"Harness Trust Networks to Drive Successful Change"

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Concepts thought to be superfluous to change projects, like feelings, fairness and trust, are actually the most critical for creating sustained motivation and alignment. Some common practices like limiting critical communication could be inadvertently reducing readiness for change. Mel Starkweather and Joe Plasterer will introduce the different methods that leaders can use to create a culture that more effectively navigates change. 

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For example, an essential component of building readiness for change is understanding the trust networks within your team. Using a team mapping model, Mel and Joe will help leaders understand how to lean into these networks. When leaders understand their team’s influence network—the informal web of trusted relationships—they gain a critical tool for addressing misalignment and building trust. By leveraging trusted influencers within the network, leaders can amplify key messages and gain deeper insights into their team’s needs. Responding to feedback with transparency and integrity fosters trust, and with trust comes reciprocity—a willingness to engage, collaborate, and support shared goals.

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Key factors like trust and perceived organizational justice will either propel or repel change projects. Using multiple studies from the last fifteen years of change management, leadership and brain research, Mel and Joe will provide insights so you can bring these practices to your teams.

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

1. Map your influence network: Identify and engage with team members who are trusted influencers to amplify messaging and gain deeper insights into team concerns.

2. Apply the fairness lens: Create a feedback tool to assess how your decisions and communications align with organizational justice principles to build readiness for change.

3. Lead with active listening and action to build trust: Use feedback to address team concerns genuinely, ensuring follow-through to build trust and earn reciprocal engagement.

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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.