Association of Change Management Professionals Global Conference

	Walter McFarland President, Windmill Human Performance
Presentation:
Level: Experienced Topic Area: Emerging Trends, Innovative Ideas
"The Neuroscience of Change" One of the most popular fields of study in organizational science for several decades has been organizational change. Year after year, scores of books, articles, and research studies are published claiming important new insights into the Change process. Yet, year after year, the majority of Change efforts underperform, fail outright, or make the situation worse (Cope 2003). The fierce competition of the 21st Century combined with other urgent factors such as resource constraints and financial upheaval are demanding that modern organizations change more, faster, and in different ways than ever before (Hamel 2009). However, there is little reason to believe that organizations can change - given the track record noted above. Clearly, new sources of insight are needed to better understand the phenomenon of organizational change. The purpose of this presentation is to suggest that the emerging field of neuroscience may be a source of new insight into the theory and practice of organizational change. As neuroscientists around the world increase our knowledge of the brain, information relevant to organizational change is being uncovered. This presentation will: Introduce the field of Neuroscience and its relevance to organizational change; Highlight specific attributes of the brain that inform behavior during organizational change; Illustrate how current change approaches may actually trigger resistance in the brain, and Suggest specific NS-informed actions to improve the performance of change interventions. Key Takeaways: Introduce the field of Neuroscience and its relevance to organizational change Highlight specific attributes of the brain that inform behavior during organizational change Illustrate how current change approaches may actually trigger resistance in the brain Suggest specific NS-informed actions to improve the performance of change interventions
Biography:
Walter McFarland is President of Windmill Human Performance and the current Board Chair elect for the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD). He held previous positions as a Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton and a Senior Principal at Hay Management Consultants where his business focus was human capital, learning, and change. The center piece of his career has been focused on leading large-scale transformation and change efforts for the US government. Mr. McFarland has had leadership roles in consulting engagements focused on: transforming the Internal Revenue Service; creating the Department of Homeland Security; and better integrating the US Intelligence Community—to name a few. He has earned: the Hammer Award, the IRS Commissioner's Award, and recognition from ASTD and the Smithsonian Institution, among others. Mr. McFarland is currently a graduate instructor at the NeuroLeadership Institute, Middlesex, England, and is a Board member of the Cahn Fellows Program at Teacher’s College, Columbia University. Mr. McFarland holds: a BA in Psychology and MPA in Public Administration from Southern Illinois University; an MA in Government from Georgetown University; an Ed.S in Human and Organizational Learning from the George Washington University; and an MSc in Organizational Change from HEC Management School, Paris, with Oxford University, England.
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