Knowledge Exchange Blog

Capstone Spotlight: Designing Difficulty - How Managers Can Stretch Talent with Intention

Discover how Northwestern University’s Master’s in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) empowers leaders to design growth with intention. In this Capstone Spotlight, student Douglas Dinwoodie introduces the Diamond Model of Difficulty—a framework that helps managers calibrate skill, ambiguity, pressure, and support to stretch employees without breaking them. Learn how research on desirable difficulty and psychological safety informs smarter, human-centered approaches to leadership, development, and team performance.

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.

Rediscovering Purpose Through Coaching

After more than 30 years in the corporate world, Pam Woehrle knew it was time for something different—not retirement, but reinvention.

Designing the Future of Work: How Northwestern Students Helped EDSI Explore AI Solutions

How can organizations embrace artificial intelligence in ways that keep people at the center? That’s the question Educational Data Systems Inc. (EDSI)—a 900-person training and consulting company headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan—brought to students in the Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) program.

Coaching as Leadership: A Student’s Journey from Advising to Coaching

For Paula Sneed, coaching isn’t about offering answers—it’s about asking the right questions. After a decades-long career as a senior corporate executive, Paula transitioned into work that aligned with her passion: helping others grow. Today, she advises and coaches nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs, many of whom are learning how to manage and develop others for the first time.

Owning Your Career: Insights from Coaches’ Corner Conversation with Bob Corbett

What does it take to move from hoping your career unfolds the right way, to confidently steering it in a direction that’s truly your own?

Developing Leaders for a Disruptive World

In a business environment defined by constant change—from technological disruption to global crises—leaders must do more than manage complexity. They must align people, purpose, and systems to drive meaningful, sustainable transformation.

Why Learning - Oriented Leaders Thrive

When organizations face complexity, some leaders freeze, some react, and some lean in with curiosity. For Ryan Smerek, associate professor with Northwestern’s Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) program, that third response is at the heart of what he describes as a “learning orientation.”

How an Executive Coaching Certificate Made a Difference

In a world of constant change, even the most experienced professionals must adapt. For Effie Heinz—a veteran organizational change consultant with over 20 years of expertise—that moment came when her clients began asking for more than advice; they wanted coaching.

The Evolving Edge of Coaching, A Conversation with Jenny Rogers

What does it take to thrive as a coach in today’s world of complexity, ambiguity, and rapid change?

“My name is Sarah Krueper Futa, and I am SESP.”

Sarah Futa was a 45-year-old single mom of four when she returned to graduate school to refresh her skills and reclaim a part of herself that had long been missing.

MSLOC Launches Updated Career Center

Northwestern University’s Master’s in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) is excited to announce the launch of the LOC Career Center

Reflections from ACMP Change Chicago 2025

The energy was high, the ideas bold, and the conversations deeply meaningful. Northwestern Masters in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) was thrilled to be an exhibitor

Northwestern Launches MOD for Emerging Leaders

Part of the School of Education and Social Policy’s  Master’s in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) portfolio, the newest interdisciplinary graduate program builds on the School’s legacy of shaping people-focused leaders

Exploring the Future: Reflections on MSLOC’s Webinar on AI and Organizational Change

Recently, we were thrilled to host an engaging and thought-provoking panel discussion on AI and Organizational Change.

DOEC in the Field: Ashley Sipocz on Building Workplaces Where Employees Thrive

Ashley Sipocz found the DOEC program to be a perfect blend of design justice, user-centered thinking, and applied learning. It provided a like-minded community and practical tools they now use to improve leadership development and drive meaningful change at Lurie Children’s Hospital.

DOEC in the Field: Jayne Glick on Bridging People and Business Needs

Already engaged in organizational design without realizing it, this alum joined the Designing for Organizational Effectiveness Certificate (DOEC) program to deepen their knowledge and put names to the work they loved. The program expanded their perspective, provided evidence-based frameworks, and helped them grow from instinct-driven problem solving to strategic, scalable solutions—culminating in a new role at a global Fortune 500 company.

LEIOC in the Field: An Interview with Alum Shawntal Mallory on Her Experience in the LEIOC Program

Our latest MSLOC community member profile with alum Shawntal Mallory (‘21 Leading Equity and Inclusion in Organizations Certificate) is based on a live interview conversation, conducted via Zoom, in March 2025.

Interview with Ahmmad Brown and Ritu Tripathi on DEI Global Case Writing Competition Win

Interview with Ahmmad Brown and Ritu Tripathi on DEI Global Case Writing Competition Win

MSLOC Community and Career Snapshot: Fall 2024

As Northwestern MSLOC students work through their fall quarter coursework, let’s take a moment to learn more about our students' and celebrate the remarkable career achievements of our recent alumni.

Reflections on A Celebration of 15 Years of Coach Education at MSLOC

Last month, we were thrilled to gather over 85 coaches and coach educators for a celebration of nearly 15 years of coach education through MSLOC, OLCC’s 10th anniversary, and ELOC Coaching’s 5th anniversary.

SHRM24 Takeaways: Where Will HR Focus Next?

“Many of us, HR professionals, don’t really understand, or even agree at times, what DE&I is.” SHRM President and Chief Executive Officer Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP shared this observation in his SHRM24 address on June 24, entitled “Run Fearlessly into the Storm.”

MSLOC Faculty Members Reflect on Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace Report

Last week, Gallup released the 2024 edition of their State of the Global Workplace: The Voice of The World’s Employees report. Below, Northwestern MSLOC faculty and staff members share their reflections on key findings from the report, which found that, globally, “overall employee wellbeing declined” in 2023.

DOEC in the Field: Daphne Williams on Navigating Organizational Challenges with People-centered Innovative Solutions

Our latest MSLOC community member profile with alum Daphne Williams is based on a live interview conversation conducted via Zoom

DOEC in the Field: Dan Schriks on Professional Development & Career Growth in the Engineering Industry

Our latest MSLOC community member profile with alum Dan Schriks is based on a live interview conversation conducted via Zoom.

DOEC in the Field: Suzanne Wilson Summers Advocates Empowering Individuals and Cultivating Collaboration for Effective Learning Solutions in Higher Education

DOEC in the Field: David Wunsch Advocates DOEC Insights to Navigate Challenges in the Non-profit Sector

MSLOC Celebrates Community Members During National Volunteer Week

MSLOC Celebrates Community Members During National Volunteer Week

More Human, More Tech: Takeaways from Midwest Change Conference

On April 17, several hundred change management pros, including many members of the Northwestern MSLOC community, gathered in Chicago for the Midwest Change Conference hosted by our partners at ACMP Midwest.

Northwestern MSLOC’s John McGonigle Named Finalist in SIOP Consulting Case Competition

Northwestern MSLOC’s John McGonigle Named Finalist in SIOP Consulting Case Competition

LEIOC in the Field: Aaron Covarruvius on Navigating Ambiguity and Diving into Uncertainty

Our latest MSLOC community member profile with alum Aaron Covarruvius (‘23 Leading Equity and Inclusion in Organizations Certificate) is based on answers provided by Aaron in March 2024.

MSLOC in the Field: Stephanie Waite on Designing for Real People and Real Results

Our latest MSLOC community member profile, of faculty member and alum Stephanie Waite, is based on a live interview conversation, conducted via Zoom, in January 2024.

Two New MSLOC Courses Announced on Sustainable Development, Career Advancement

Launching in the 2024-2025 academic year, MSLOC will offer two new half-credit (0.5) courses that use learning and organizational change lenses to champion planetary health and individual career development.

LEIOC in the Field: LEIOC ‘Threw a Beautiful Fork’ in the Road of Jessica Heiser’s Career Path

Our latest MSLOC community member profile with alum Jessica Heiser (‘22 Leading Equity and Inclusion in Organizations Certificate) is based on answers provided by Jessica in March 2024.

DOEC in the Field: Navigating Career Transitions through People-Focused Experiential Lens with Stanley Berrin

Our latest MSLOC community member profile with alum Stanley Berrin (MS22) is based on a live interview conversation, conducted via Zoom, in January 2024.

DOEC in the Field: Chels Watkins Embraces Design Thinking for Effective Organizational Problem-Solving

Our latest MSLOC community member profile with alum Chels Watkins (MS22) is based on a live interview conversation, conducted via Zoom, in January 2024.

Students Collaborate with Baker Hughes on Strategies for Leading Global Change

When Northwestern MSLOC graduate students enrolled in a fall 2023 course called Leading Global Change, the syllabus indicated they should expect to “apply change management methods to organizational contexts that require cross-cultural competence.” What the students may not have expected was the opportunity to do so through a partnership with Baker Hughes, a company that employs approximately 58,000 team members in more than 120 countries.

Northwestern MSLOC Announces New One-Year Degree Path

Starting in September 2024, Northwestern MSLOC will offer admitted students the option to earn the degree within 12 months. This path is designed to meet the learning and professional needs of students seeking an immersive, accelerated graduate experience with all the lifelong benefits of joining MSLOC’s learning community.

Changing the World of Work Through Learning: Northwestern MSLOC and Association Forum Announce Collaboration

Communities of practice, and the learning exchange they provide, are essential to moving organizations, industries, and sectors forward. Northwestern MS in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) and Association Forum of Chicagoland are two such communities committed to supporting their members in learning, and applying that learning, to change the world’s workplaces.

Book Chat with Eduardo Ergueta and B. Keith Simerson: The House Model

MSLOC community members are busy writing, publishing, and contributing to books adding greatly to our work as learning and organizational change scholars and practitioners.

Partnership with Center for Creative Leadership Provides Improved Access to 360 Assessment Tools

Northwestern MSLOC and ELOC community members—coaches, consultants, talent managers, and more—now have the benefit of immediate and ongoing access to Benchmarks 360 leadership assessment products at a preferential rate, courtesy of a new partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL).

Book Chat with Ryan Smerek: Speaking Up at Work

MSLOC community members are busy writing, publishing, and contributing to books adding greatly to our work as learning and organizational change scholars and practitioners. This chat with my colleague Ryan Smerek is the first in a series of interviews with the authors we will be sharing here.

Application Advice from MSLOC Admissions Committee Members

At Northwestern MSLOC, we seek candidates who are ready to embark on a transformative educational journey. Here are a few useful tips from members of our applications committee on how to make your application stand out.

Knowledge Management: What You Need to Know

Chances are your organizational strategy does not explicitly include knowledge management. But you are probably doing it, even without formal planning.

Three Takeaways: Anticipating and Addressing DEI Change Resistance

Northwestern MSLOC and ELOC recently gathered a panel of DEI leaders for a discussion of how to anticipate, assess, and address diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) change resistance in organizations.

Interview with Ahmmad Brown: How Reviewing Tools for Adult Education Ties to DEI

I had the pleasure to interview my colleague, Ahmmad Brown, PhD, about his recent experience as a reviewer for the Future Finder Challenge, a “$1 million U.S. Department of Education challenge to reimagine career navigation for adult learners.”

Three Takeaways: MSLOC Faculty on Hybrid Work

Exec Ed Coaching Certificate Earns Distinction

Northwestern University’s leadership coaching certificate for experienced professionals has been recognized by the non-profit Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE).

Welcoming New Team Member, James Ward

We are thrilled to announce the addition of a new member to our talented Northwestern MSLOC and ELOC department teams in September 2022: James Ward.

Exploring New Frontiers in Learning and Development: What Has Changed Is Not Enough

What can we expect to see as we head into the future of learning and development (L&D)? How can we enable integration of hybrid and remote workforces, and bring an equitable lens to curriculum and experience design?

Workplace Wellness: Look Within and Around You

Wellness in the workplace starts at the top… and the bottom. Management and others in positions of power and influence can leverage their ability to promote an employer culture that encourages authentic, individual wellness.

Wellbeing check: Are we ready to have these coaching conversations?

Fellow managers: are we ready and skilled to have the conversations we need to have to support our colleagues and team members? And, in turn, are our managers ready and skilled to have those conversations with us?

Scott to Lead Innovation and Program Development

Northwestern University’s Kimberly Scott was named associate dean for innovation and program development at the School of Education and Social Policy (SESP), interim Dean Dan McAdams announced.

Inclusive Leadership Executive Education Courses Launching September 2022

Northwestern University Executive Learning and Organizational Change (ELOC) is launching a series of four new Inclusive Leadership executive education courses starting in September 2022.

Connecting Learning to Action: 5 Next Steps from ACMP Global Connect

I have a card on my desk that reads, “We have a strategic plan. It’s called doing things.” It’s one way I remind myself how essential our bias toward meaningful action is to doing learning and change work.

Northwestern MSLOC Designated as STEM Optional Practical Training Program for International Students

In January 2022, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that 22 new fields of study, including industrial and organizational psychology, have been added to the STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.

The Partnership's the Thing: Northwestern and Chicago Shakespeare Theater Design for Equity

When the iconic Chicago Shakespeare Theater wanted help creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace, they turned to leaders shaping the future: graduate students in Northwestern University’s Master’s in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) program.

Human Quotient: Making People Count in Organizations

How can data analytics guide organizational change, and what opportunities and challenges do companies and nonprofits face in putting it to good use?

MSLOC Faculty to Discuss Revolutionizing Industrial-Organizational Psychology Curriculum

This year’s annual Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Conference (April 27-30, Seattle) will feature Northwestern’s Master of Science in Learning & Organizational Change (MSLOC) faculty members Dr. Kimberly Scott, executive director of MSLOC/ELOC and assistant professor at Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy, and Selena Wilson (MS12), chief executive officer of East Oakland Youth Development Center and head of learning & transformation for Decolonize Design.

Celebrating New Team Members Vasundhara Jain and Ahmmad Brown

We are thrilled to welcome two new members to our talented Northwestern MSLOC and ELOC department teams in early 2022: Vasundhara Jain and Ahmmad Brown. Please read more about them below, and join us in extending to them a very warm welcome to our community.

MSLOC Alum Foram Sheth to Share Why Coaching is for Each of Us at TEDxWilmette

Foram Sheth (MS16) co-founded Ama La Vida, a Chicago-based career, leadership, life, and health coaching company, in 2016 while she was completing her MS in Learning and Organizational Change degree at Northwestern

How Can Theater Improv Skills Impact Organizational Change?

Comedic and theatrical improvisation skills are important tools for learning and organizational change, according to a virtual panel of alumni from Northwestern University’s Master’s of Learning and Organization Change (MSLOC) program, who spoke to about 80 students and fellow alumni as part of a MSLOC 20th anniversary celebration.

Investment Strategy: Selecting and Funding Your Graduate Program

Determining the value of a graduate program—in general and in comparison to other program options—and addressing associated costs can prompt a lot of questions. Ifs. Whats. Whens. Hows.