CBODN: About - Interview

Interview with the April 2007 Program Presenter:

Anne Pellicciotto

Interview by CBODN Board Member Toral Desai

Anne Pellicciotto, who has been a CBODN member since 2000, graduated from the AU/NTL program as an MSOD in 2000 and has been a member of CBODN since that time. She will be a CBODN presenter on May 1st, with her session entitled, “Shaking Things Up – Lessons on Life Change from ‘Planet Brazil’ & Implications for You as an OD Consultant”. Her website is www.seechangeconsulting.com.

Q: Tell us about the CBODN Program you will be hosting in April – what will you cover?

I think it will be a slightly different kind of program. It’s got more of a personal development slant than many of the OD seminars. Then again, if OD is largely about ‘use of self,’ I think this program will have some really practical applications for attendees.

After years of working in organizational systems and helping them with change, I decided two years ago I needed a change myself. Part of this was rooted in my own dissatisfaction with my OD work. Was I in the wrong field? Was I just stuck? Was I going through a mid-life crisis? Where was my passion anymore? So I put my consulting business on hold and went on sabbatical to try to figure these things out. The next thing I knew, I found myself living in Brazil, studying Portuguese, teaching English in a fishing village, and pursuing my passions for writing and photography.

Now that I am back, I have been analyzing the different elements of my change – the language, culture, identity, locale – and how some of the theories and tools I applied with my clients just didn’t work in practicality. For instance, while I used to apply the Kubler-Ross change curve, I am now likening the process to more of a change roller coaster, like the Lock Ness Monster, with recurring loops of resistance and exploration. I’ll be presenting some of my stories and lessons learned, and discussing some of the new mental models I have developed that will carry me forward on my journey – both personally and professionally. I will involve participants in some assessments, discussions and exercises to examine their change experiences and provide some new ways of looking at this mystifying but essential element of human nature - change.

Q: Who should attend the program?

Anyone interested in figuring out who they really are, and how they can bring themselves more fully to their work and into the world.

Q: How has your change work evolved over the years?

My interest in the field of OD started 20 years back, working with Federal Government organizations, designing and implementing new IT systems to streamline their work processes. From there, I became focused in the human element and how people adapted (or not) to the technological changes. My interest in change has always been with me, but today, I have gone from a macro- to a micro-view. I believe all real change begins within the self – and that to be an effective OD consultant, or leader in this world, you have to begin with you.

Q: What are you doing now?

Recently, I met up with good friend I had not seen in a while, and she asked me: “So what are you doing for fun these days?” I thought about it for just a few seconds and responded: “Everything I’m doing right now is fun.” It wasn’t until I heard her relate this story to another friend of ours that I realized I had really made a shift.

I am working on a book about my Brazil journey, which combines my love of stories and writing with my change obsession. I am learning the ropes of the writing and publishing world, and hoping to find an agent who will give me a deadline. I am looking into how my change skills can be applied back in Brazil, in community development. I am putting on photo exhibitions and writing travel articles and continuing to study Portuguese. I am continuing to consult to organizations and coach individuals who are interested in making real change happen. And I am hoping to get back to Brazil on a grant in the fall. Yes, it’s all fun.

Anne Bio:
Anne Pellicciotto is president of SeeChange Consulting, Inc., a Washington, DC-based firm, founded in 1999, and specializing in organizational and personal change. Her career began almost 20 years ago, as a management technology transformation consultant for Federal agencies. She has a BS, in Business Management, Decision Information Sciences, from University of Maryland, and an MS in Organizational Development from American University/NTL Institute. She is a frequent speaker and trainer on the topic of change, and has written a number of articles, including a column for Edoc Magazine entitled: Are You Ready for Change? She is currently focusing energy on her creative passions –writing a book about her adventures in Brazil and the change lessons learned – and showing her photography of Brazil in galleries around Washington, DC. She recently won the Washington Post’s travel photo award for 2006, and the International Vision’s Gallery photo contest, and will be doing an upcoming show and talk at the Brazilian American Cultural Institute in Washington. Her photos can be seen at www.anneseye.com and her change ideas can be found at: www.seechangeconsulting.com.

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