Creativity helps chapter face challenges in 2020

2020 has been a year of intense change and ACMP Midwest is taking it in stride, says Sarika Sidhu, Director of Events.

“Early on in the pandemic, ACMP Midwest recognized the need to make virtual communication impactful so that it was not only relevant, valuable and insightful, but also cultivated a better connection among members,” says Sidhu. “We started a series of ‘special interest’ panels with topics such as video conference fatigue, the shifting workforce for working parents during COVID-19, women in consulting, and how COVID-19 has changed retention paths. The recent 'Cheers for Change' event with self-selected themed breakout rooms along with a complimentary ACMP Midwest-inscribed glass was a huge hit! Dealing with the pandemic is a constant change curve, however, we believe we've gotten past the dip, and are excited to take what we learned into a new beginning for 2021!” 

Take the Membership Pulse Survey

Please take a few minutes to provide your feedback in the Membership Engagement Pulse Survey. We appreciate your insights from the April Membership Survey and now want to understand your preferences for engaging with ACMP Midwest during the pandemic restraints. Board members and volunteers use your input to improve content, events, and opportunities that are relevant and help advance your career.

Director of Strategic Relationships Board position open

The ACMP Midwest Chapter is seeking nominations for the Director of Strategic Relationships on the Board of Directors. This special election will fill an open position from January 1, 2021 through May 31, 2021. Nominations may only be submitted by ACMP members, and only ACMP Midwest-affiliated members may serve on the ACMP Midwest Board. December 9 is the deadline for nominations for those who are interested. To learn more, log into the website with your email address that is affiliated with your membership to view the description and access the nomination form.

ACMP Connect is in Beta Testing!

ACMP Connect, the new online member community, is on track for a January 2021 launch. Currently, nearly 100 volunteers are testing the functionality of the site, providing feedback, and enjoying interacting with each other in the community. We are excited to have more peer-to-peer engagement and sharing of valued content to foster the growth of the change community! Interested in a sneak peek? Watch this informative video to see a preview of the new community and catch up on the project so far.  

Cheers for Change! a success

ACMP Midwest Membership Committee launched a new virtual meet and greet in November called Cheers for Change! “The lunchtime event provided an informal way to say ‘hi’ to familiar faces, meet new members, talk about topics of interest, and toast to what we are thankful for,” says Christy Moody, Director of Membership.

After introductions, participants joined breakout rooms to discuss a variety of topics – how to improve engagement despite the new distractions of working virtually, the speed of change during the pandemic, and “secret weapons,” e.g., books, approaches, quotes, that can help navigate the day-to-day challenges. 

The group then came back together to reflect on unexpected changes in 2020 for which they were thankful. “The goal of this exercise was to shift our collective mindset from the challenges and extreme change this year to the positive aspects that we can strive to carry forward,” says Moody. “Lastly, no Cheers for Change! event would be complete without a toast. Everyone participated in Cheers-ing for Change to conclude the event.”

Cheers for Change events will be hosted every other month. The November event took place mid-day and ACMP is experimenting with different times to provide opportunities for participation chapter wide. Mark your calendars for January 21, 2021, at 4:00 p.m., CST, to join in a Cheers for Change in the new year!

Call for speakers

No question, change is hard, however, sharing what you know is easy (and fun!). Plus, we learn best from one another. Contact the Learning & Development Committee at LPD.Director@ACMPMidwest.org to explore how you can share your change management stories, case studies, tools, perspectives, and experience. 

Upcoming learning and professional development events

ACMP Midwest’s Learning & Professional Development (L&PD) Committee has announced a slate of new and exciting webinars and professional development sessions for the remainder of 2020 and early 2021. Webinars are free for ACMP Midwest members and friends of the Chapter. Learn more.

 

CCMP: Next gold standard in certification

Move over PMP, the CCMP is the next must-have certification in tech. “By the end of this decade, I expect the title of Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP) to become the ‘de rigueur’ qualification to earn. The organizational change management discipline goes hand-in-hand with the project management discipline. Project managers can deliver a new system that is good, fast and cheap, but it’s worthless if no one uses it. This is where change managers can help,” says Kevin Miller, IT management consultant,. Read it here. 

Volunteer Spotlight

Angie Hall, Manager, Data Sciences + Change Enthusiast

What kind of work do you? I have 14 years in clinical research spanning data, statistics, quality systems and business operations both from a technical and management standpoint. Currently, I’m working within a data sciences function where I lead, coach, and accelerate a team dedicated to data deliverables across autoimmune clinical trials while driving successful change initiatives across the larger organization.

How long have you been an ACMP member and volunteer? I officially joined the ACMP Midwest Chapter in June 2018 and I quickly became an active volunteer after attending Midwest Change Conference in October of that year. I primarily serve as the Indiana Regional Leader on the Membership Committee. We’re creating virtual events to help members stay connected during this time when we need to be creative, motivated and flourish as a change community.

Why is being a part of the ACMP community important to you? To learn, share, network, and advance and to be part of a community of professionals who share a common passion. It has been more rewarding than I ever imagined through the relationships built and the experiences shared across such a diverse and inspiring network of change professionals.

What do you wish more people in the business world knew or understood about Change Management?  To demystify and simplify. It can sound overwhelming or intimidating and this is likely due to many factors. For me personally, it was the unknown in addition to being on the receiving side where good practice was not followed. When done well and at scale, change management (and change leadership) is a brilliant and amazing way to get results through people! Many times, we try to use a different language to not “trigger” a negative reaction – I say, stop that! Use the language. Help it resonate, connect and “stick.” Demystify change management and leadership – the world needs it now more than ever.

What are you looking forward to professionally? I recently began a new chapter both personally and professionally where I continue to leverage this amazing community. Professionally, my goal is to help recruit and build a larger change network for our company’s Indiana region. As part of that effort, I have started a Change Community of Practice and look forward to pursuing this endeavor further.

What do you do for fun?  My heart and joy is being surrounded by my family and closest of friends (I’m an extrovert to the fullest!). I like to take on new adventures, boating, all things shopping, enjoy being a wine and beer connoisseur and de-stress through workouts usually alongside my local Orangetheory Fitness community.

Volunteer opportunities – Digital & Data Volunteer

Are you looking to get involved at ACMP Midwest? Events Director, Sarika Sidhu, is looking for a Digital & Data Volunteer. In this newly created volunteer position, you’ll be the first to know about upcoming events, develop your people analytics skills, and support our change management community. If ​you are interested, complete the online form found here or send an email to at Events@ACMPMidwest.org.

Tell us what you think, no really!

A tab has been added to the ACMP Midwest website called, "Suggestion Box." We'd like members to provide suggestions and feedback at any time. We're looking for new ideas or ways to conduct networking, education or other member events. Members are also encouraged to offer praise for a job well done or observations. All feedback is anonymous and will be acted upon