Community Of Practice: Change Leadership - From Message to Movement: How Communication, Learning, and Leaders Enable Change
December 11, 2026
9 AM - 10:30 AM – Modernwell
This event is limited to 28 participants
Throughout 2026, the ATD-GTC Change Leadership Community of Practice has explored a set of priorities first identified during our December 2025 Lean Coffee discussion. We began with change measurement in practice, examined resilience during sustained change, and considered how resistance can provide useful data. Across each conversation, one shared theme has continued to surface: people need more than information to understand, adopt, and sustain change.
In this final session of the year, we will explore how communication, learning, and leadership development work together to help people make sense of change and act on it. This discussion is designed for change practitioners as well as instructional designers, trainers, HR professionals, facilitators, and leadership development partners who play a role in preparing people for new expectations, behaviors, tools, or ways of working.
Rather than focusing only on communication plans, training deliverables, or polished messages, we will examine what actually helps people connect organizational intent to their day-to-day reality. We will consider how messaging, stories, learning experiences, manager conversations, practice, and reinforcement can create clarity, build trust, strengthen capability, and support movement.
Together, we will explore questions such as:
- How do we determine whether people need information, learning, practice, leadership support, or some combination of all four?
- What helps employees understand not only what is changing, but what they need to do differently?
- How can instructional design and facilitation support sense-making rather than simply transfer information?
- What role do managers and leaders play in translating broad change messages into meaningful local conversations?
- How can stories, examples, scenarios, and visible evidence strengthen understanding and adoption?
- Where do communication and learning efforts commonly break down, overlap, or leave important gaps?
- How do we support people when the change story is still developing or leaders do not yet have every answer?
This is a peer-led working session rather than a traditional presentation. Participants are encouraged to come ready to contribute a scenario, tool, learning approach, communication practice, lesson learned, resource, or challenge from their own experience. Together, we will compare approaches, test assumptions, and identify practical ways talent development and change professionals can help people move from hearing about change to understanding it, building confidence, and taking action.
Participants will leave with practical ideas for connecting communication, learning, leadership, and reinforcement in ways that make change clearer, more relevant, and more actionable.
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We’re thrilled to share that ATD Twin Cities events have been filling quickly — and many now have active waitlists. That is such a great reflection of the engaged, curious, and committed community we continue to build together.
Because seats are in high demand, we ask one simple favor: if your plans change and you’re no longer able to attend, please take a quick moment to
- View your profile on our website
- Select MY event registrations
- Locate the event you cannot attend and select CANCEL REGISTRATION.
That helps us open your seat to another member who is hoping to join us and keeps valuable spots from going unused.
We look forward to seeing you there and if you cannot attend, thank you in advance for helping us make sure every seat is filled by someone ready to participate!
Modernwell is a members-only coworking space. We are excited to hold our events in their beautiful space, but can not extend access beyond the event time. Once the event ends, all attendees are expected to depart the building OR they can purchase a day pass at a discounted rate of $30 for the remainder of the day. Please stop by the ModernWell front desk before or after the event to purchase your pass.
This program is FREE for all ATD-GTC members. Members may bring one complimentary, registered guest.
By registering for this event, you consent to the use of your image and likeness in photographs and videos taken at the event. These images may be used by ATD-GTC for promotional purposes, including but not limited to, social media, website, and printed materials.
