ACMP Midwest Chapter upcoming events

The hidden force in every change initiative: Understanding & Applying Change Uncertainty (Cu) (04/16/2026)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:00:00 GMT

The hidden force in every change initiative: Understanding & Applying Change Uncertainty (Cu)

Change rarely fails because leaders lack tools, it fails because people get stuck in uncertainty. When individuals aren’t sure how to act, what the change will really impact, or how severe the consequences might be, the human brain defaults to caution: hesitation, avoidance, over-analysis, resistance, and “wait-and-see” behavior.

That psychological friction is one of the most overlooked and underestimated drivers of change success. In this high-energy virtual workshop, you’ll learn to recognize and reduce Change Uncertainty (Cu) and you’ll also see why this matters even more now: Cu is measurable within the Adaptability Intelligence framework, grounded in scientific research and statistically validated.

That means uncertainty isn’t just a “soft” issue to sense intuitively; it can be understood with real rigor and used to sharpen decisions.

We’ll break Cu into three practical lenses that show up in every initiative:

• Response clarity: “What should I do differently right now?”

• Impact certainty: “What will this change actually affect for me and for others?”

• Severity certainty: “How big is this, really… and what happens if I get it wrong?”

To bring it to life, the session includes examples of organizational data sets and patterns that reveal how uncertainty varies across teams, roles, and moments in the change journey highlighting both risks and hidden opportunities.

You’ll leave able to tailor your leadership, communication, and change strategy to the human side with greater precision, reducing ambiguity, accelerating adoption, and strengthening the team’s ability to adapt to new tasks, skills, and behaviors.

About the Speaker:

Pete van Overwalle is the Founder and CEO of Omni Touchpoint, a professional services firm that helps individuals, teams, and organizations thrive through change by strengthening the critical meta-skill of adaptability. With a career spanning decade of leading transformation in complex environments, Pete brings a pragmatic, people-centered approach to change leadership - one that blends innovation, leadership development, and measurable performance improvement. As a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and active member of the Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP), Pete partners with organizations to build the skills, talents, and mindsets that enable better outcomes especially when priorities shift, uncertainty rises, and new ways of working demand rapid adoption. His work focuses on helping leaders and teams close the gap between strategy and human capacity, so change becomes something people can navigate with clarity and confidence. Known for creating highly engaging learning experiences both virtually and in person, Pete designs sessions that are interactive, energetic, and immediately applicable. Participants don’t just leave with insights; they leave with practical strategies they can use right away to lead, collaborate, and perform more effectively in the realities of modern work.

Cheers for Change Chicago & Conference Welcome Reception (04/19/2026)

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Join ACMP Midwest for Cheers for Change Chicago at Emerald Loop downtown, April 19th, from 5-7 PM!

Connect with fellow change practitioners for an evening of networking, discussion, and fun. Two drinks and appetizers to share will be provided. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with industry peers in a vibrant downtown setting. See you there!

This event will be free for all members and $10 for non-members.

Midwest Change Conference 2026: Co-Creating the Future of Change Fueling Change, Driving Impact Together (04/20/2026)

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Full details on the Midwest Change Conference website!

Agenda

8:00am-8:45am	Registration + breakfast
9:00am-10:00am	Welcome + Keynote Speaker: Tim Creasey & Mike Bullock
10:15am-11:00am	1st breakout session (choose from 4 options)
11:00am-11:15am	Morning break / Networking / Visit Sponsors
11:15am-12:00pm	2nd breakout session (choose from 4 options)
12:00pm-1:00 pm	Lunch / Attendee engagement activity
1:15pm-2:00pm	3rd breakout session (choose from 4 options)
2:00pm-2:15pm	Afternoon Break / Networking / Visit Sponsors
2:15pm-3:00pm	ACMP Midwest Board Panel
3:00pm-4:00pm	Closing Speaker: Katie Schlott
4:00-6:00pm	Networking Event

Keynote Speaker(s) Tim Creasey and Mike Bullock

From Silos to Shared Success: Collaborating Across the Change Ecosystem

Closing Speaker: Katie Schlott

Beyond Empathy: Co-Creating Change through Inclusive Design

Speaker Bios and session details can be found on the Midwest Change Conference website!

Registration & Cost

Registration Types	Price
ACMP Midwest Member - Early Bird (February 1st- March 7th)	$249
ACMP Midwest Non Member - Early Bird (February 1st- March 7th)	$349
Volunteer/Student	$199

*Students: please send an email from your school email address to director.operations@acmpmidwest.org with your school and program/major to receive a registration code.

Did you know you can utilize time spent attending the ACMP Midwest Conference towards PDU credits for your CCMP recertification as well as towards other professional development opportunities? 1 PDU can be earned for every 1 hour of learning. Simply document your time learning and submit to the governing body of your credential.

All cancellation and transfer requests must be received in writing to ACMP Midwest. Please send written notice of cancellation by email to director.operations@acmpmidwest.org. Event fees are transferable to another participant from the same organization ONE TIME only, for ACMP Midwest Change Conference 2026.

The cancellation fee structure is as follows unless otherwise noted (i.e. non-refundable items):

Cancel on or before Mar 22: $75 cancellation fee; $25 transfer fee

Cancel between Mar 22 and March 31: $125 cancellation fee; $75 transfer fee

Cancel after March 31: Non-refundable cancellation; $100 transfer fee

Adaptive Readiness: Using Adaptability Quotient to Co-Create Successful Change (05/08/2026)

Fri, 08 May 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Adaptive Readiness: Using Adaptability Quotient to Co-Create Successful Change

Traditional change readiness assessments give us a point-in-time snapshot but rarely predict how people will actually respond once change begins. This session introduces a practical, forward-looking approach: Adaptive Readiness, a model that uses Adaptability Quotient (AQ) as a leading indicator of change readiness and stakeholder adoption.

Built on tested insights that translate directly into practice, this session illustrates how AQ uncovers more than readiness. It reveals how well people can learn, adapt, collaborate, and co-create—and offers tools practitioners can apply immediately. Participants will gain a practical framework that links AQ to real readiness behaviors, highlights early signs of adoption, and shows how to adjust engagement strategies for stakeholders with different levels of adaptive capacity.

Attendees will receive the diagnostic tool and tested readiness indicators to help assess adaptive capacity and pinpoint where additional support is needed. Case examples paired with findings from applied AQ measurement show how adaptability can be strengthened through intentional, co-created experiences.

This session reframes readiness as a co-created capability, something built with people, not assessed once and forgotten. Participants will leave with tested, easy-to-apply tools to assess adaptability for change readiness and strengthen the conditions that drive higher adoption during transformation.

About the Speaker:

Stephanie Douglas, Ph.D., CCMP, leads change and organization development initiatives in aviation, aerospace, and healthcare. Her work focuses on adaptability, organizational resilience, and human-centered change. With numerous peer-reviewed publications and extensive conference presentations, she brings tested, real-world insights that help organizations build adaptive capacity and drive successful adoption.

Revolutionizing Learning: AI-Powered Efficiency in Educational Content Development (06/17/2026)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Revolutionizing Learning: AI-Powered Efficiency in Educational Content Development

This webinar will explore how AI was leveraged to revolutionize the process of creating and updating educational content. By integrating AI into workflows, a more efficient approach to content creation was developed, significantly streamlining the end-to-end process of producing content, key speaking points, and video scripts.

This innovation has not only enhanced the speed and ease of creating new materials but has also transformed the way we update enablement materials. With AI, edits to voiceovers and visual content can now be made in a fraction of the time, enabling faster turnaround and greater flexibility.

Delve into the details of this transformative process and its impact on educational material development.

About the Speaker:

Julie Moran is a Human Performance Senior Manager for Accenture, leading the Change Management and Adoption efforts within Accenture’s Global IT’s credential and strategy departments. With nearly 20 years at Accenture, Julie has spent her first decade driving large-scale change implementations for retail clients. Recently, she’s focused on Global IT sales, internal client work, and ventures. Her strategic, collaborative leadership drives innovation and decisive results.

Mia Tang is a Human Performance Manager for Accenture, leading the Change Management and Adoption efforts within Accenture’s Global IT’s strategy & architecture departments. Mia has extensive Change Management experience in large-scale technology implementations.

The Change Intelligence™ Scorecard: Measuring What Truly Drives Adoption (07/16/2026)

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 17:00:00 GMT

The Change Intelligence™ Scorecard: Measuring What Truly Drives Adoption

Explore a people-centered, data-driven approach to measuring change. Build a Change Intelligence™ Scorecard with practical tools you can apply immediately to strengthen readiness, adoption, and impact.

About the Speaker:

Sharon Kreitinger, MA, MBA, is the Founder and Principal Consultant of AxysPoint Consulting Group. A Prosci®-certified change leader, she specializes in PMO strategy, project recovery, M&A integration, and human-centered change. Sharon has led transformations across healthcare, manufacturing, and public sectors, bringing practical tools and data-driven insights that help organizations navigate change with clarity and confidence.

What's next? Co-creating sustainability of change (08/11/2026)

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT

What's next? Co-creating sustainability of change

Join us for an engaging webinar on "Co-Creating the Future State: Enhancing BAU Stakeholder Engagement for Optimal Project Transitions," where we'll explore the critical role of Business As Usual (BAU) stakeholders in ensuring smooth project handovers. This session will bring this formula to live for attendees: Results = Quality of Solution x Acceptance.

Attendees will gain insights into identifying and effectively engaging BAU stakeholders, differentiating between short-term involvement and long-term ownership, and employing co-creation techniques that foster adaptability and acceptance.

We will delve into collaborative impact analysis, effective training design, and the integration of BAU stakeholders into support and escalation models. Through real-world case studies and examples, attendees will learn how to overcome common challenges and leverage existing resources to create measurable outcomes.

Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your project transitions and stakeholder engagement skills—come prepared to engage, learn, and discuss your unique challenges and solutions in a dynamic Q&A session.

About the Speaker:

Cam Cammarata has led change at Northwestern Mutual for over 10 years across Technology, Operations & Client Servicing, the Change Center of Excellence, Digital Product Adoption, and most recently where he leads the change portfolio for all things related to Field rewards, compensation, benefits, and recognition. He is passionate about his collaborative, people-first mentality, using actionable change data to make decisions, and being agile to drive transformation within the organization. 1-2 more co-presenters may join.

The Invisible Work of Change: Building Influence Without Authority (09/18/2026)

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 17:00:00 GMT

The Invisible Work of Change: Building Influence Without Authority

Change professionals often find themselves in positions where they must lead transformation without formal power — influencing senior leaders, project teams, and stakeholders through credibility, trust, and presence. This session explores the art and science of “soft power”: the ability to shape outcomes through relationships, emotional intelligence, and strategic influence.

This webinar will unpack the subtle dynamics that make-or-break change efforts — how to read the organizational landscape, surface hidden power structures, and create authentic alliances. Participants will leave with practical tools to strengthen their influence, plus a renewed sense of agency in driving change from wherever they sit.

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

Identify the informal power structures that shape decision-making in their organizations.
Apply techniques for building credibility and trust with key stakeholders.
Use influence strategies to create alignment and momentum without relying on authority.
Reflect on their own “influence signature” — how they naturally show up and where they can expand their impact.

About the Speaker:

Jennifer Wojcik is a seasoned change management leader with over 12 years of experience guiding organizations through complex transformations across industries including manufacturing, supply chain, sales and finance. Known for combining strategic insight with a human-centered approach, Jennifer has helped executives and teams navigate the uncertainty of change with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

From OCM-Driven to Workforce-Led Change Adoption (10/16/2026)

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 17:00:00 GMT

From OCM-Driven to Workforce-Led Change Adoption

Organizations are navigating continuous transformation, yet many still rely on a traditional model where OCM teams are expected to drive adoption, engagement, and readiness for the entire workforce. As the pace and volume of change intensify, this approach is no longer scalable. The future requires a shift from OCM-driven execution to leader-enabled and workforce-led change adoption.

This session presents a modern perspective on rebalancing roles across the organization so that leaders and employees are equipped—not dependent. Attendees will explore how OCM can evolve into a strategic enabler that builds capability, strengthens emotional resilience, and embeds change leadership into everyday work. The session will outline what it looks like when leaders take on “micro-OCM” responsibilities and when employees are empowered to manage their own change experience with confidence.

Through practical examples and a forward-looking framework, the session will help participants rethink how their organizations can prepare for continuous change by shifting ownership, redefining expectations, and building long-term resilience across the workforce.

About the Speaker:

Asel Abu-Alshaeer is a Senior Manager at Yash Technologies specializing in enterprise transformation, change adoption, and capability-building. She helps leaders and teams become confident drivers of change by applying practical, future-ready OCM strategies that strengthen resilience, accelerate adoption, and build organizations capable of leading change from within.

Empowering Teams Through Self-Organization (11/16/2026)

Mon, 16 Nov 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Empowering Teams Through Self-Organization

Talk about a change management program— in 2022 my organization embarked on a journey to become less-hierarchical by leveraging self-organization not only in teams, but also at the system level.

From my perspectives as chief of staff tasked with helping to design and implement this change, and as a Northwestern lecturer in the MSLOC program, I will share insights about why such a change matters and how one goes about creating a human-centric approach to organizational change.

Attendees will gain actionable insights into how one might approach a new way of working that requires not only shifts on mental models of what work is now to how to engage with the entire organization to learn, design and experiment with new ways of working.

About the Speaker:

Maggie Lewis is a change leader who specializes in designing human-centered work experiences, empowering teams, and fostering self-organizing, Agile environments. She is a proponent of changing systems through the application of design thinking methodologies which include experimentation and co-creation.