Addressing Change-o-Phobia: Leading Change Up and Down the Org Chart
$1,000
This certificate program consists of three required courses (listed below) and one elective course option.
This certificate is comprised of four single-day courses.
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Leading changes to an organization’s operations, policies, and/or culture requires a keen understanding of emotions, organizations, and persuasive strategies. Drawing on rhetorical theory and organizational psychology, this workshop will help you understand why people resist change, how to plan out the steps for introducing changes, and how to design communications promoting change directed at different audiences and phases of the change process. This class involves case studies and ample time for discussion of participant issues.
The art of persuasion—rhetoric—originated 2,500 years ago with the dawn of democracy in Athens. Ever since, scholars have recognized that persuading someone to change an attitude is doable, changing a belief is hard, and changing actions is a mighty challenge. Even when people—and organizations—know that their routines are counter-productive, they resist change because they are afraid of the unknown.
By exploring attitudes, learning some theory, discussing case studies, writing about change in their own organizations, and role-playing, participants will:
- Become more aware of their own approach to change;
- Better understand the sources of resistance to change;
- Learn and practice strategies for framing changes to stakeholders, including peers, subordinates, and managers;
- Learn strategies for managing change over time.
Key lessons covered in this course include:
- What counts as “change” and what are its phases? What reactions are typical at each phase? Why do players interpret reality so differently? How can resistance become helpful for creating change?
- How can change-agents form coalitions? How can “rhetorical listening” foster openness? How can “ownership talk” foster receptivity? How can “reciprocity talk” increase commitment?
- How can unexpected conflicts and obstacles be addressed? How can “synergy rhetoric” foster consensus on priorities? What kinds of concessions and counter-arguments are most effective?
- What are the keys to successful change? Why do most transformation efforts fail? How can change be implemented over time while preventing backsliding?
Details & Registration
Time: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs): 0.6 CEUs will be awarded upon completion of this program (six hours of instruction)
One-Day Seminar Pricing:
Registration fee includes all course materials, catering (lunch and refreshments), WiFi access, and parking.
- Standard Registration: $1,000
- UT System Staff/Alumni Registration: $750
- Educator, Nonprofit, Government, Military Registration: $750
Get employer support! We’ve gathered resources to help you make the case for your employer to support your HDO education.
If you have questions prior to registering, please see our Professional Training FAQ or contact Andrew M. Vasquez, HDO’s Enrollment & Success Coordinator at hdo-pro@austin.utexas.edu.
Course Leader(s)
Davida Charney, Ph.D., has been a professor in UT Austin’s Department of Rhetoric and Writing since 1997. In the early part of her career, her teaching and research focused on technical and professional communication. At UT, she broadened her focus to rhetorical theory and the persuasive strategies used by scholars across the disciplines. Lately, she has turned her focus to Jewish Studies and the use of persuasion in the Hebrew Bible and Jewish liturgy. For HDO, she has offered workshops in change management and has worked with master’s students on writing their capstone projects.
Marcia Silverberg, MSW, is the owner and founder of HR Directions, the consulting firm that she founded in 1998. HR Directions helps its clients align their people strategies with their business goals to achieve organizational success. Frequently this involves coaching executives and facilitating important meetings. Marcia retired in 2013 as Vice President, HR Strategic Initiatives and System Office Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for Ascension Health, the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in the country with over 150,000 employees.
Who Should Participate
- Senior/Executive Leadership
- Middle Management
- Team Leaders & Supervisors
- Human Resources/Talent Management Directors & Managers
- Change Management Specialists and Consultants
Through training in HDO’s Certificate Program, I gained the ability to better understand and manage change in my organization, particularly while leading our current restructuring. In the courses I took, discussions with fellow participants, all from a wide range of sectors, my eyes and ears were opened to the similarity of the issues and challenges we’re all facing. Overall, I learned to view organizational change as a creative process that provides great opportunities for personal and professional growth.
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