Leading Change Online

What will I learn during this program?

Understanding and leading people through change and the different ways people respond to organizational change, what they require to accept, support and sustainably manage change and the particular strengths and weaknesses they may bring to the current organizational environment is commonly overlooked. It will therefore come as no surprise that it is the employees who are identified as the primary reason why organizational change programs do not achieve the desired outcome.

This program helps you identify a change process that works from initiating to implementing and follow-up. It is also beneficial as it assists you to recognize and manage the varying responses to change in your staff.

During this program you will:

• Learn how to deal with change personally and understand what triggers resistance to change in the brain and how the brain reacts when faced with change.
• Explore ways to hold a change conversation and support staff through a change process.
• Understand the relevance of change through the personal resources and changes from our lives.
• Be aware of common reactions to change and create success criteria for successful change programs.
• Explore the differences in conflict management styles and discover ways to adapt styles.
• Know how to communicate effectively in change and how to be aware of change blockers.
• Define three key elements needed to sustain change to create and present a compelling vision of change.
• Acknowledge the sources of resistance when communicating to employees and then practice using the AID feedback model when coaching for change.
• Demonstrate the importance of self-care when leading change and identify self-care drains and gains that support or hinder change efforts.
• Understand why people revert back to old behavior after they begin to change and then practice addressing typical justifications for resisting change with employees.
• Use coaching questions to move employees from a problem to possibility focus.
• Mobilize support in their work groups and within the organization to decrease the negative effects and more quickly identify the benefits of change.

How does the program work?

This course is about successfully leading others through the constant change we all face: mergers, layoffs, reduced capacity, restructurings, new business, and different ways of facing and doing business. The course is designed not to focus on the change itself, rather the transitional and psychological shifts that are about the people in the change.

You will join a lively cross-functional online class of your peers for a period of 5 weeks. Using a Ning social networking platform, an interactive learning environment has been created for you, so that you can learn at your own pace, at times to suit you. The class comprises a combination of video, podcasts, reading and facilitator led discussions. Each week new material will be released to you, and you will be encouraged to spend about 5 hours a week completing assignments and contributing to discussions (total time commitment is 25 hours). The whole process is designed to be highly engaging and interactive. The additional benefit of this style of learning is that once the course is finished, you can return to the platform and revisit material that is relevant to changes that you are going through, as well as having a support group of peers to consult with.

Who is this course for?

This program is beneficial to those leading and managing change. It will also particularly suit leaders who are comfortable using online platforms, and are confident self-learners.

So what if I attend this program?

By attending this program you will better understand common reactions to change and know who you need to be in times of change. Change, a constant of life, ceases to be dreaded and becomes positive. You will also develop your own confidence and capability to deal with change, learn to use powerful tools developed by highly successful business professionals, better understand your own leadership style when dealing with change and how you can adapt to best lead others through this process.