In late January, Ketchum Change partnered with the International Association of Business Communicators’ (IABC) Chicago chapter to host an abbreviated version of our new Thriving Through Liquid Change workshop. Guests gathered at a local downtown restaurant where they participated in the interactive lunch event. Attendees represented a variety of companies and industries, including Aon, Baker Tilly, Grant Thornton, Thomson Reuters and United Stationers among others.
Supported by our Chicago based team, I provided an overview of Liquid Change, Ketchum Change’s unique model for understanding change as continuous and helping organizations build the capabilities necessary to be successful in today’s fast-paced and dynamically shifting markets. The session evolved into a collaborative discussion, with attendees mentioning the ways in which they and their organizations can adapt and thrive through change.
Phila Broich, Chief People & Culture Officer at PHD, summed up the importance of being liquid by stating, “If you’re not changing, you’re dying.”
Prior to the event, all registered attendees completed Ketchum’s Liquid Change diagnostic tool. By using the tool, participants determined how “liquid” their organizations are across four key characteristics: Dialed-in, agile, transparent and pioneering.
Results were presented and sparked a lively conversation on how individuals and their organizations are experiencing and managing change. Highlights of the discussion and diagnostic results included:
• Across the key areas of Liquid Change, organizations scored higher in the areas of being transparent and dialed-in, and lower in the areas of being agile and pioneering in how they manage change.
• Many participants indicated their organizations are currently more reactive than proactive in adapting to change, and expressed a need for greater innovation.
• When prompted to think about why their organizations function this way during change, attendees described a fear of change and difficulty getting leaders aligned.
• One attendee said, “My organization likes to think it is agile, but it seems more apparent that the organization reacts quickly only once change is eminent, rather than proactively thinking ahead and taking advantage of change-related opportunities.”
• The group discussed the challenge of Chicago not being perceived to be a “hub of innovation,” like Silicon Valley, and came up with ideas around defining innovation within their organizations and enabling it through communication.
• Another attendee shared her recent experience of managing a large-scale change in her organization by describing her, “A-ha” moment as to when she realized the central role that communication plays in any change effort.
To learn more about Liquid Change and our full workshop series, click here.
