Twenty-five centuries ago a Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, proposed this universal law: There is nothing permanent except change. Twenty years ago Virginia Satir brought it to our attention that: Change happens one person at a time.

And change we do. We change at the personal level all the time. Personal change may be gradual and not even noticed. Maybe the change is something you've decided you should do. Give up smoking. Learn a new skill. Perhaps the change is brought on by some crisis, such as a pending divorce.

Organizational change has distinct parallels. There may not seem to be much change happening, as the status quo, by and large, keeps things humming along. Software Process Improvement is (hopefully) planned change that moves from our current capabilities to better capabilities. Or then suddenly, the crisis arrives. The company is late to market and a competitor grabs the mind and market share. Maybe a merger is pending. Change is imminent!

Stuck in the middle of these is the team, and its manager. This session will start with a fun simulation where we will experience change, and then look at the phases of change, and how the environment can be set so change can be constructively influenced.