For the past 12 years, I’ve been consulting and training in the growing field of Organizational Change Management (OCM). Recently I was asked to guest lecture for the McGeorge Law School, Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Master of Public Policy (MPP) programs. While I had lectured on OCM many times to businesses across the country, I hadn’t stepped foot in a post-graduate classroom since I earned my own Master’s degree 20 years ago. While preparing, I can honestly say that I felt a little nervous. Would I be able to relate to this generation of students, some of whom had not been born when I was in school? How would the topic of OCM apply in a non-business setting? Would my stories resonate with those students who entered graduate school straight out of an undergraduate program?
At the same time, I was excited to introduce a structured change approach to the class. I thoroughly embrace change management and would have loved the opportunity to learn about it while I was in graduate school. The great thing about OCM is that it applies to everyone. It’s not just about helping others through change – it’s also about understanding what you need to make a change, or how to better handle changes that you cannot directly control. The students were engaged throughout and asked great questions during our discussion. I’m hoping that my presentation will help one or more of them start their own change management journey and help advance the discipline further.