Leading Organizational Change

How to go from stagnation to innovation

One of the hardest challenges for leaders is managing change effectively. Rapid changes in technology and increased competition from globalization have combined to create a business environment that requires organizations to change rapidly and often. This session takes an evidence-based approach to organizational change: We will examine the best evidence available for how to successfully drive and manage change.

Please note that the term “organization” is used broadly in the course to refer to an organization per se or any work unit within an organization, such as a division, department, plant, branch, office, or team. This workshop covers concepts and principles that you will find useful wherever you reside in your organization.

Upcoming course date

Wednesday, April 13, 2022, 12:30-3:00pm

Benefits of attending this online course

You will improve your skills to lead or help bring about a major organizational change designed to improve your organization’s performance.

This workshop will equip you with tools to:

• Prepare your organization for change
• Get both short-term and long-term buy-in from key stakeholders
• Create and sustain momentum for your change initiative

Leading Organizational Change content overview

Getting change-ready: Many change initiatives fail because the organization is not prepared for the change. You will learn how to “prepare the soil” so that people are ready for change.

Securing buy-in: In a series of real-life example, you will see how real people with little to no authority were able to get buy-in for their change initiatives. Using a model of head, heart, and hands, you will learn how to get buy-in from key stakeholders: senior leadership, employees, and even people outside your organization.

Creating and sustaining momentum: Using the analogy of the four forces of flight, we will examine how organizations can produce lift and thrust for the change through meeting employee needs and helping them make progress, while reducing drag and weight by countering employee resistance and breaking up organizational routines.

Change Management: Power and Influence simulation: We will cap off this session with a simulation where you will be tasked with getting a critical mass of supporters for a change initiative. In the simulation, you will have seventeen levers to use to influence the leaders in the organization to go through the four stages of awareness, interest, trial, and finally, adoption of the change initiative.

Registration and Fees

Program fee includes instruction and learning materials. Payment must be made by credit card or UW budget transfer. It is strongly encouraged that you register early as space is limited. See discount and cancellation policies.

Faculty

Michael Johnson is an Associate Professor of Management at the Foster School of Business. He has been a member of the faculty since 2006 and is the recipient of numerous teaching awards, including, most recently, the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching in 2019. He is widely published in the fields of management and organizational behavior, and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Applied Psychology. His current research focuses on decision-making, teamwork, emotions and stress, and social identities.

Logistics and practical info

Like our in-person courses, online courses from Executive Education are designed and led by Foster School faculty and taught using the same evidence-based research and application. Students will participate in discussions, breakout sessions, and direct interactions with our faculty. Courses are conducted via Zoom, which facilitates real-time interface between students and faculty via webcam and text-based chat.

Two weeks prior to the live class session, you will receive information about any pre-readings, assignments, or case studies that need to be completed before class.

In addition to the faculty, each course has an assigned Program Manager who will provide guidance throughout the course.