"Create a Change-Ready Culture: How to Make Change Readiness Your Team’s Superpower"

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Change isn’t slowing down. For many teams, it can feel overwhelming, but developing a culture of change readiness can make all the difference.

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In this session, Mel Starkweather and Joe Plasterer will explore what it takes to build the trust, skills, and shared mindset needed to navigate change effectively. Drawing from research in change management, leadership, and brain science, they’ll share practical tools and insights that participants can apply in their own organizations.

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Together, you'll take a closer look at:

• What makes a culture truly ready for change

• Why fairness and trust are essential for sustained motivation

• How to engage trusted influencers and respond to real team concerns

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This session offers a mix of foundational concepts and tangible strategies to help leaders and teams feel more prepared, no matter what change comes next.

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Through this session, you'll know how to:​​

• Assess your organization for key markers of trust and fairness that impact change readiness

• Identify and engage internal influencers to better understand team dynamics and build alignment

• Use active listening and feedback loops to build trust and reinforce team engagement

• Define success, clarify completion criteria, and tailor vision statements to meet the needs of different departments

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Speaker Bios:

Mel Starkweather co-founded Starkweather Association Services and developed Starkweather’s Cirrus Change Readiness toolset, protocol and Quality MattersTM certified education. Her background in communications and technology brought her into engagements with state and US congressional campaigns, the University of Wisconsin, non-profits and the private sector. Mel is on a mission to help a million teams master change.

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Joe Plasterer, Mel's partner and Starkweather co-founder, has been leading technology projects and organizations across the globe for association, government and private sector clients for over three decades. It's been his experience that technology is 80% people/20% technology and the best way to get people to change is to empower them. Joe's clients range from fortune 500 organizations, the US House of Representatives Speaker's office to the State of Wisconsin, to name a few.