Change Accelerator
Managing Change
120 minutes
Executives | Managers
F2F
Description
This 120-minute session brings leaders up to speed with the most current psychological research on how people respond to change. Moving beyond traditional models, the session focuses on what contemporary science tells us about attention, emotion, motivation, cognitive overload, and the relational dynamics that make or break transformation.
We begin by exploring the psychology of resistance, including threat responses, identity disruption, and the role of emotional safety in making change feel tolerable rather than destabilising. Leaders learn how the brain processes uncertainty, how habits resist disruption, and why people default to old patterns even when the new path is objectively better.
We then shift into the psychology of engagement and momentum, drawing on insights from behavioural science, motivational theory, narrative psychology, and social influence. The session highlights practical ways to reduce cognitive load, increase psychological readiness, and design communication that cuts through noise. Leaders experiment with approaches that build ownership, maintain motivation during dip phases, and keep teams aligned under pressure.
Finally, we explore relationship-driven change, including how trust, micro-behaviours, and emotional signalling influence whether people feel connected to — or alienated by — change initiatives. Leaders leave with a set of high-impact tools they can apply immediately to support teams through both small adjustments and large-scale transformation.
Outcomes
Understanding Resistance
Explain the psychological roots of resistance, including threat responses, identity disruption, and habit conflict.
Recognise early signs of disengagement, overload, and emotional pushback.
Use empathy-based approaches to reduce threat and stabilise teams during uncertainty.
Driving Engagement
Apply behavioural-science insights to increase clarity, motivation, and readiness for change.
Reduce cognitive overload and design communication that sticks.
Use small, well-timed actions that create psychological momentum and early wins.
Building Ownership
Shift reactions from compliance to commitment through narrative, meaning-making, and agency.
Strengthen team ownership by linking change to values, identity, and personal relevance.
Use social norms and peer influence to support ongoing behavioural adoption.
Leading Through Relationships
Use relational cues — tone, emotion, micro-behaviours — to maintain trust during periods of disruption.
Facilitate conversations that surface fears, assumptions, and hidden barriers to adoption.
Build a psychologically informed change plan that supports wellbeing and performance throughout the transition.