Change Management in Uncertain Times

We all know change is hard, but why is it so hard? And what happens if you can't plan for it the way change management experts say you should?

During this course, we will look at the neurological and psychological reasons change is difficult for everyone. We will cover the fundamentals of good change and transition management practices, paying special attention to using these tools and strategies under less-than-ideal conditions.

The challenges in change and transition are fundamentally informed by emotions, so if you want to know why change is so hard – for your managers, your peers, your direct reports, or for you – this course will give you some insights as well as provide you with change management tools and strategies for real world conditions.

We have all been challenged by 2020's unpredictable and fast-paced changes, and no matter how experienced we are with managing change, it's helpful to take a step back and think about what works, what doesn't, and why.

By the end of this course learners will be able to:

• Identify the reasons a change might be difficult for themselves or for others
• Describe the differences between project management and managing transitions
• Apply specific communication techniques that improve the probability of successful change
• Adapt practices for ideal change management to real world conditions
• Develop a personal roadmap for practicing with new change management tools and strategies

Course Description:

This four-week course will include two interactive live online sessions:

• Thursday, November 5 – 10am Pacific, 11am Mountain, 12pm Central, 1pm Eastern
• Thursday, November 19 – 10am Pacific, 11am Mountain, 12pm Central, 1pm Eastern

Please make every effort to ensure that you are able to attend these two meetings before enrolling in the course. If this is not possible, archived recordings will be made available.

In addition to the scheduled sessions, you will also learn about change management fundamentals by reading, listening to, and watching curated course content. You will share your own experiences with change with your fellow learners via online discussion forums, and you will develop a personal road map for practicing with new change management tools and strategies.

Course Outline: When you log in to the Infopeople online learning site, you will see weekly modules with these topics:

• Week 1: Why is change so hard?
  • Change and emotion
  • The neuroscience of fear
  • Transition deficit
  • Anticipating concerns
• Week 2: Change Management Fundamentals
  • Share the problem
  • Change starts with endings
  • The messy middle
  • Find early success
• Week 3: Communication Strategies for Managing Change
  • Emotion comes first
  • Don't make me think
  • Words matter
  • There's no such thing as too much communication
• Week 4: Dealing With Ambiguity and Uncertainty
  • It's okay to not know
  • Unexpected endings
  • Handling unrealistic reactions
  • Starting midstream

Pre-course Assignment: Identify a change you are managing or have managed to use as a point of reference throughout the course. I will ask you to use your change example to brainstorm, answer questions, and practice using some of the tools and strategies covered in the course. It doesn't matter how big or small your change example is, but the change should definitely involve people in addition to yourself. Examples:

• Implementing a new product or service.
• Implementing a new tool, especially a new technology tool.
• Any physical change to work or living space.
• Reorganization of staff.
• Managing or supervising a new team.

Time Required: To complete this course, you can expect to spend around 2 hours per week, for a total of eight course hours. Each week's module contains various options for assignments, discussions, or online meetings. You can choose the options most relevant to your work and interests. Although you can work on each module at your own pace, at any hour of the day or night, it is recommended that you complete each week's work within that week to stay in sync with other learners.

Who Should Take This Course: This course is for library staff at all levels who have to manage change in some capacity, no matter how big or small. We will focus on the work environment, but many of the tools and strategies we will cover can be applied to other environments as well.

Online Learning Details and System Requirements may be found at: infopeople.org/training/online_learning_details.

Are you a member of ARSL? If so, you may be able to sign up for a free seat in this course. Limit is four free seats per course. Make your request here and if a free seat is available you will be notified.

Keywords: change management