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UNBOXING OD: Exploring the Work Behind the Work
Unboxing OD is your guide to making sense of Organizational Development - one thoughtful conversation at a time. Hosted by Kenneth Pearson, seasoned OD practitioner and author of The Flow of Five Tiers, this podcast unpacks the complexity of organizational life with clarity, compassion, and a bit of edge.
Whether you're an early-career OD professional, a leader trying to navigate change, or simply someone who believes workplaces can be more human, you'll find grounded insights and actionable takeaways here. While most episodes are solo deep dives into the fieldwork and philosophy behind OD, we also feature voices from the field, bringing in experts, newcomers, and those who challenge the status quo.
No jargon. No endless theory. Just practical wisdom, lived experience, and a steady focus on making organizations better for the people who keep them alive.
Ready to deepen your OD practice? Connect with Kenneth on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/unboxing-od-podcast or visit the Pearson & Pearson LLC website at www.pearsonpearson.llc.
Episodes
36 episodes
Episode 36: Creating Joyful Workplaces - Curiosity, Learning, and Growth with Yolanda Fraction
Sometimes, the path into Organizational Development begins with a single moment. A moment where someone recognizes potential and opens the door to something more.In this episode of Unboxing OD, Kenneth Pearson sits down with Yol...
Episode 35: Strategy, Systems, and Succession - Inside STL-ODN's Growth Story
What happens when Organizational Development Professionals apply their own principles to their own organization? In this episode of Unboxing OD, Kenneth Pearson sits down with members of the executive team from the St. Loui...
Episode 34: Making Change Human Again - A Conversation with Dr. Jason Guttadauria
What actually happens after the survey closes, the insights are delivered, and the change initiative officially “launches”?In this episode of Unboxing OD, Kenneth Pearson sits down with Dr. Jason Guttadauria, founder of J...
Episode 33: The Recruitment System is Broken - Now What?
Applying for a job shouldn’t feel like shouting into a void. Yet for many candidates today, the recruitment process is defined by silence, redundancy, rigid requirements, and being ghosted after investing real time and effort. Organizations cla...
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Episode 32: The OD Perspective on Wellness - A Conversation with Dr. Katina Sawyer
In this episode of Unboxing OD, Kenneth Pearson is joined by Dr. Katina Sawyer, co-founder of Workr Beeing, Associate Professor of Management and Organizations at the Eller College of Management, and co-author of <...
Episode 31: Pop Culture, Real Lessons - Teaching Leadership with Dr. Sy Islam
In this episode of Unboxing OD, host Kenneth Pearson sits down with Dr. Sy Islam - Co-Founder and Vice President of Consulting at Talent Metrics, and Associate Professor of Psychology at Farmingdale State College - to exp...
Episode 30: Hustling With Heart - Jenn Stevens on Presence, Ownership, and Developing Leaders from Any Seat
In this episode of Unboxing OD, I sit down with Jenn Stevens, an Organizational Development leader whose path into this work is anything but conventional. From firefighter to yoga studio owner to executive coach and L&D lead...
Episode 29: Strategic Clarity, Leadership, and AI - Marcus Dudley on Modern Leadership in the Digital Age
In this episode of Unboxing OD, Kenneth Pearson is joined by Marcus Dudley, leadership and organizational consultant, executive coach, professor, and CEO of Mammoth Leadership and Organizational Development. With over three decades of ...
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Episode 28: The Invisible Medal - Leading with a Higher Purpose with Chris Richie
In this episode of Unboxing OD, Kenneth Pearson sits down with Colonel Chris Ritchie, retired United States Marine Corps officer and Director of Human Resource Development at Auburn University. Across his career, Chris has led organiza...
Episode 27: Unspoken Truths, Quiet Legacies - Five Reflections on Work and Self
This episode of Unboxing OD is something different. Instead of frameworks or methodologies, Kenneth offers a deeply personal reflection told in five movements -- exploring the hidden labor of showing up at work while holding parts of o...
Episode 26: The Inner Work of Leadership - A Conversation with Poor Bear Chalepah
In this episode of Unboxing OD, Kenneth Pearson sits down with Poor Bear Chalepah, consultant, visionary leader, and soon-to-be PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. As a proud member of the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, Poor Bear s...
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Episode 25: OD Burnout Is Real - Protecting Your Capacity in the Work That Holds So Much
In this solo episode of Unboxing OD, Kenneth Pearson steps into a conversation that many OD practitioners feel but rarely name -- burnout. Not the surface-level fatigue that comes after a long week, but the deep, layered exhaustion tha...
Episode 24: Change by Design - A Conversation with Melissa Donegan
In this episode of Unboxing OD, host Kenneth Pearson sits down with Melissa Donegan - an experienced leader across federal agencies, healthcare, education, and tech - to talk about what it really means to design for change ins...
Episode 23: Inclusion, Community, & Compassion - Alex Ochoa & The Work of Becoming
In this special in-person episode of Unboxing OD, Alex Ochoa shares what it means to show up - fully, boldly, and unapologetically - in a profession where you don’t always see yourself reflected. A first-generation Latina college gradu...
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Episode 22: When the Diagnosis Hurts - Telling the Truth in OD
In this episode of Unboxing OD, host Kenneth Pearson takes us into one of the most delicate and defining aspects of organizational development - what happens when your findings reveal something uncomfortable, something that leadership ...
Episode 21: Navigating the Transition from L&D to OD with Bethany Rios, MPH
In this guest episode of Unboxing OD, host Kenneth Pearson sits down with Bethany Rios, Organizational Development Manager and L&D professional, for a candid conversation about stepping into the world of OD from a background in tra...
Episode 20: The Silent Partner - Power in Organizations
In this episode of Unboxing OD, Kenneth explores the powerful presence of organizational power dynamics and the influence they carry in shaping culture, conversations, and decisions. These dynamics often live beneath the surface, guidi...
Episode 19: Allyship in Action with Dr. Victoria Mattingly
In this powerful and personal conversation, Dr. Victoria Mattingly (Dr. V) - organizational psychologist, keynote speaker, and CEO of Mattingly Solutions - joins Kenneth to explore what it...
Episode 18: The Myth of the Quick Fix - Why OD Work Takes Time
We all love a quick fix - something that solves the problem, calms the chaos, and gets us back on track. But in the world of Organizational Development, quick fixes often don’t fix anything at all. In this episode of Unboxing OD, Kenne...
Episode 17: From Idea to Impact - Designing Strategic, Human-Centered Interventions
What separates a one-time workshop from an intervention that actually changes the way people work together?In this episode of Unboxing OD, we explore what it really takes to design effective Organizational Development interventi...
Episode 16: The Power of Storytelling in Organizational Development
Storytelling isn’t just a soft skill - it’s one of the most powerful tools OD practitioners have to navigate complexity, build trust, and move people through change. In this episode of Unboxing OD, Kenneth Pearson explores how stories ...
Episode 15: The Flow of Five Tiers - Seeing the Whole System
What happens when we pause, zoom out, and ask: What are we really building?In this special episode of Unboxing OD, host Kenneth Pearson introduces The Flow of Five Tiers - a reflective, systems-based framework ...
Episode 14: Building Trust & Credibility as an OD Practitioner
Trust and credibility aren’t just nice-to-haves in Organizational Development - they’re foundational. In this episode of Unboxing OD, we briefly explore how OD practitioners can build influence without formal authority, create psycholo...
Episode 13: A Day in the Life - The Key Responsibilities of an OD Professional
What does a typical day look like for an Organizational Development (OD) practitioner? The short answer: there’s no such thing as typical.In this episode of Unboxing OD, we walk through the real-world responsibilities of OD prof...
Episode 12: Followership - The Unsung Power Behind Great Leadership
What if the key to better leadership ... is better followership?In this episode of Unboxing OD, we’re flipping the script and turning our attention to a concept that’s often overlooked but absolutely essential - followership...