The purpose of this dictionary:
We began capturing the words and phrases you will discover below because words matter. We realized we did not always have a shared understanding of the concepts we were talking to each other about. Out of that realization, came the need for some definitions. This list is not meant to be all inclusive either. We are sure you will look for and not find something you think important. We did not intentionally exclude anything, and we have not pretended to think of everything. So if something is missing, let’s add it!  It is intended to be a living resource.

As you know, definitions are imprecise and often open to interpretation. So this lexicon serves two purposes: Generate a repository of words, phrases, and concepts core to organization design and start a conversation regarding what do we mean exactly by these words we bandy about.

The definitions are not a consensus amongst us, but rather a starting place for common understanding and insights. The definitions are sometimes quotes from others, sometimes our feeble attempt to say what we think we mean, and always a springboard for deeper understanding.

The list grows some each day, as we talk and explore. In some cases, it is just the word and we need to come back to what do we mean by it! There are so many ideas, there is so much “jargon,” and words and concepts matter. We use American English as a convention and English is a ‘sloppy’ language (many words for the same things, many words with multiple meanings). To align and ensure we are talking about the same thing, that we have the same mental constructs, it is important to have a dictionary.

So here is ours. Enjoy!

On behalf of our ODF colleagues – Paul Tolchinsky, Stu Winby, Peter Sorenson, Jagoda Perich-Anderson