Leading Change

Leading others through change effectively is a key leadership capability because it enables organizations to accelerate change initiatives and involve the entire organization in identifying, implementing, and sustaining important changes initiatives that will ensure the organization’s long-term success. All leaders need the skills to personally assimilate change, provide predictability, and help others understand the reasons, advantages, and inherent risks of change so they are fully engaged in the delivery of change initiatives. ATHENA’s Leading Change workshop provides leaders with the skills to not only manage the changes thrust upon them and help others adjust to those changes, but to also address another important aspect of leading change: creating and orchestrating productive and necessary change in their own team or function. Leaders play a pivotal role when change occurs. The Leading Change workshop focuses on the key skills leaders need to manage the people side of change and harness its power so that change becomes a competitive advantage for them, their team, and the organization.

The workshop can also be used in conjunction with ATHENA’s Leading Innovation workshop for a more comprehensive learning experience. These two topics pair together naturally because leaders often lead change initiatives that are associated with innovations in products, services, processes, and strategies.

Objectives & Outcomes

The Leading Change workshop gives managers the skills and tools they need to be change leaders in their organizations, work groups, and teams. Participants in the workshop learn how to:

• Understand the internal and external forces of change and a leader’s role in helping others through it.
• Recognize patterns of human behavior and the reactions of others when change occurs.
• Identify important changes that need to be made.
• Release the creative energy of others and focus change efforts on the things that will positively shape the organization’s future.
• Personally adapt to change and model resiliency (behaviors and practices).
• Guide and coach people who are resistant to change.
• Successfully introduce change and guide others through the implementation and sustainability process.
• Clearly and completely communicate the reasons and need for change.
• Create an environment where people are receptive to change and resilient when change occurs.

Our Approach

The Leading Change workshop is built around an engaging simulation and incorporates many other creative and engaging instructional-design elements, some of which include:

• Case-study examples
• A practical Model
• The Leading Change Assessment
• Tools and guides

Throughout the workshop, participants draw on the experience of others as they work on personalized action plans, receive constructive feedback, and learn how to successfully introduce and lead change within their team and organization.

Delivery Options

When delivered as a standalone event, the Leading Change workshop is typically delivered in a one-day format. As an alternative, the workshop can be combined with ATHENA’s Leading Innovation workshop for. This combined learning event can be delivered as a one-day workshop, or it can be delivered over multiple days.

The Leading Change workshop can be taught by one of ATHENA’s talented facilitators and held at a location of your choice, or we can provide Train-the-Trainer services for clients who prefer to deliver the program using their organization’s internal facilitators or training professionals. The Leading Change program can also be built into an organization’s leadership-development curriculum or process.