Learn general and specific approaches for turbulent times 

A key challenge for today’s leaders is helping employees understand the need for change. Effective leaders must assist employees in discovering new ways of working and embracing these new ideas. Explore strategies for communicating the need for change and building employee commitment to that change.  

By the end of this class, you should be able to: 

1. Identify the forces driving change in the public sector today. 
2. Describe how major change affects people emotionally by examining the four phases of the emotional journey through change. 
3. Identify actions that you and other leaders can take to enable a healthier response in the face of change. 
4. Identify actions that leaders must take to successfully introduce a change — and then sustain employee commitment to the new direction. 
5. Identify the factors that influence the level of change readiness in your department/work area and explore actions to enhance the change readiness of your employees. 
6. Uncover the four common sources of resistance to change and the actions that you can take to help reduce the negative impact of resistance when it occurs. 
7. Discuss the importance of resilience to an individual’s ability to successfully navigate change. 

Instructor: Jeff Russell (MS, UW-Madison) is codirector of Russell Consulting, where he helps organizations successfully respond to the challenges of continuous change. He focuses on leadership development, strategic thinking, leading change, understanding and dealing with behavioral styles, and performance management.