apr 2023 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Exploring How Discomfort Can Benefit Your OD Work & Coaching
02 Mar 2023 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: How Do Coincidences Show Up In Our Work?
02 Feb 2023 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: The Science of Exclusion
05 Jan 2023 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Do Your Organizational Values Help or Hurt?
01 Dec 2022 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Putting the Poetry in Professional Development
03 Nov 2022 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Write A Bestselling Book - LIVE Masterclass
06 Oct 2022 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Stress Management and Self-Care for OD Professionals
08 Sep 2022 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Learning Lab Clinic - Sharing and Learning About Sticky Client Issues
09 Jun 2022 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: What If We Loved Conflict?: How Deep Democracy Invites Healthy Conflict At Work
05 May 2022 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Feeling Not Enough and Yet Longing to Be Seen. How Does That Work for You?
07 Apr 2022 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Having More Courage to Set Better Boundaries
03 Mar 2022 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Leading Virtual Teams
03 Feb 2022 CANCELLED: DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Inclusive Facilitation for White Professionals: Bringing Your Best Self to Your Work
06 Jan 2022 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP: Epic Failure – Colossal Learning
02 Dec 2021 Becoming More Brave in Our Work as Change Agents
04 Nov 2021 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Planning Hybrid Meetings for Facilitators
07 Oct 2021 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "How to Create Digital Wellness in the Hybrid Workplace"
02 Sep 2021 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "8 Steps to Consensus in Meetings"
03 Jun 2021 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Reframing Teambuilding Using Art Materials and Creative Processes"
06 May 2021 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Navigating Messy Conversations: Ways to Cross the Divide"
01 Apr 2021 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "DRiV – Learn What Drives and What Drains You"
04 Mar 2021 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Hit Refresh: How to Tune Up Your Online Presence for the Work You Want in 2021"
04 Feb 2021 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "What Is “Gestalt” and How Might It Advance Your OD Practice?"
07 Jan 2021 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Looking for an OD Job? Need to Find OD Practitioners? OrgDevJobs Can Help!"
03 Dec 2020 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "No Need To Panic...OD Is Here: Crisis Management Through An OD Lens"
05 Nov 2020 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "The Role of Our Bodies in Our OD and Coaching Work"
01 Oct 2020 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "How to Conquer Technology Distraction and Burnout: Be More Present for Yourself and The Organizations You Serve"
03 Sep 2020 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Technology and the Future of Work"
04 Jun 2020 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Starter Kit: Essential Steps to Starting Your Consulting Business"
07 May 2020 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "From the Stage to the Organization: Applying Improv Principles as an OD Practitioner"
02 Apr 2020 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Embodied Business: Bringing Body Awareness Into Our OD Work"
05 Mar 2020 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Getting Past Negativity in the Workplace"
06 Feb 2020 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Facilitating Change from the Inside Out: A Systems Approach to Improving Performance at the Individual and Organizational Levels"
09 Jan 2020 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Strengths, Values and Story-Types Exploration for the Intersection of OD and Coaching"
05 Dec 2019 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Working with Difficult Client Situations and Ones that Were Easy"
07 Nov 2019 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Peer Learning Circles: A Simple Yet Powerful Tool for Building Trust and Supporting Change"
03 Oct 2019 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Resilient Leadership - Approaches and Tools"
05 Sep 2019 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "The Creative Force of Resistance - a Gestalt Perspective for OD Practitioners"
06 Jun 2019 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "How to Help Your Clients Create Extraordinary Outcomes"
02 May 2019 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Non-Violent Communication (NVC): A Framework for Navigating Conflict and Discovering Alignment"
04 Apr 2019 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Coaching and Organizational Development: What Is the Relationship?"
07 Mar 2019 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "You've Hired a Graphic Recorder, Now What? The Why, What, How, and When of Partnering with a Graphic Recorder"
07 Feb 2019 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "The Brain and Body Connection to Behavior, Connection, and Change"
06 Dec 2018 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Getting What You Want: Setting and Maintaining Boundaries with Others"
01 Nov 2018 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Time to Expand Our OD Discipline? Here Comes Knowledge Management and Conversational Leadership!"
04 Oct 2018 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Working with Difficult Client Situations"
06 Sep 2018 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Increase Internal Capacity - Build Peer Coaching and Learning Skills"
07 Jun 2018 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Resilient Leaders Build Resilient Organizations"
03 May 2018 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Storytelling: A Powerful Tool for Professional Success and Personal Fulfillment"
05 Apr 2018 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "What It’s Like To Do International OD Work"
01 Mar 2018 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Objectifying Trust: Seven Key Considerations"
01 Feb 2018 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Moving Dialogues: A Movement-Based Methodology"
04 Jan 2018 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Can Mindfulness Practices Enhance Your Use-of-Self?"
14 Dec 2017 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Having Fun Learning: Team Development Games That for Some Reason Work Around the World – Part II"
05 Oct 2017 DC Area OD Practitioners Community of Practice - A New Look at Use of Self
07 Sep 2017 DC Area OD Practitioners Community of Practice - An Appreciative Approach for Thriving through Conflict
01 Jun 2017 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Having Fun Learning: Team Development Games That for Some Reason Work Around the World
04 May 2017 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - Neurology for OD Practitioners
06 Apr 2017 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "So, Are You Interested in Becoming an External OD Practitioner?"
02 Mar 2017 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - The Focused Conversation Method - Reclaiming Conversations in Diverse Stakeholder Groups
02 Feb 2017 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "How to Be a Better Collaborator"
05 Jan 2017 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Food for Thought"
01 Dec 2016 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "External OD Consulting - Managing Work and Career Uncertainties"
03 Nov 2016 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Journey Management Workshop..."
06 Oct 2016 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Your Development..."
01 Sep 2016 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "From Science to Practice..."
02 Jun 2016 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Doing the OD Tango"
05 May 2016 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "The Five (Simple) Practices of Exemplary Leadership"
07 Apr 2016 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "What Happens After You Leave?"
03 Mar 2016 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Crafting a Partnership that Works"
04 Feb 2016 DC Area OD Practitioners CoP - "Using Simulated Experience to Develop Managers"
07 Jan 2016 New OD Practitioner's CoP - "Case Study of a New Performance Feedback Program"
03 Dec 2015 New OD Practitioners CoP - "Three Inextricable Links Between Leadership & Organizational Development"
05 Nov 2015 New OD Practitioners CoP - "Aspects of Life"
01 Oct 2015 New OD Practitioners CoP - "Design Thinking"
03 Sep 2015 New OD Practitioners CoP - "Deliver Workshops That Bring In Clients"
04 Jun 2015 New OD Practitioners CoP - "Swimming in Symbolism: Using Imagery as a Change Tool"
07 May 2015 New OD Practitioners CoP - "Powerfully Agile Thinking"
02 Apr 2015 New OD Practitioners CoP - "Setting and Maintaining Boundaries with Others"
05 Mar 2015 New OD Practitioners CoP - "Design Thinking"-CANCELLED
05 Feb 2015 New OD Practitioners CoP - "Building Your OD Reputation One Piece At a Time"
08 Jan 2015 New OD Practitioners SIG - "Ethical Dilemmas for OD Practitioners"
04 Dec 2014 New OD Practitioners SIG - "Constellations - A Sea Change in Change Methodologies"
06 Nov 2014 Cancelled: New OD Practitioners SIG - "Design Thinking"
02 Oct 2014 New OD Practitioners SIG - "The Case for OD Partnership During Executive Transitions"
04 Sep 2014 New OD Practitioners SIG - "Action Learning for Leadership Development"
05 Jun 2014 New OD Practitioners SIG - "Navigating Personal and Professional Change with Robust Support Systems"
03 Apr 2014 New OD Practitioners SIG - "What Leads to Success!"
06 Mar 2014 New OD Practitioners SIG - "The Metrics of Any Organizational Performance"
02 Jan 2014 New OD Practitioners SIG - "How to Help Leaders and Organizations Get Unstuck Using Hersey & Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model"
05 Dec 2013 New OD Practitioners SIG - "Your Brand As an OD Practitioner"

Who We Are

Chesapeake Bay Organization Development Network (CBODN) is the premier DC Metro area network for organization development (OD) practitioners. Founded in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, our name pays homage to those elders who made vital contributions to the field of OD.

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  • 1455 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20004
  • (202) 630-6663
  • admin@cbodn.org
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