WHAT A CHIEF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICER DOES

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A Chief Organizational Development Officer (CODO) helps organizations align people, strategy, and structure so they can thrive in the face of challenge and change. Whether full-time or fractional, this executive role brings clarity, strategy, and insight to strengthen both people and performance.

Why Organizations Need a CODO

Bridge between strategy and people: Ensures organizational design supports business goals.
Future-proofing: Helps the organization adapt to growth, change, and external pressures.
Performance + wellbeing: Builds systems that support both business outcomes and employee sustainability.
Trusted advisor: Offers executive-level perspective without bias, politics, or silos.

Key Responsibilities of a CODO

Aligning talent with organizational needs: Ensuring the right people are in the right roles.
Developing leaders and teams: Accelerating growth, reducing turnover, and boosting performance.
Designing organizational structures: Creating frameworks that enable innovation and efficiency.
Resolving barriers: Identifying and addressing capability gaps, conflicts, and culture challenges.
Embedding sustainable strategies: Integrating practices that resist burnout and drive long-term success.

Fractional CODO: A Flexible Solution

Not every organization is ready for a full-time executive. A Fractional CODO provides:

Access to top-level expertise without the full-time expense.
Regular participation in executive meetings to stay close to strategy.
On-demand support for initiatives, restructuring, or crisis response.
Scalable partnership—support when you need it, dialed back when you don’t.

FAQs