Reimagined Smith IMPACT Series Tackles Leading through Change

Leaders from the worlds of business, nonprofit and government packed a room in the Reagan Building and International Trade Center on April 5, 2017, for a timely conversation about driving and adapting tochange.

The event, hosted by the Office of Executive Programs at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, began with an “Inside the Actor Studio” style one-on-one interview. Neta Moye, a clinical professor of management, quizzed Alonso Robinson, founder and CEO of Symphonic Strategies, on dealing with transition and complexity.

Identity is a key to keeping people engaged through potentially unsettling organizational change, explained Robinson. “When who you are connected to what you do, it charges your battery,” he said. “Identity is a critical driver for behavior.”

Robinson also touched on the importance of transition in his keynote address. “Oftentimes people are reacting to change, but what is really bothering them is the transition process,” he said.

An expert panel discussion focused on tools and tactics to engage employees to take ownership of new initiatives.

“Be very clear about where you’re going,” recommended Mary O’Connor LoJacono of Willis Towers Watson. “But when you start engaging your communities around how, you have to be agile.”

Dennis Walto, executive director of the Children’s Health Fund, added, “Giving everybody a stake in leading ensures success.”

Attendees enjoyed a networking lunch to end the half-day seminar. With a successful relaunch of the IMPACT series, another installment is planned for fall 2017.

For more information about executive education at Smith, visit: http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/execed

- Greg Markle, Office of Marketing Communications