I'm happy to be hosting and moderating this webinar that will be presented by Melissa Sherman, a friend of mine from the Michigan Lean Consortium:
Embedding Change Management into your Continuous Improvement Initiatives – click to register!
It's free and open to all!
Melissa will share her extensive experience in both continuous improvement and change management, offering valuable insights on how to integrate these two crucial disciplines.
As previewed in our recent podcast episode, Melissa emphasizes that effective change management goes beyond simple communication–it's about ensuring two-way interaction, involving the right stakeholders early in the process, and building trust throughout the change journey.
In the webinar, she will explore how to embed change management practices from the beginning of problem-solving efforts, using tools like PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) to systematically support sustainable change.
Join us on October 2 at 1:00 PM ET to learn actionable strategies for aligning stakeholders, gaining trust, and ensuring lasting improvements in your organization.
Preview Video:
Transcript:
Mark Graban:
Hi, I'm Mark Graban. Welcome to the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement podcast. Today, we are doing a preview of our upcoming webinar. It's going to be presented on October 2 at 1:00 PM Eastern. It is titled Embedding Change Management into Your Continuous Improvement Initiatives. To register, you can go to kainexus.com/webinars. You can also find a link in the description or show notes. And if you're listening or watching this preview after October 2, you can get the recording of the webinar the same way–again, by visiting kainexus.com/webinars or looking for the specific link.
Today, we are joined by the presenter of that webinar, Melissa Sherman, for some introductions and a preview. Melissa, thank you for being here.
Melissa Sherman:
How are you? I'm doing fine. Thanks for the invite, Mark. I'm totally excited about the upcoming webinar in October.
Mark Graban:
Yeah, it's a topic a lot of people are interested in. When we ask our webinar audience and our customers what topics they're interested in, change management comes up really frequently. There's always something new to learn. I know you're going to be sharing a lot of great ideas in the session, but first off, in terms of introductions–on October 2, I'll read your bio and share some personal connections, including how I know you from the Michigan Lean Consortium. But in this preview, I'd like to let you introduce yourself in your own words. Tell us about your background.
Melissa Sherman:
Thanks, Mark. Again, I'm Melissa Sherman, living on the west side of West Michigan, right along the beautiful lakeshore. I've been involved in continuous improvement and change management since around 1988 or 1989, so I have a long background in both areas. I work for a utility company as a Senior Quality Improvement Consultant, helping our business partners improve processes on a daily basis. I make sure to bring change management into the mix to ensure our efforts are sustainable. I also teach classes online and on campus, though not many people know that about me. Doing something like this is what I enjoy.
Mark Graban:
Well, it's great that you have the opportunity to teach our audience as well. As a bit of a preview, the webinar is titled Embedding Change Management into Your Continuous Improvement Initiatives. At a high level, why is change management such an important topic for you?
Melissa Sherman:
The main reason is because there's more to change management than just communication. A lot of times, organizations think change management is just about sending out an email or having a Teams meeting. But it's more than that. It involves understanding who's affected by the change–the upstream, the downstream, and beyond the silos where problem-solving happens. It's critical to have two-way communication and ensure feedback is part of the process.
Mark Graban:
It sounds like you're saying it shouldn't just be one-way communication or a one-time event.
Melissa Sherman:
Exactly. For instance, in my field, we often have read-and-sign processes when standards change. People sign off, but there's no way for them to communicate back whether they fully understand it. I try to push for more face-to-face communication and feedback loops to make sure people not only receive the message but truly understand it.
Mark Graban:
It sounds like the read-and-sign approach just demonstrates that they know how to click and sign, but it doesn't necessarily ensure understanding.
Melissa Sherman:
Absolutely.
Mark Graban:
And I assume you believe that change management shouldn't be something you tack on after the fact–after a decision has been made?
Melissa Sherman:
That's correct. When I'm working with teams, the first question I ask is, “Where's the process map? Who are we affecting?” so we can involve the right stakeholders early on. I also relate PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) to the steps of change management to ensure the process moves forward systematically, instead of just implementing a solution and saying, “Oh, now we need to do change management.” By that point, it's often too late.
Mark Graban:
I agree. People sometimes say, “Now we need to gain buy-in.” But the best time to gain buy-in is at the beginning, whether you're in a problem-solving cycle or a PDSA process. It's important to align on the problem itself, not just the solution.
Melissa Sherman:
I would go even further and say it's about building trust and understanding, not just buy-in. Bringing the right people in at the right time helps build that trust and ensures alignment.
Mark Graban:
That's even better.
Melissa Sherman:
Yes, and you don't need to bring everyone in at the start. But you do need to understand where key stakeholders are on the change curve so you can tailor your communication and engagement to bring them along on the journey.
Mark Graban:
When you use terms like “change curve” and “journey,” it helps emphasize that change is a process–it's not just flipping a switch.
Melissa Sherman:
Exactly. I often use the example of COVID. The first phase of change is denial, and I think we all experienced that during the pandemic. Eventually, we moved through the other phases of change, though some people may still be stuck in denial, especially if they've experienced significant loss. It's a powerful example that everyone can relate to, regardless of their industry or location.
Mark Graban:
Well, I'm really looking forward to the webinar. I know your experience and insights will be valuable. Once again, the webinar is happening on October 2 at 1:00 PM Eastern. You can register at kainexus.com/webinars. We'll also have a Q&A session, and we encourage everyone to participate. Thanks again, Melissa, for the preview today and for what you'll be sharing in the webinar.
Melissa Sherman:
Thanks, Mark. I appreciate it. I'm looking forward to it.
Mark Graban:
Thanks again.
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