Academy for organizational development and consulting

What is the Academy for Organizational Development and Consulting?

Overview of activities in the program in relation to international standards for obtaining the CTA-O designation:

PROGRAM	TRAINING HOURS	SUPERVISION HOURS
1st year	104	21
2nd year	104	27
3rd year	104	27
TOTAL	312	75

The Academy for Organizational Development and Consulting is internationally recognized education that supports the development of a wide range of skills needed to support growth and change within an organization.

Some of these skills include: coaching, training, facilitation, and consulting skills. The Academy operates according to international ITAA and EATA standards and leads to international accreditation as an Organizational Transactional Analyst (CTA-O).

Academy consists of 3 levels of education:

1. Individual System Level

This is conducted during the first year of education. The goal of the first year is to examine individual functioning within an organization. During this year, participants seek answers to the question: Who am I in my professional role? This phase is significant because it focuses on developing the most important tool for working with organizations—ourselves. During this education, participants identify their inner strengths and potential for working with organizations, ‘tune’ their internal instrument through self-reflection, and analyze their typical patterns of thinking, behavior, and feelings.

2. Interpersonal Level

This is conducted during the second year of education. During this year, academy participants develop coaching skills, facilitation skills, and training leadership skills. We seek answers to questions: Who am I as a practitioner? How do I lead others toward change? This year places special emphasis on developing skills for individual coaching.

2. Team and Organizational Level

This is conducted during the third year of education. Although we familiarize ourselves with systemic approaches throughout all three years, the third year specifically focuses on the structure, dynamics, and culture of the system, i.e., the organization. We seek answers to the question: Who am I as an internal or external consultant in the organization?”

Our Organizational Transactional Analysis training is designed in accordance to international ITAA standards. It consists of:

Basic Course in Transactional Analysis, TA 101, lasting 14 hours/2 days.
Advanced Course in Organizational Transactional Analysis, TA 202, lasting a minimum of 300 hours/3 years and a minimum of 75 hours of supervision.

In addition to training and supervision, during the three-year program, participants are expected to complete a minimum of 300 hours of client work.

This structured education leads to international certification and the attainment of the CTA-O designation, Certified Transactional Analyst – Organizational Application.

After the education, preparation for the CTA-O examination follows, which is conducted according to the participant’s level of readiness. The duration of preparation for the CTA-O written and oral exams depends on the participant’s readiness and is planned individually.

Each level of education contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the organization and helps participants develop systemic approach skills using knowledge and interventions from Organizational Transactional Analysis. The program structure is designed to lead participants toward international certification.

What makes this education different?

To work with people in an organization, it is useful to have knowledge of personality psychology and motivation. However, to support the organization, employees, and leaders in their growth, implementing changes, and development, it is essential to understand the psychology of groups, teams, and organizations. We need a systemic approach because people in organizations function differently than when they are alone.

The Academy for Organizational Development and Consulting offers exactly this knowledge. The Academy operates according to international standards for advanced education in Organizational Transactional Analysis and is the first of its kind in our region. This means that the education is led by internationally recognized educators and supervisors whose knowledge, skills, and competencies meet ITAA and EATA standards.

The program includes guest educators and supervisors from various countries around the world who also meet international criteria for conducting education and have earned the (P)TSTA designation.

Methodology

TRAINING AND SUPERVISION AGREEMENT

At the start of the program, each participant signs an agreement with the trainer and supervisor. The agreement defines the training objectives (CTA-O, or another according to international training standards), the responsibilities of the trainer and supervisor, and the responsibilities of the participant.

GROUP TRAINING

Throughout the year, training is conducted in 7 modules. Each module is a two-day training session lasting 14–15 hours. Sessions are held on Thursdays and Fridays in Belgrade, and on Wednesdays and Thursdays in Zagreb. Working hours: 09:00 – 17:00.

SUPERVISION

Both in-person and online. Individual supervision lasts 1 hour per session. Group supervision lasts 3 hours per session.

CASE STUDY

At the end of each year of training, participants present their learning and practice through a case study presentation.

PEER GROUPS

A minimum of 8 meetings per year, in small support groups lasting at least 90 minutes. Peer groups are formed within the participant group and are designed to support participants in learning and applying knowledge in practice, as well as in completing project tasks and case studies. The group’s structure is defined by the trainer and supervisor. Peer groups organize their own meetings.

CLIENT WORK

Starting from the second year of training, participants apply the knowledge gained in practice through individual and group work. Client work is subject to supervision.

Who is the program intended for?

HR professionals: Internal HR, HR consultants, Organizational consultants
Individual, group, and team coaches
Leaders who wish to expand self-awareness, develop interpersonal skills, and enhance leadership abilities

First Year of Education

Prerequisites for the first year of advanced TAO 202 education:

Completion of TA 101 course
Completed academic studies or final year of academic studies
Motivation for personal and professional development, demonstrated during the interview

Objectives of the first year of advanced education:

Acquire knowledge and understanding of Transactional Analysis methodology – individual level.
Develop skills in establishing contact and diagnostics using TA concepts.
Form a professional attitude rooted in TA philosophy and OK approach in working with people.

1st Module: What do you say after hello? Managing expectations in the organization.
Agreement with the training group. Development of TA, TA schools, organizations, and certification; TA philosophy and basic assumptions, ITAA code of ethics. Learning models, advantages and disadvantages. Agreement on learning models in the group. What is supervision, the importance of supervision in professional development. Establishing contact and contracting methods.

2nd Module: Resilience and Communication in the Organization. Life Positions. Introduction to TA personality and communication theory. Structural and Functional Analysis of Ego states. Transactions. OK communication modalities in the workplace.

3rd Module: What are we hungry for? Recognition and Productivity in the Workplace. Introduction to TA theory of motivation. Psychological hungers – recognition and feedback in the workplace. Time structuring; application in diagnosing and transforming teams and organizations.

4th Module: What keeps repeating? Conflicts and Disturbance in the Workplace. What are games, recognizing games, drama triangle / winning triangle. Games at the workplace. How to exit a game? Roots of disturbance in the workplace, mechanisms for recognizing and overcoming. Emotions at the workplace.

5th Module: Success at the Workplace. What is a script? Types of scripts and mechanisms of formation. What is your life story? Injunctions and counter-injunctions. Drivers and work styles, productivity, planning and organization, stress prevention at work.

6th Module: Developmental Cycles in the Organization. What developmental stages does an individual go through in an organization? Can we use these stages to improve onboarding, training programs, and change management? How can we recognize and utilize these stages in working with a team

7th Module: What a journey it has been! Integration of knowledge. For this module, each student prepares and presents their knowledge and insights through the presentation of their personal and professional development using TA concepts (TA self-portrait). The developmental path is recognized, competencies assessed and celebrated.

Evaluation:
Supervision in the first year of advanced education focuses on personal development and is conducted in small groups, with sessions lasting up to 3 hours.

Criteria for successful completion of the 1st year of education:

Attendance at all training modules (maximum absence from training is 8 hours in total, without make-up).
Submission and presentation of a TA self-portrait in the final module, positively evaluated.
Written 1 essay on a TA topic of choice and presented during the program.
Active participation in the peer group on the project task.

Second Year of Education

Objectives of the second year of advanced TAO education:

Deepen knowledge of TA concepts and techniques in working with individuals and groups in a professional setting/organizations.
Develop skills in facilitation, training, and coaching others.
Explore one’s professional role and approach in supporting others in their growth and development.

1st Module: Coaching Process and Coaching Interventions. Contracting with the group. Ethics and ethical dilemmas. Development in organizational context: facilitation, training, and coaching. The 3 P’s in individual development in the organization, managing expectations, meta-perspective. TA coaching vs. psychotherapy, coaching process, autonomy and efficiency, Berne’s operations in coaching.

2nd Module: Where is the Missing Piece? Psychodynamic Aspects of Coaching.
Commitment to development, challenges in individual work, passivity and discounting. Transfer and countertransference. Roles, types, and dysfunctions.

3rd Module: Leadership and Executive Coaching. Individual work with leaders, complexity, symbiotic chain, leadership type diagnostics, problem definition, and intervention planning.

4th Module: Rewriting the Story. Transformative power of coaching. Script from a different angle. Frame of refference.

5th Module: Me, You, and the Organization. Truth or fantasy? Individual development in the organization; group imago. Outcomes of coaching. Closing the coaching process.

6th Module: The Space Between Me and the Client in Coaching. Parallel process, Relational TA in coaching, Cultural Parent.

7th Module: What a Journey It Has Been?! Presentation of the case study. Each participant prepares and presents a case study of their work with one client, integrating theory.

Evaluation. Recognizing progress. Celebrating successes.

Supervision in the second year of advanced education focuses on personal development and client work supervision. It is conducted in small groups, with sessions lasting 3 hours. Individual supervision is also available.

Criteria for successful completion of the second year of education:

Attendance at all training modules (maximum absence from training is 8 hours in total).
Submission and presentation of a case study in the final module, positively evaluated.
Active participation in the peer group.

Third Year of Education

Objectives of the third year of advanced education:

Deepen knowledge of TA concepts in working with groups and organizations.
Develop skills in working with stakeholders and the organization.
Develop a systemic perspective.

1st Module: Greetings to Organizations. Contracting with the group. Four levels of organizational functioning. Structure of the group and organization. Boundaries and boundary diagnostics. Group authorities. Leadership and power.

2nd Module: Who is Closer to Whom in the Organization? Dynamics of the group and organization. Diagnostics and interventions.

3rd Module: Where Did It All Start? The story of the founder. Group imago in HR processes, training, and consulting work.

4th Module: How Does Our Tribe Function? Organizational culture: TA diagnostics and interventions. Cultural Parent. Contemporary TA theories and practices in working with organizational culture.

5th Module: Group or Team? Working with groups and teams. Developmental stages of a team and interventions.

6th Module: Homonomy. Diversity & inclusion from the perspective of Organizational TA. Eco TA. New trends in transactional analysis.

7th Module: How Many Steps Have We Taken on This Journey? Each participant presents a case study in client work, integrating theory.

Evaluation.

Celebration.

Supervision in the third year of advanced education focuses on professional development and client work supervision. It is conducted in small groups, with sessions lasting 3 hours. Individual supervision is also available.

Criteria for successful completion of the third year of education:

Attendance at all training modules (maximum absence from training is 8 hours in total).
Submission and presentation of a case study in the final module, positively evaluated.
Active participation in the peer group.

Preparation for the CTA examination continues through group work for preparing the written and oral exams.

The presented content of the education is subject to experiential adjustments during the work, which are a product of the development by the author and experience working with the group. In such cases, program adjustments are agreed upon with the group.

Enrollment for the New Cohort

Enrollment for the new cohort begins in May, with training sessions starting in October of the same year.

Locations: Belgrade and Zagreb.

Growth Code