· People

Paul Taylor-Pitt, assistant director of organisational development, NHS Employers

Leaving university in the mid-1990s without a plan, Taylor-Pitt began his career as a care worker in a residential home for people with HIV-related brain impairment

At the same time he volunteered for the Terrence Higgins Trust and was trained as a trainer, sparking a lifelong interest in helping people exceed their potential.

After five years working in learning and development roles in social care, Taylor-Pitt moved into the NHS. The next decade was spent working in senior workforce development, education, HR and OD roles. He found his passion in OD and is proud to be part of a worldwide community of practice that improves organisations.

In late 2012 Tayor-Pitt was given an opportunity to work for NHS Employers, exploring a gap he had identified in the support and development available to OD practitioners. This led to the creation of Do OD, the expert organisational development resource for the NHS that helps OD professionals to connect, share, learn and grow. Do OD launched in 2013 and continues to grow as a vibrant community, stimulating the theory and practice of OD.

In 2016 Taylor-Pitt initiated the OD Bootstrappers Research Group, exploring how to build the OD professional of the future. This intrepid band of OD practitioners developed a blueprint for OD practice in the NHS published as ‘A New Architecture for OD’ in 2018.

Taylor-Pitt has a undergraduate degree in psychology and a Master's in HR leadership. He is in the process of writing his doctoral thesis, humming the theme to Murder She Wrote as he types. He is member of the British Psychological Society, an associate member of the CIPD and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He remains fascinated by the potential of people to go beyond their perceived boundaries.

Taylor-Pitt and his husband Dan live in London. Dan is looking forward to Taylor-Pitt finally finishing his doctorate so they can go on holiday.

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Twitter handle: @NHSE_PaulT

LinkedIn profile

Information about Do OD: www.nhsemployers.org/od

Information about OD Bootstrappers: www.odbootstrappers.wordpress.com

Changing Culture Through Conversation co-authored with Karen Dumain and Kelly Angus in Organizational Change Explained

A New architecture of OD in the English National Health Service, with OD Bootstrappers, in OD Practitioner 50(3)

The Role of OD in the NHS with Karen Dumain

Place Based OD: The place to be? with Karen Dumain