Leading Organisational Transformation Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Transformation Leaders, Programme Managers and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-CM-143

Before you join: Participants should have experience managing a team, workstream, business process or significant organisational initiative.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Organisational transformation places leaders under pressure to deliver strategic change while maintaining service, controlling risk and retaining workforce commitment. Whether the change involves a digital platform, merger integration, operating-model redesign, regulatory reform or cost restructuring, leaders must align sponsors, make difficult trade-offs, address resistance and show credible progress. Poorly defined outcomes, inconsistent leadership behaviour and weak adoption planning can leave programmes stalled despite significant investment.

This course develops the practical leadership discipline required to lead transformation from diagnosis through sustainment. Participants examine transformation scope, readiness and cultural conditions; shape a case for change; establish sponsorship and governance; map stakeholders; plan communications; build adoption; manage resistance; and measure benefits. They use recognised methods including the Prosci ADKAR Model, Kotter's 8-Step Process, McKinsey 7S Framework and RACI matrix to connect strategic intent with day-to-day operational change.

Teaching combines concise instructor briefings with realistic cases, facilitated group analysis, leadership simulations and structured application planning. Cases reflect common transformation challenges in banks, public bodies, multinational firms, NGOs and regulated service organisations. Participants receive feedback on the choices they make as sponsors, programme leaders and senior managers. They leave with a practical transformation leadership pack containing a change architecture, stakeholder and communication plan, adoption measures, governance model and 90-day application plan. Successful participants receive a certificate of completion.

The course is suited to managers who are accountable for a transformation workstream, business function, major change initiative or implementation team. It is particularly valuable where leaders must coordinate across functions, manage competing priorities and maintain trust during disruptive change.

What you will be able to do

  • Diagnose transformation readiness using McKinsey 7S, force-field analysis and role-based impact assessment
  • Define a transformation case for change with measurable outcomes, constraints and benefits logic
  • Build governance arrangements using RACI, sponsor roles, escalation routes and decision forums
  • Develop stakeholder engagement and communication plans tailored to influence, impact and sentiment
  • Apply the Prosci ADKAR Model to identify and close adoption gaps
  • Manage resistance through active listening, interest-based negotiation and ethical decision-making
  • Measure adoption and benefits using baselines, leading indicators, scorecards and review cycles
  • Produce a 90-day transformation leadership plan with actions, milestones, risks and accountabilities

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Lead difficult transformation conversations with a clear rationale and consistent messages
  • Identify adoption risks before they affect delivery, service quality or employee commitment
  • Structure sponsor, manager and champion responsibilities around defined accountabilities
  • Handle resistance without dismissing legitimate concerns or weakening necessary decisions
  • Present credible transformation progress using adoption, benefits and risk evidence

For your organisation

  • Clearer alignment between transformation strategy, operating-model changes and workforce actions
  • Earlier identification of readiness gaps, resistance risks and overloaded business areas
  • More consistent sponsorship and decision-making across programmes and business units
  • Stronger employee adoption of revised processes, systems, controls and behaviours
  • Better evidence of benefits realisation after implementation and handover

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can distinguish transformation from routine change and frame the leadership challenge.

  • Distinguishing transformation, transition and continuous improvement using scope, pace and impact
  • Disruptive forces assessed through PESTLE, market signals and strategic uncertainty
  • Transformation ambition translated into measurable outcomes, constraints and non-negotiables
  • McKinsey 7S diagnosis exposes misalignment among strategy, structure, systems and skills
  • Enterprise change patterns: turnaround, digitalisation, merger integration and regulatory reform
  • Leadership assumptions tested against adaptive and technical change distinctions

Participants can assess organisational readiness and identify the conditions affecting transformation delivery.

  • Current-state evidence gathered through process mapping, interviews, data and observation
  • Root causes separated from symptoms using the Five Whys technique
  • Force-field analysis identifies driving forces, restraining forces and workable interventions
  • Readiness assessment scores sponsorship, capacity, culture, systems and change history
  • Culture mapped through observable behaviours, norms and informal power networks
  • Change impacts segmented by role, location, workflow and technology exposure

Participants can translate strategic intent into a sequenced transformation design and roadmap.

  • Target operating model defined across processes, people, technology, governance and data
  • Benefits logic links transformation outputs, outcomes, owners, measures and assumptions
  • Future-state design choices tested against service, risk, cost and control criteria
  • Workstreams sequenced through dependencies, critical paths, release waves and milestones
  • Transformation roadmap balances quick wins, foundational work and operational continuity
  • Kotter's 8-Step Process positions urgency, coalition and short-term wins
  • Assumption log records uncertainties, validation actions, owners and decision dates

Participants can establish governance that supports timely decisions and visible sponsorship.

  • Executive sponsorship roles defined using visible commitment, decisions and resource removal
  • Governance structure assigns accountabilities through RACI, escalation routes and forums
  • Steering committee decisions framed with options, evidence, risk and recommendations
  • Change network selects credible influencers, local champions and feedback channels
  • Leadership alignment managed through stakeholder contracts and decision-rights clarification
  • Sponsor coalition cadence maintains direction during competing business priorities

Participants can design targeted engagement and communication for affected stakeholder groups.

  • Stakeholder map ranks influence, impact, sentiment, needs and engagement tactics
  • Audience segmentation differentiates messages for executives, managers, employees and unions
  • Communication architecture combines channels, timing, senders, feedback and message discipline
  • Case for change connects strategic rationale, local consequences and credible evidence
  • Manager conversation guides address uncertainty, workload concerns and expected behaviours
  • Two-way listening mechanisms capture questions, rumours, objections and improvement ideas

Participants can plan role-based adoption support for new systems, processes and behaviours.

  • ADKAR assessments identify awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement gaps
  • Role-based impact assessments specify changed tasks, decisions, skills and controls
  • Learning needs analysis distinguishes information, skill practice, coaching and job aids
  • Performance support designed through checklists, scripts, workflow prompts and peer support
  • Manager-led reinforcement links new behaviours to objectives, feedback and recognition
  • Transition planning protects service delivery while teams learn revised ways of working

Participants can address resistance and conflict while maintaining trust and decision discipline.

  • Resistance signals classified as rational, emotional, political or capability-based
  • Resistance conversations use active listening, inquiry, reframing and clear boundaries
  • Interest-based negotiation resolves conflicts over priorities, resources and design choices
  • Psychological safety conditions enable dissent, error reporting and upward feedback
  • Change fatigue mitigated through workload sequencing, capacity reviews and recovery periods
  • Ethical change decisions address fairness, consultation, transparency and employee wellbeing

Participants can manage transformation risks without losing control of critical operations.

  • Transformation risks logged across people, operations, technology, finance and reputation
  • Risk scoring applies likelihood, impact, proximity, ownership and response actions
  • Change control evaluates scope requests against benefits, capacity, dependencies and risk
  • Scenario planning prepares leadership responses to disruption, delay and stakeholder opposition
  • Business continuity measures protect critical services during process and system cutovers
  • Decision log preserves rationale, approvals, assumptions and unresolved issues

Participants can track transformation progress and embed ownership after implementation.

  • Benefits realisation plan assigns measures, baselines, targets, owners and review dates
  • Adoption metrics combine usage data, proficiency evidence, sentiment and compliance
  • Balanced scorecard links transformation measures to customer, process, people and financial results
  • Leading indicators identify adoption barriers before performance outcomes deteriorate
  • After-action reviews convert implementation evidence into improvements and reusable knowledge
  • Sustainment governance embeds ownership in business-as-usual management routines

Participants can define their leadership actions for an active or planned transformation initiative.

  • Personal leadership diagnostic identifies default responses under ambiguity, pressure and resistance
  • Adaptive leadership practices distinguish authority problems from learning challenges
  • Leadership narrative aligns personal conduct, decisions and visible priorities
  • Peer accountability arrangements establish commitments, review points and challenge partners
  • 90-day application plan specifies stakeholder actions, milestones, measures and support
  • Individual transformation charter records purpose, boundaries, risks and first decisions

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Transformation readiness assessment template
  2. Change architecture and roadmap model
  3. Stakeholder engagement and communication plan
  4. RACI governance and sponsorship matrix
  5. ADKAR adoption assessment checklist
  6. 90-day transformation leadership plan

Who should attend

  • Transformation Leaders — need to align enterprise change activity with strategic outcomes
  • Programme Managers — need to coordinate workstreams, governance and adoption dependencies
  • Senior Managers — need to sponsor change visibly and maintain operational performance
  • Business Unit Heads — need to implement new operating models within their functions
  • Change Managers — need stronger leadership and business integration skills
  • HR and People Leaders — need to support workforce transition, capability and culture change

Skills and tools covered

Transformation leadershipChange architectureStakeholder engagementAdoption planningResistance managementBenefits realisation

Tools and standards

Prosci ADKAR Model, Kotter's 8-Step Process, McKinsey 7S Framework, RACI matrix

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce methods, followed by case analysis, group exercises, leadership simulations and structured peer discussion. Participants assess transformation scenarios involving competing priorities, stakeholder opposition, delivery risk and workforce impacts. They apply diagnostic, governance, communication and adoption tools to a realistic transformation context, then translate the work into an individual application plan. Facilitators provide practitioner feedback on decision quality, assumptions, stakeholder handling and measures of progress.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have experience managing a team, workstream, business process or significant organisational initiative. Familiarity with project plans, stakeholder meetings, operational performance measures and basic business cases is helpful. Participants should be able to discuss a current or recent change programme from their workplace, although they do not need to bring confidential documentation. Formal change management certification, prior use of ADKAR or Kotter, financial modelling expertise and programme-management qualifications are not required. The course focuses on leadership decisions and practical transformation management rather than specialist software configuration.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should have experience leading a team, workstream, process or organisational initiative. Prior formal study in change management is not required, and the course introduces each framework before applying it.

Bring a non-confidential example of a transformation, restructuring, system implementation or major process change relevant to your role. You may use it to shape your application plan, but no internal documents are required.

It is designed for transformation leaders, programme managers, senior managers, business unit heads, change managers and people leaders. It suits professionals who must lead change through others rather than only manage project tasks.

Project management courses focus primarily on scope, schedule, budget and delivery controls. This course focuses on enterprise leadership: sponsorship, culture, stakeholder alignment, adoption, resistance, decision rights and benefits sustainment.

Participants leave with templates and a 90-day plan that can be adapted to an active transformation. The methods support early diagnosis, sponsor alignment, communication planning, adoption tracking and risk review.

Five training days run from 08:30 to 16:30 and provide approximately 32.5 contact hours. Time is divided across ten connected modules, with instructor input, case work, simulations, group analysis and individual application planning.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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