University of Utah Presents "Women’s Leadership: Change Management" with Bonita Austin

Organizations frequently must respond to changes in their external environment arising from technological advances, economic and regulatory shifts, variations in demographic trends, and increased competitive activity. New value creation opportunities also can spark changes in organizational structures and company cultures. However, organizational changes and change initiatives, no matter what the potential for positive outcomes, are likely to take a toll on managers and employees alike.

This course examines ways to effectively structure and implement change within an organization to improve performance and respond to potential challenges. Students will learn change management theories and how to apply them, ways to mitigate resistance to change, how to combat change fatigue, tools of cooperation, and the key elements of successful change efforts.

Topics covered include:

• Why employees/people resist change
• Tools managers may use to effectively enact change
• The DICE model of change
• Lewin’s Force Field Analysis
• Kotter’s Change Management Framework

Return on Education:

• Employer Benefits
  • Apply major change management theories to your own organization
  • Reduce employee resistance to change
  • Evaluate the likelihood that a particular initiative will succeed
  • Make changes to an initiative to improve chances of success
• Employee Benefits
  • Understand how to navigate change and increase your productivity
  • Implement change management initiatives successfully within your department or company
  • Select the most effective tools of cooperation and change for different situations
  • Identify the steps in putting together an effective change management plan