Finding Real Joy in Change: In Conversation with Bree Groff
"Today was fun!"
It's a simple phrase, yet it opens the door to a powerful rethinking of what work can - and perhaps should - feel like.
At Northwestern’s Master’s in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC), we believe that meaningful change starts when people feel deeply engaged, curious, and connected. That belief was brought to life in our most recent Learning & Change Book Talk, where Bree Groff, MSLOC alum, author, and transformation strategist, joined associate professor, Ryan Smerek, to discuss her new book, Today Was Fun: A Book About Work (Seriously).
The conversation was a window into the way MSLOC approaches learning, change, and leadership: with depth, humility, and yes — a bit of playfulness. It was a live demonstration of what it means to bring theory into practice in a human-centered way.
Here are a few key takeaways that reflect the MSLOC mindset in action:
1. Charting a middle path, balancing levity and gravity
Bree began with a simple idea: fun and depth are not opposites. “We’ve learned to associate professionalism with gravity,” she said, “but levity doesn’t dilute meaning — it amplifies it.”
She shared how humor, creativity, and moments of joy can become essential tools for connection and resilience in organizations. When leaders bring lightness to the table, people feel safer to experiment, fail, and grow.
2. Change happens in small, human moments
Reflecting on her years as a change strategist, Bree reminded us that transformation begins in everyday interactions. “Most change isn’t a grand rollout,” she said. “It’s a series of tiny, intentional choices that shift how we relate to one another.”
She encouraged leaders to notice and nurture those micro-moments: a question asked with genuine curiosity, an assumption challenged kindly, a pause taken to really listen.
3. Fun is not the opposite of hard — it’s the antidote
Bree’s most resonant point may have been this: fun isn’t just about ping-pong tables or happy hours. It’s about finding meaning, energy, and connection in the work itself. “Fun is the signal that you’re engaged,” she said. “When work feels alive, it’s because you care.”
That reframe — from fun as frivolous to fun as fuel — resonated across the participants, sparking reflection on how joy sustains purpose in long-term change efforts.
The MSLOC Experience
At MSLOC, we believe that humor, creativity, and joy are not distractions but catalysts for trust, experimentation, and resilience. Our students don’t just learn frameworks — they apply them in real-world contexts, learning to notice and design for the human dynamics that spark meaning, energy, and sustainable change.
Bree also spoke about how her MSLOC experience helped her develop as both a thinker and a practitioner:
“MSLOC gave me the language and tools to make sense of what I was feeling intuitively,” she said. “It helped me bridge the gap between theory and practice — to see change not just as a strategy, but as something deeply human.”
As Ryan reflected at the close of the event, Bree’s work is a living example of the MSLOC approach:
“Our alumni don’t just study change — they go out and make it happen, in ways that make organizations better places to learn and grow.”
👉 Interested in leading change that’s both human and effective?
Explore Northwestern’s Master’s in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) or Designing for Effective Organizations (DOEC) graduate certificate to connect with a community that turns curiosity into transformation.