OCL Group: Who We Are

> Raj Chawla

> Mikaela Seligman

> Mark Addleson

MARK ADDLESON
Principal, The OCL Group

I co-founded The OCL (Organizational Coaching and Leadership) Group in 2006. OCL helps leaders navigate complex change by moving from new thinking to breakthrough results. There are three pieces to my professional life: teacher, writer-researcher, and consultant. Connecting all three is my deep interest in how organizations work and in different ways of approaching change. I help people to see both the need for and possibilities for change and to develop cooperative work practices, with an emphasis on commitment and accountability.

I was intimately involved in the transformational change -- personal and organizational as well as social -- in South Africa during the 1980s and 90s. Parts of what happened there were unique but it was also part of a broader change process. I know that when people are open to new possibilities those can become reality. My colleagues and I appreciate that there is a need for

From his original proposal to the final report, Mark Addleson represented the core values of the OCL Group and remained a consummate professional. He provided a careful assessment of Christian Communities Group Home's management structure and made researched suggestions that will undoubtedly strengthen the organization's programs. Not only did his keen insight and probing questions illuminate working solutions, but Dr. Addleson paid careful attention to the needs of a small organization such as ours. CCGH staff has and will continue to reference his work as it looks toward the future.
James McSpadden,
Director
Christian Communities
Group Homes

deep change in organizations: this isn't something that people can choose. They can, however, influence what they do it and whether they will be effective.

As the beliefs and values that influence how we manage and lead are largely hidden, we have to first see them and see the new possibilities before we can commit to change. I've spent a lot of time uncovering those beliefs, understanding the breakdowns, and developing ways of changing conventional patterns of action. To be good at our work today we have to use our creativity to the fullest. Managers and leaders have to take bold steps to bring their organizations into an era of knowledge work and into a complex, dynamic environment. I want to help you to do that.

Besides my consulting work, I'm an Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy at George Mason University. I have my Bachelors, Honors, and Masters Degrees in Economics and a PhD from the Graduate School of Business, University of the Witwatersrand.

In the course of my career, I have published a substantial number of articles and written a few books. I specialize in organizational change, knowledge management, and the use of technologies to support knowledge sharing and communities of practice. My consulting experience ranges from management development to regional development and includes large-scale privatization initiatives. I have been involved in integrating the treatment of women prisoners with co-occurring disorders (emphasizing collaboration among treatment providers) and developed new approaches to leadership, learning, and problem-solving in organizations.

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