Change can be overwhelming – whether you’re managing a major acquisition, navigating digital transformation, or restructuring through outsourcing. Managing change effectively mitigates the natural stress and ambiguity surrounding the transition and ensures the conditions for navigating the change are established. We will be discussing the principles of successful change management which include clear communication, leadership involvement, stakeholder engagement, process improvement, risk management along with continuous feedback and adaptation. Our guest today shows us that effective change management is not just a reactive tool; it’s a strategic approach that ensures businesses are prepared for the future, adaptable to changes, and capable of seizing new opportunities.
My guest for this podcast is Sara Sheehan of Sara Sheehan Consulting. Sara brings over two decades of experience working with Fortune 100 clients and top-tier firms leading expert change management strategies to help businesses navigate complex transformations. She offers tailored strategies that empower your business to embrace change seamlessly and efficiently. Sara has gained a deep understanding of business transformation from her extensive experience with leading firms like Accenture, IBM, KPMG, and Deloitte, as well as working with Fortune 100 companies. Sara helps clients navigate complex business transformations of all types. Her expertise is in organization change management, organization design, executive coaching, talent and leadership development, strategic planning, and program management. From an executive coaching perspective, she helps female Executives, Vice Presidents, Directors and Managers interested in improving their performance and propelling their careers forward.
In addition, Sara is host of the podcast Transformational Thinking where she talks with leaders and experts to spotlight real world stories in the change management space. She is also a contributing author of the book Worth the Risk – 21 Lessons on How to Launch, Leap and Leverage your Faith for Massive Business-Growth.
Your HR Problem Solver host is Mark Mitford, a strategic HR leader who is business and HR focused. Mark is a management team advisor with 20+ years working as an HR executive in mid-size to Fortune 50 companies. He brings in depth, hands on experience successfully leading and advising company and business leaders through all life cycle stages. Mark is viewed as a key advisor to C-Level Executives and has strengths in Improving Company Culture, Performance Management, Compensation Benchmarking, Employee Engagement, Talent Management, Leadership Development, Coaching, Succession Planning and Mergers and Acquisitions. Mark is the author of the book People Are Your Profit – Transform Your Biggest Expense Into Your Biggest Asset.
During his career, Mark has successfully held HR executive positions in companies such as PepsiCo, Ericsson, Nortel, Telmar, Texas Instruments and Safeco. Mark has also worked for private equity backed organizations, S Corporations, and publicly traded firms and has lived and worked extensively overseas. He has led several Enterprise wide transformations including Cultural Change and IT transformational change at Fortune 500 companies. He holds two Masters’ degrees, one in Organizational Psychology, and an MBA in Strategy and International Management.
In 2013, Mark transitioned from a Corporate HR career to start his own HR Strategic consulting company, HR Catalyst, www.hrcatalystconsulting.com