Change Leadership Symposium July

The Change Leadership Symposium will examine a number of issues within the framework of the greater change process already under way by seeking to build a holistic understanding that incorporates leading-edge thinking about change processes.

Breakout Session # 1:  Building an Innovative Culture:  Today’s leaders need to become more attentive to the role an organization’s culture plays in influencing performance.  The interaction between leadership, culture, and performance shows a significant linkage between these three organizational variables.  Ideally, leaders will develop and work with an adaptive or innovative culture that allows continuous organizational transformation change and innovation.  This session will focus on the relationship of transformational leadership and an innovative culture.  The elements necessary to facilitate a culture of true innovation will be the focal point of this session.  

Breakout Session #2:  Behavioral vs. Structural Approaches to Change:  Many organizations launch change initiatives in an effort to change perceived dysfunctional behavior.  These initiatives achieve varying degrees of success, but often many fail.  The question is, “Why do so many change initiatives fail?”  Change initiatives and activities can be broken down into two general approaches: 1.) Behavioral approaches—which focus on changing specific behavior, using activities such as training, personal development, and incentives; and 2.) Structural approaches—which focus on changing the underlying causes of unwanted behavior, relying on more strategic and process-oriented methods.  Both of these approaches can be successfully employed, depending on the situation.  However, the key to success often lies in correctly matching the approach taken with the given situation. 

This discussion will focus on the dynamics of both behavioral and structural approaches to change, as well as when to employ each.  As change facilitators, participants will be asked to share their own observations and experiences on the subject.