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John Oesch

The final stages of a successful change initiative involve thoughtful planning and an ongoing effort to ensure lasting and meaningful impact. The Supporting and Sustaining Strategic Change course guides leaders on how to create a broader context that facilitates change. The course takes a thoughtful approach to building systems and processes as well as promoting skills and abilities that support and reinforce the change vision and desired culture.

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The final stages of a successful change initiative involve thoughtful planning and an ongoing effort to ensure lasting and meaningful impact. The Supporting and Sustaining Strategic Change course guides leaders on how to create a broader context that facilitates change. The course takes a thoughtful approach to building systems and processes as well as promoting skills and abilities that support and reinforce the change vision and desired culture.

Discover how you can support your change initiative through a continuous process of planning, monitoring, and leading. Ultimately, you will also explore how to develop a congruent and adaptable organization.

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Skills to determine how to optimize systems and processes while maintaining organizational congruence.
  • The ability to design systems and processes to support and reinforce the desired culture.
  • Methods to incorporate feedback into your change initiative.
  • The ability to propose approaches to sustainability that increase the likelihood of a successful change effort.

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Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Focuses on the essential components of ongoing effort to achieve and maintain lasting and meaningful impact
Examines valuable skills to determine how to optimize systems and processes while maintaining organizational congruence
Guides leaders on how to create a broader context that facilitates change
Teaches leaders how to design systems and processes to support and reinforce the desired culture
Shares methods to incorporate ongoing feedback into your change initiative
Proposes approaches to sustainability that increase the likelihood of a successful change effort

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Reviews summary

Practical strategic change implementation

According to learners, this course offers a highly practical and actionable framework for managing strategic change, focusing on real-world application rather than just theory. Students frequently highlight the well-structured content and engaging lectures that make complex concepts accessible. The course provides valuable tools and strategies, with many appreciating the focus on sustainability and continuous improvement in change initiatives. A few mentioned that it is an excellent refresher for experienced professionals while still providing a solid foundation for new leaders in change management.
Emphasizes long-term success and enduring change.
"The focus on sustaining change beyond initial implementation was a key differentiator for me, addressing a common challenge in organizations."
"I learned critical methods to ensure that strategic changes are not just implemented but also effectively supported and sustained over time."
"This course provided me with frameworks to build resilience into change initiatives, making them adaptable and long-lasting."
Instructor provides valuable, experienced-based guidance.
"The instructor’s experience shone through, providing practical examples and nuances that deepened my understanding of the subject."
"I found the instructor's insights to be incredibly valuable, offering perspectives that only come from years of real-world practice."
"The lectures were engaging, and the instructor's ability to simplify complex topics made the learning process much more effective."
Logical flow and clear organization of course material.
"The course structure was excellent, building concepts progressively and making it easy to follow even complex strategic models."
"I appreciated the logical flow of topics, which allowed me to systematically understand and integrate new information on change management."
"Each module seamlessly connected to the next, reinforcing learning and providing a coherent overview of strategic change."
Focuses on immediate, real-world applicability of concepts.
"This course offers highly practical tools and strategies that I could immediately apply to my work environment, making a tangible difference."
"I found the content very applicable, providing clear steps to implement strategic change rather than just discussing abstract ideas."
"The course delivered on its promise of actionable insights; I particularly appreciated how it transitioned from theory to practical exercises."
Opinion divided on theoretical depth vs. practical tools.
"While the course provides many practical tools, I felt it sometimes lacked the deeper theoretical foundation I was looking for."
"Some topics felt a bit too high-level, and I wished for more in-depth exploration of the underlying strategic theories."
"The balance between theory and practical application was good for me; it focused on 'how to' rather than just 'what is'."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Supporting and Sustaining Strategic Change with these activities:
Review course materials
Refresh your understanding of the course concepts by reviewing the provided materials. This will help you reinforce your knowledge and prepare for upcoming assessments.
Show steps
  • Review lecture notes, readings, and assignments
  • Summarize key concepts and create study aids
Understand systems thinking
Start by familiarizing yourself with systems thinking approaches and techniques to build a stronger foundation for understanding organizational change.
Browse courses on Systems Thinking
Show steps
  • Review online resources on systems thinking
  • Identify a real-world example of a system and analyze its components and interactions
Read Leading Change
Gain insights from a seminal work on change management. Kotter's framework will provide a solid foundation for understanding the process and challenges of leading change.
Show steps
  • Read the book and take notes on Kotter's 8-step process for leading change
  • Identify examples from your own experience or observations that illustrate each step
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Participate in a mock change initiative
Simulate a change initiative by working with a team to identify a problem, develop a solution, and implement it. This will provide hands-on experience in applying the course concepts.
Browse courses on Change Management
Show steps
  • Form a team and identify a change challenge
  • Analyze the current situation and identify stakeholders
  • Develop a change plan and strategy
  • Implement the change plan and monitor progress
  • Evaluate the outcomes and make necessary adjustments
Design a change management plan for a specific organizational challenge
Apply your understanding of change management to a real-world challenge. By developing a plan, you will practice applying the concepts and tools learned in the course.
Show steps
  • Identify an organizational challenge that requires change
  • Analyze the current situation and stakeholders
  • Develop a change management plan that outlines the goals, strategies, and timeline
  • Present your plan to a group of peers or colleagues
Share your knowledge with a mentee
Reinforce your understanding of the course content by explaining it to someone else. By mentoring another student, you can solidify your knowledge and develop your communication skills.
Show steps
  • Identify a mentee who is interested in learning about change management
  • Meet with your mentee regularly to discuss course concepts and answer their questions
Develop a change management toolkit
Create a collection of resources, such as templates, checklists, or case studies, that you can use to support change initiatives in your organization. This will help you apply the course learnings in a practical way.
Show steps
  • Identify the key tools and frameworks needed for change management
  • Develop or gather resources that cover these tools and frameworks
  • Organize the resources into a coherent toolkit

Career center

Learners who complete Supporting and Sustaining Strategic Change will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We've selected 50 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Supporting and Sustaining Strategic Change.
Presents a step-by-step framework for leading organizational change. Kotter argues that change process that must be carefully planned and executed, and he provides practical advice on how to overcome the challenges of change. This book classic in the field of organizational change and is essential reading for anyone involved in leading change.
This is widely considered an essential introductory text to Systems Thinking. It clearly explains core concepts like stocks, flows, and feedback loops using relatable examples. is highly recommended for anyone seeking a broad understanding and serves as a strong foundation for further study. It is often used as a foundational text in academic settings and for professionals new to the field.
Offers a practical framework for giving and receiving feedback in a professional setting, emphasizing the balance between caring personally and challenging directly. It's highly popular in business and management circles and is particularly relevant for those in leadership roles or aspiring to them. It serves as a valuable guide for implementing a feedback culture within teams and organizations.
Is foundational for understanding what constitutes effective strategy. Rumelt distinguishes between superficial "bad strategy" and robust "good strategy," providing a clear framework for analysis and development. It is highly relevant for students and professionals seeking to build a solid understanding of strategic principles. This book serves as an excellent starting point for anyone new to the field, and its insights are valuable for deepening understanding as well.
Die deutsche Ausgabe dieses Standardwerks bietet Strategien für den Umgang mit herausfordernden Gesprächen, einschließlich Feedback. Es ist eine grundlegende Ressource zum Verständnis der Struktur schwieriger Interaktionen und zur Verbesserung der Kommunikationsfähigkeiten, die für effektives Feedback unerlässlich sind. Nützlich als Nachschlagewerk und oft als Lehrbuch verwendet.
Is crucial for understanding the environmental factors that enable effective feedback. It highlights the importance of psychological safety in the workplace for individuals to feel comfortable giving and receiving candid feedback without fear of retribution. It's highly relevant for leaders and anyone interested in fostering a culture where feedback is welcomed and utilized for learning and improvement.
Drawing on their experience at Procter & Gamble, Lafley and Martin present a practical and accessible framework for developing strategy. The book emphasizes making clear choices about where to play and how to win. It is valuable for both students and practitioners, offering a clear and actionable approach to strategic planning. is often used as a practical guide in business settings.
Builds on Kotter's earlier work on leading organizational change and provides a practical guide for implementing change in organizations. Kotter and Cohen argue that change process that requires both leadership and management, and they provide tools and techniques for both leaders and managers to use to drive change.
Presents a new model for organizational design, based on the idea that organizations should be self-managed and self-organizing. Laloux argues that this new model is necessary to meet the challenges of the 21st century, and he provides case studies of organizations that have successfully adopted this model.
Explores the challenges of leading change in large organizations. Hill argues that change is often difficult and messy, and she provides practical advice on how to overcome the challenges of change. This book is essential reading for anyone involved in leading change in large organizations.
Presents a powerful approach to communication that focuses on empathy, needs, and requests, which is highly relevant to giving and receiving feedback constructively. It provides a framework for understanding the feelings and needs underlying messages, improving the quality of feedback interactions. While broader than just feedback, its principles are foundational for creating a safe environment for feedback exchange. It's considered a classic in communication studies.
Advocates for candid and authentic communication, which is crucial for effective feedback. It provides tools and techniques for having honest and impactful conversations, even when they are challenging. It's highly relevant for developing the skills needed to deliver feedback that is both clear and constructive.
This foundational book explores the two systems of thought that drive how we make decisions: System 1 (fast, intuitive, and emotional) and System 2 (slower, more deliberate, and logical). Understanding these cognitive processes is crucial for comprehending how individuals perceive and react to change, a core aspect of adaptability. It provides essential background knowledge in behavioral economics and psychology, relevant for all levels of study and professional application.
Taleb introduces the concept of antifragility, which goes beyond resilience or robustness. Antifragile systems don't just withstand shocks; they benefit from them. challenges traditional thinking about risk and uncertainty, offering a framework for building systems and individuals that can thrive in unpredictable environments. It's highly relevant for understanding how to not only cope with change but to actively gain from volatility.
While not solely focused on planning, this book is crucial for understanding that even the best strategy is useless without effective execution. It highlights the importance of aligning people, strategy, and operations. is essential for anyone involved in implementing strategic plans and is highly relevant for professionals at all levels.
This contemporary book applies Systems Thinking to the pressing issue of climate change and governance. It explores how a systems perspective can inform more effective policies and actions to address this complex global challenge. This is highly relevant for those interested in applying systems thinking to contemporary environmental and political issues.
Emotional intelligence critical component of effective feedback, both in giving and receiving. Goleman's seminal work explores the importance of self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills, all of which are vital for navigating the emotional aspects of feedback conversations. provides foundational knowledge in understanding the human element in feedback exchanges.
Focused specifically on feedback within leadership, this book provides practical guidance for managers and team leaders. It emphasizes the link between feedback and employee engagement and offers actionable strategies for improving leadership conversations around performance and development. This useful resource for developing practical feedback skills in a leadership context.
Challenges the conventional approach of competing in existing market spaces ("red oceans"). It presents a framework for creating new, uncontested market spaces ("blue oceans"), offering a different perspective on strategic thinking. It is valuable for those seeking to deepen their understanding of strategy beyond traditional competitive analysis and is highly relevant for contemporary discussions on innovation and market creation.
This collection features some of the most influential articles on strategy published in the Harvard Business Review. It includes articles by prominent thinkers like Michael Porter, providing a concise overview of key strategic concepts and frameworks. It is an excellent resource for gaining a broad understanding of strategic thinking and exploring different perspectives.
Offers a high-level perspective on Systems Thinking with a focus on business and management applications. It explores the intersection of Systems Thinking, design thinking, and management, providing insights for senior executives and professionals. Newer editions include applications to current global issues. It's more of a conceptual guide than a step-by-step manual.
Offers practical guidance on structuring and delivering feedback effectively. It focuses on the mechanics of giving feedback, providing actionable strategies for crafting clear, concise, and impactful messages. It's a useful resource for those looking for concrete techniques to improve their feedback delivery skills. This book serves as a practical guide for applying feedback principles.
This guide offers a comprehensive approach to performance management, with a significant focus on the role of feedback in the process. It provides practical advice and tools for setting goals, monitoring progress, and delivering feedback that drives performance improvement. It's a valuable resource for managers and HR professionals.
Provides a comprehensive guide to strategic planning specifically tailored for public and nonprofit sectors. It addresses the unique challenges and contexts of these organizations, offering practical frameworks and tools. It is highly relevant for individuals working in or studying public administration and nonprofit management, providing a solid understanding of strategic planning in these areas.
Applies systems thinking principles specifically to the healthcare domain, focusing on improving quality and safety. It examines how system failures contribute to errors and how a systems approach can lead to better patient outcomes. This highly relevant book for students and professionals in healthcare and public health interested in applying systems thinking to their field.
An ancient Chinese military treatise, "The Art of War" offers timeless principles of strategy applicable to various fields, including business. While not directly about modern business planning, its lessons on planning, positioning, and understanding the competitive landscape are highly relevant. It provides a foundational understanding of strategic thinking that complements contemporary approaches. This is considered a classic text on strategy.
Provides a collection of practical tips and techniques for giving feedback that motivates and improves performance. It offers a variety of approaches for different situations and individuals, making it a handy reference for managers and leaders. It's a good resource for gaining practical skills in delivering feedback.
Explores the accelerating pace of technological change and its profound impact on various industries and aspects of life. Understanding these exponential trends is crucial for anticipating future disruptions and developing strategies for personal and organizational adaptability. It provides a contemporary perspective on the external forces driving the need for continuous adaptation.
While not directly about feedback delivery, this book's exploration of fixed versus growth mindsets is crucial for understanding how individuals perceive and react to feedback. It provides valuable context for why some people are more receptive to feedback than others and highlights the importance of fostering a growth-oriented environment where feedback is seen as an opportunity for learning. offers essential background knowledge for anyone involved in giving or receiving feedback.
This highly visual book presents the Business Model Canvas, a tool for describing, analyzing, and designing business models. Understanding business models is fundamental to strategic planning, and this book provides a practical framework for doing so. It is widely used by entrepreneurs, strategists, and innovators.
Presents a simplified framework for Systems Thinking based on four universal rules (DSRP: Distinctions, Systems, Relationships, Perspectives). It aims to make Systems Thinking accessible and practical for tackling complex issues. While some find the approach overly simplified, it can be a useful starting point for beginners and those looking for a practical guide. It provides a structured method for applying systems thinking to real-world problems.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the different schools of thought in strategic management, presenting a diverse range of perspectives on how strategies are formed. It is valuable for gaining a broad understanding of the evolution and various approaches to strategic planning. It can help readers appreciate the complexity and multifaceted nature of the field.
This classic book focuses on the human side of change, emphasizing the importance of understanding and managing the psychological transition process that individuals go through when faced with change. It provides practical guidance for leaders and individuals on navigating the emotional responses to change, which is essential for fostering personal and organizational adaptability. It valuable resource for anyone involved in leading or experiencing significant changes.
Duckworth's research highlights the importance of grit – the combination of passion and perseverance – for achieving long-term goals. This quality is intrinsically linked to adaptability, as it enables individuals to stay committed and adjust their approach in the face of obstacles and changing circumstances. offers valuable insights for fostering personal resilience and a tenacious approach to challenges.
Explores how self-deception can create interpersonal problems and hinder effective communication, including the ability to give and receive honest feedback. It provides a powerful perspective on how our own mindset can impact our interactions and the effectiveness of feedback. It offers valuable insights for improving self-awareness and fostering more open communication.
Focuses on applying Systems Thinking to tackle 'messy' or 'wicked' problems that are common in real-world scenarios. It provides tools and techniques for understanding and working with complex, ill-defined situations. This practical guide relevant for managers, change leaders, and anyone dealing with complex challenges.
Provides a practical framework for scaling up a business, focusing on four key decision areas: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. It offers actionable tools and techniques for implementing strategic plans and achieving growth. It is particularly relevant for entrepreneurs and leaders of growing companies.
Taleb explores the impact of rare and unpredictable events, or 'Black Swans,' and our tendency to rationalize them in hindsight. Understanding the nature of unpredictability is crucial for developing robust and adaptable systems and mindsets that can better navigate the unknown. provides a provocative and insightful perspective on the limits of our knowledge and the importance of preparing for the unexpected.
Emphasizes the importance of personal accountability and provides tools for diagnosing and resolving accountability issues within organizations.
Provides a comprehensive guide to change management, covering topics such as the planning, implementation, and evaluation of change. Cleland and Gareis argue that change process that must be carefully managed in order to be successful, and they provide practical advice on how to do so.
Based on Bain & Company research, this book argues that the most successful companies grow by concentrating on their core business. It provides a framework for identifying and exploiting the full potential of the core. It is relevant for strategic planning focused on sustainable growth and competitive advantage.
A practical guide for managers, this book focuses on applying Systems Thinking to business problems. It provides tools and techniques for understanding complex organizational dynamics and making better decisions. It's a good resource for professionals seeking to apply systems thinking in a business context.

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