• Senior executives responsible for championing strategic transformation and organizational change
• Business leaders tasked with implementing enterprise, functional or cross-functional change initiatives
• HR, finance, marketing and operational leaders responsible for driving adoption and organizational alignment
• Executive teams seeking to strengthen their organization’s capacity for continuous adaptation and change

• Connect organizational strategy and business priorities to successful change adoption
• Develop a practical change plan for a real organizational initiative
• Learn how to anticipate and address resistance while building commitment to change
• Understand the emotional, psychological and behavioral dynamics that impact change outcomes
• Leverage organizational culture, stakeholder engagement and influence networks to accelerate adoption
• Gain a repeatable framework for leading transformation in an environment of ongoing change and disruptions

This program operates as a hands-on workshop in which participants apply course concepts directly to a current organizational change initiative. The program covers both the elements of a successful change plan and the leadership practices that encourage people to embrace change. Participants explore how strategy, culture, influence, stakeholder engagement and organizational systems work together to support successful transformation.

Anticipating and Defining Necessary Organizational Change

• Understand how strategic priorities, market dynamics and emerging technologies shape change agendas
• Assess the organizational impact of change across functions, teams and stakeholders
• Define the desired state and the outcomes required for success
• Evaluate organizational readiness and the forces driving and impeding change

Designing a Successful Change Plan

• Build a change strategy that supports business objectives and strategic outcomes
• Anticipate sources of resistance and develop strategies to address concerns constructively
• Collect and synthesize critical data to inform decision-making and implementation priorities
• Establish stakeholder clarity, ownership and accountability while proactively addressing key concerns

Engaging People in the Change

• Optimize formal and informal organizational networks to accelerate adoption
• Communicate effectively to build trust and credibility throughout the change journey
• Anticipate and minimize the performance disruptions that often accompany organizational change
• Recognize and leverage the crucial role of leaders, managers and change advocates
• Develop coordinated implementation plans that support engagement, accountability and sustained adoption

Applying and Sustaining Organizational Change

• Refine a real organizational change plan through structured exercises, faculty guidance and peer perspectives
• Establish meaningful metrics and performance indicators to measure progress, adoption and success
• Build sustainable sponsorship and support for change throughout the organization
• Identify the essential behaviors, capabilities and mechanisms needed to sustain long-term adoption

Jill Zimmerman - Academic Director; Adjunct Professor, Organizational Change and Senior Program Director, Kellogg Executive Education Custom Programs; Executive Coach; Industrial/Organizational Psychologist

Bradley Akubuiro - Adjunct Lecturer

Michelle L. Buck - Clinical Professor of Executive Education

Jeff Chan - President, Chan Management Consulting

Noshir Contractor - Jane S. & William J. White Professor of Behavioral Sciences. Professor of Industrial Engineering & Management Sciences, McCormick School of Engineering; Professor of Management & Organizations, Kellogg School of Management, Professor of Communication Studies, School of Communication; By courtesy: Professor of Computer Science, McCormick School of Engineering.

Richard Jolly - Clinical Associate Professor of Management & Organizations

Brayden King - Max McGraw Chair in Management and the Environment; Professor of Management & Organizations; Senior Associate Dean, Strategy and Academics

Loran Nordgren - Professor of Management and Organizations

Lauren Rivera - Peter G. Peterson Professor of Corporate Ethics, Professor of Management & Organizations; Professor of Sociology, Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences (Courtesy)

David Schonthal - Clinical Professor of Strategy; Director of Entrepreneurship Programs at Kellogg; Faculty Director of Zell Fellows Program; Director of the Levy Institute for Entrepreneurial Practice

Brian Uzzi - Richard L. Thomas Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change Co-Director, Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)

"This experience widened my perspective as an internal and external change agent. New concepts were introduced with practical, actionable application. Familiar concepts were presented with a new perspective that inspired deeper thought. Equally important, the diverse experiences shared by my fellow participants highlighted the wealth and breadth of knowledge that exists in this type of global learning environment. I can’t speak highly enough about this experience."
Assistant Director/Organizational Consultant, SamaraCare Consulting

"Driving Organizational Change departs from traditional change management models to focus on change leadership with an emphasis on the human aspects of change. The program is a potent mix of concepts/frameworks and opportunities to put those ideas into practice. The diversity of participants (range of sectors, industries, geographies and professions) made for a particularly rich learning experience."
Director, Human Resources, Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO)

"When I signed up for [this program], I was seeking the latest tools and ideas for facilitating organizational changes within my company, as well as an opportunity to test drive the tools before returning to my workplace. My expectations were exceeded! The [faculty] covered a wide spectrum of implementing change within an organization and provided lots of hands-on learning opportunities. In working closely with fellow participants, we developed such camaraderie that we’ve stayed in touch since completion of the program."
Managing Director, Demand Management, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association