ADLP 7003 Leading Change from the Middle

The contemporary business environment is constantly changing. Global and domestic markets are in flux, and the workforce is subject to the ebb and flow of generational dynamics. Whether Fortune 500 or small business, the ability to be nimble and strategically change in response to the fluidity of business trends is the key to success. Yet, leading and managing change in the corporate setting is extraordinarily challenging. Change is unsettling. Change challenges the security of how things have been done. Change tests the mettle of project implementation and teams. The prospect of change often impedes creativity rather than promotes innovation in the workplace. No one wants to be wrong or make a wrong decision in the face of change. Hence, managers and the workforce they oversee tend to be change resistant. In order for the organization to change, the people in the organization must be willing to change work/management styles, approaches, and attitudes. In todays highly competitive business environment, rapid and smooth decision-making and implementation is the basis for competitive edge. This course will be presented in three parts. First, students will gain a detailed understanding of change at the macro (organizational) and micro (individual) levels. We will identify the problems associated with anticipating, initiating and implementing change in both for profit and not for profit corporate settings. The second part of the course will explore various techniques in promoting sound analytical corporate response to change at the senior and mid-level managerial levels. The final part of the course is applied. Student teams will assume leadership roles in a fictional company needing change and present their change process in class. Students will also each prepare an analysis of a case studies of corporate change experience. Emphasis will be placed on the process of change in the business context. The class discussions will be grounded in empirical realities rather than theoretical suppositions.