Change and Thrive with Dr. Wendy L. Heckelman

Most companies are reexamining their strategies and making fundamental or incremental changes to their strategic direction, organizational structure, and employee engagement efforts. Executing these changes requires leaders who are ready to lead others through ongoing change. In this month's Podcast episode, special guest, Sheryl Unger joins us once again to discuss Strategic Change and Developing Leadership Agility. During this episode, you'll hear Wendy and Sheryl share insights from nearly thirty years of experience working with hundreds of clients, and how The 5C’s of Transition Leadership® can provide a structured framework to help leaders improve their change execution capabilities and more effectively lead others.

In this this month's Podcast episode, we have special guest Sheryl Unger join us to discuss the Great Resignation, retention-related struggles faced by employers, and provide you with practical tips you can implement.

As we all know an alarming number of employees began quitting their jobs in the Spring of 2021. This increased level of turnover is referred to as “The Great Resignation.”  Up until now, “The Great Resignation” has taken the spotlight for many organizations. However, a new trend is surfacing. This trend is called, The Great Regret. The Great Regret is being used to describe the fact that many employees are not finding what they are looking for in other organizations. Instead, they are beginning to “regret” their decision to leave their previous company.  In other words, the churn is creating an endless cycle of leaving and longing. What can organizations do to break the cycle of resignation and regret? Listen to today's episode to learn more!

We have all heard the phrase, what you measure matters. This is why when undergoing large- scale change, organizations, teams, and individuals should put metrics in place to determine if matters are going in the right direction. Let's be honest. It's rare to get everything right out of the gate. Just like a pebble dropped in a body of water. There may be ripples and unintended consequences. That is why it is so important to take the time to reflect on what is working and where we need to adjust. In today’s episode we'll discuss the fifth and final C in The 5C’s of Transition Leadership® - CALIBRATE to ensure success.

Everyone reacts to change differently. Coaching through transition is not about performance coaching or development coaching, but in helping someone acknowledge what has changed and what they need to get to the other side and begin to perform. If you have been tuning into our leadership podcast series this month, we have discussed committing to change, constructing a plan to address business impact and risks, and creating high performing teams. In today’s episode, we continue our discussion on leadership agility, as I share with you the fourth C in the 5C’s of Transition Leadership® – COACH direct reports through transition.

Large-scale change impacts teams differently and with change comes new leaders, newly comprised teams, new ways of working, and new priorities. Often team members become distracted or neglect important priorities. Whether or not the amount of disruption is large or small, involves new customers or new geographies, people still need to quickly align around the team's vision, strategies, and priorities. In today’s episode we continue our discussion on leadership agility and will discuss the third C in the 5C’s of Transition Leadership® - CREATE a high performing team to deliver results.

Every change initiative has its own unique set of risks and challenges. One change initiative may potentially impact customers’ revenue and/or market share, while another may impact production process flows or information exchange. The organization and its leaders must identify risks associated with the change and develop mitigation strategies within their control. In today’s episode we continue our discussion on leadership agility, and I would like to discuss the second of the 5C’s of Transition Leadership® - CONSTRUCT. This is where the focus is on the business, constructing a plan to address business impact and risks.

One consistent message I've heard from clients over the last 30 years and from our featured guests, is that a leader must “commit” to any change underway. More specifically, a leader must have the ability to inspire colleagues to adopt and embrace change. But first, leaders must face and manage their own doubts before they can concentrate on the transition efforts of others. In this week's podcast, we begin our series on leadership agility and discuss our proven change execution framework, the 5C's of Transition Leadership®, which is the basis of my book, Change and Thrive: A modern approach to Change Leadership. We will talk about all things related to change and share insights on how to improve your ability to successfully deal with ongoing change.

As markets remain unstable and the future uncertain, companies need their best and brightest to succeed and much of that talent is women. Even in a post-pandemic world, women still must rethink personal and professional priorities to remain resilient. In today’s episode I have invited three spectacular female leaders navigating change during these challenging times. They will be sharing how their organizations have adjusted to the new normal and how female leaders can continue to uplift one another as the marketplace recovers.

As a leader in an organization, you face many challenges and critical decisions to successfully navigate change. The very essence of change is that it can happen quickly, right before your eyes. Fortunately, with proper planning and preparation leaders can not only handle change but also, thrive! That is why I wrote my book Change and Thrive: A Modern Approach to Change Leadership. I want leaders to know they can achieve their organizational, team and individual goals with the right plan of action!