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Leading People Through Change

John Oesch

Leaders play a critical role in the success of any change initiative, but so, too, do those impacted by a change. The Leading People Through Change course offers guidance on effective leadership behaviors for the purpose of organizational change.

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Leaders play a critical role in the success of any change initiative, but so, too, do those impacted by a change. The Leading People Through Change course offers guidance on effective leadership behaviors for the purpose of organizational change.

The course explores how to establish a communication plan, improve your understanding of a change endeavor, and build stakeholder commitment. You’ll delve into behavioral change, including identifying approaches to enhance how key segments of your organization respond to your change initiative. You will also learn to identify and mitigate implications of change efforts on stakeholders, systems, and processes, and how to lead effective conversations around the implications of change.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • The various components of a communication plan.
  • Leadership tools to build conviction toward your change initiative.
  • Methods to deduce how the four segments of an organizational population will respond to your change initiative.
  • Skills to analyze the rationale of resistors to your change initiative to determine how to approach them.
  • The effects and unintended consequences of a change effort on stakeholders, and systems and processes.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Develops core leadership competencies germane to organizational change
Thoughtfully reviews the implications of change effects from people, process, and policy perspectives
Taught by Dr. John Oesch, a renowned change management expert

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Reviews summary

Guiding organizational change leadership

According to students, 'Leading People Through Change' provides a solid foundation in organizational change leadership, particularly praised for its focus on the human element of change and the provision of actionable communication plans and practical frameworks for stakeholder buy-in and addressing resistance. Many found the instructor's examples and well-structured material to be highly beneficial. However, some learners, especially experienced professionals, noted that the course can feel too theoretical or basic, suggesting a desire for more in-depth case studies and advanced, hands-on application to complex scenarios. Overall, it's considered a valuable resource for those new to change management or seeking a practical overview.
Emphasizes understanding people and behaviors during change initiatives.
"Excellent course for understanding the human side of change."
"The segments on behavioral change were eye-opening."
"Helpful for understanding the psychology of change."
"The focus on identifying and addressing resistance was brilliant."
Provides actionable tools and strategies for real-world application.
"I immediately applied the strategies for stakeholder buy-in at my organization."
"The modules on identifying resistor types were very practical."
"The detailed breakdown of how to approach different organizational segments and mitigate unintended consequences was exactly what I needed. The tools provided are actionable."
"It provided me with a framework that I've already started using."
Some learners desire more real-world case studies and hands-on application.
"I would have loved more hands-on case studies to work through."
"More real-world examples would elevate it, but the core concepts are strong."
"Felt like a lot of high-level theory without enough specific how-to."
Offers a solid foundation, but may be basic for seasoned professionals.
"If you're new to change management, this is a good starting point. For experienced professionals, it might feel a bit basic."
"The course felt a bit generic... perhaps too basic for my needs as a senior manager."
"Expected more in-depth practical application. Not suitable for someone who needs immediate, actionable solutions for complex change scenarios."
"Some parts felt like a recap if you've already done other leadership training."

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 Leading People Through Change with these activities:
Review communication principles and techniques
Strengthen communication skills to effectively convey messages and engage stakeholders during change initiatives.
Browse courses on Communication
Show steps
  • Review course materials or textbooks on communication principles.
  • Practice active listening and empathy in conversations.
  • Seek feedback from peers or mentors on communication style.
Read Leading Change by John Kotter
Build foundational understanding of the complexities involved in leading change efforts and the frameworks available to effectively guide people through these changes.
View HBR's 10 Must Reads for Executive Teams on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the book and take notes on key insights.
  • Summarize the book's main arguments and takeaways.
  • Identify key concepts and examples that relate to your own leadership experiences.
Watch tutorials on communication planning in change management
Develop practical skills in creating effective communication plans for change initiatives by following guided tutorials.
Show steps
  • Identify reputable sources for tutorials on communication planning.
  • Follow the steps outlined in the tutorials to create a draft communication plan.
  • Review and refine your draft plan based on feedback.
Five other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all eight activities
Practice identifying and analyzing stakeholder responses to change initiatives
Sharpen analytical skills in assessing stakeholder responses to change initiatives, enabling you to tailor your approach to different stakeholder groups.
Browse courses on Stakeholder Analysis
Show steps
  • Review course materials on stakeholder analysis.
  • Practice identifying stakeholders and their potential responses to a change initiative.
  • Analyze the rationale of resistors to change initiatives.
Develop a stakeholder communication plan for a hypothetical change initiative
Apply the concepts learned in the course to a practical scenario by creating a stakeholder communication plan for a hypothetical change initiative.
Browse courses on Communication Planning
Show steps
  • Identify stakeholders and their communication needs.
  • Develop communication strategies tailored to each stakeholder group.
  • Create a communication plan outlining the strategies and timelines.
Engage in discussions with peers on the implications of change on stakeholders and processes
Exchange perspectives and learn from others' experiences in managing the implications of change on stakeholders and processes.
Browse courses on Stakeholder Management
Show steps
  • Identify peers with diverse experiences in change management.
  • Schedule a discussion session to share insights and perspectives.
  • Prepare questions to facilitate a meaningful discussion.
Explore case studies of successful change initiatives
Gain insights from real-world examples of successful change initiatives, providing practical lessons and best practices.
Browse courses on Case Studies
Show steps
  • Identify reputable sources for case studies.
  • Analyze case studies to understand the context, strategies, and outcomes of successful change initiatives.
  • Extract key learnings and apply them to your own change initiatives.
Organize and review course materials and notes
Regularly reviewing course materials and notes strengthens knowledge retention and understanding.
Show steps
  • Review course notes after each session to reinforce learnings.
  • Organize notes and materials to create a comprehensive study guide.
  • Test your understanding by summarizing key concepts and ideas from the materials.

Career center

Learners who complete Leading People Through Change will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

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Course image
Effort
3 to 5 hours per week for 4 weeks
Level
Intermediate
Via
edX
Institution
University of Toronto
Instructor
John Oesch
Language
English
Transcript
English
Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Develops core leadership competencies germane to organizational change
Thoughtfully reviews the implications of change effects from people, process, and policy perspectives
Taught by Dr. John Oesch, a renowned change management expert
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