Inside Change Blogs 

by April Callis-Birchmeier

Stories of Change

Our world has seen more disruption than in the last 24 months than we have seen in the past 24 years. This constant change has left little time to ensure change adoption and as I’m sure you’re aware, the stakes are high. We need a coordinated approach to change for our projects, more...

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How to Support and Create a Positive Workplace as a Project or Change Leader

Creating a positive and healthy culture for your team rests on a few major principles. A positive workplace culture boils down to six essential characteristics:

  1. Caring for, being interested in, and maintaining responsibility for colleagues as friends.
  2. Providing support for one another, including...
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From Buzzword to Building Block

Digital transformation has been identified as a new buzzword, but it encompasses a long-standing organizational issue. One of the critical elements of digital transformation is to successfully establish a cultural foundation so everyone in the organization has a common understanding of how they...

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Navigating Change Fatigue

 I remember asking my PMO director to provide a kick-off for the “Change Management for Project Managers” training we were conducting for our team. He sighed, looked at me for a minute and asked “Why can’t we just tell people to change and they… change. Why...

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Singing from the Same Song Sheet

Have you ever had the feeling that you aren’t singing from the same song sheet as others? I experienced this recently when attending a memorial service for a family friend. Some of the participants were singing a hymn that was printed in the memorial program. Others were singing from the...

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The value of volunteering

Many years ago I volunteered to be a visionary volunteer leader for the National Speakers Association of Michigan. I know, it’s “meta” but meaningful because that experience set off a chain reaction which continues to impact me. It was much more valuable to me than to the NSA...

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Turning unplanned change into a time to enhance your career

The Coronavirus Pandemic has been an unplanned change. While there are many opinions on what could have, should have been handled differently the fact remains that we’re still discovering the change impact to our world.

While the future state may still be unclear and unknown, there is much...

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The three R’s – Renewal, Rebirth, Relief?

I love spring, the renewal and rebirth of the season (along with my Birthday) makes this month my hands down favorite. But this year, more than ever, I just have a great sense of relief. Relief that we are making progress in the battle against the pandemic and emerging from the lockdown that has...

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Resistance to Change

Resistance to change is natural and inevitable.

Turning a blind eye to resistance is a great temptation, but recognition is the first step in addressing and defusing it. As we just witnessed in Washington D.C., ignoring a growing resistance to change has consequences.

In our personal lives,...

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Mental Molting

The days are getting shorter, the temperature is dropping, and my chickens are molting, which sounds as bad as it looks on the chickens. 

 Many of you know I traded my city-slicker life for a “Green Acres” life, which includes cutting and splitting wood to burn for heat,...

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Holiday Memories and Change

What is your most memorable holiday experience as a child? Twinkling lights? Candles? Soap foam snow? Real snow?

As a six-year-old I remember trying to stay up all night to “catch” Santa. We didn’t have a fireplace, so my parents created a cardboard fireplace for Santa to use. I...

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Invest in your future self by finishing strong

Are you like me? A bit surprised that we’re in the last quarter of 2021?

If so, you’re not alone. Maybe you’ve accomplished what you set out to achieve this year. Good for you! Setting goals and accomplishing them is a tremendously satisfying feeling. Maybe you’re still...

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Recognized as one of the Top 30 Global Guru’s in Organizational Culture both in 2021 & 2022, April is an internationally known organizational change management expert who has implemented change for government, health care, higher education and corporate clients. April is the author of four books including the bestsellers “READY, Set, Change! Simplify and Accelerate Organizational Change” and “READY, Set, CCMP™ Exam Prep Guide".  Contact her at [email protected]