Clarity First: Making Sense of the Ask Before Acting

**This program is organized by our partners in the Minnesota ODN Chapter! Join our partners, alongside the Triangle, Pacific Northwest, and Oregon OD Networks for an opportunity for learning and cross-regional connections.

Organization Development professionals are often invited in to help when a leader already has a solution in mind. Yet the initial request for help (the ask) is rarely complete and often reflects only part of the real organizational challenge. Acting too quickly can lead to well‑intended work that ultimately solves the wrong problem.

This interactive session puts clarity first, at the moment the request is made. Participants will focus on the initial conversation: clarifying the request, understanding what sits behind it, and framing a working problem that creates early alignment. Using targeted questions and reframing techniques, the session builds the skill of purposeful entry and contracting, practical tools OD practitioners can use immediately. The result: stronger early conversations, better‑framed work, and a clearer path toward deeper discovery when needed.

Together, participants will:

• Explain why presenting problems are often incomplete or solution-biased, and how early misframing undermines the work that follows.
• Use lightweight clarification approaches to surface what matters most, without jumping prematurely to diagnosis or design.
• Apply reframing techniques that help leaders see their request through a broader organizational and systems lens.
• Ask strategic questions that slow solution-jumping and shift early conversations toward shared problem understanding.
• Strengthen their practice as OD professionals who bring clarity, alignment, and disciplined thinking at the point of entry.

Presenter: Summer Miller  

Summer Miller, Ed.D., is a speaker, advisor, and educator specializing in people centered change, leadership development, and organizational development. She uses brain-based strategies and human-centered design to help leaders navigate change and growth without leaving people behind. Summer teaches courses in organizational development and change consulting at the University of Minnesota, holds a doctorate in her field, and has guided organizations across industries through moments of complexity, uncertainty, and transition. Her speaking style blends research-based insight with real-world application, helping leaders not only understand change, but lead it more effectively.