Chatting About Change with Dr. Jim Maddox

Jim Maddox
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Chatting About Change is about organizational change and helping individuals and organizations experience life to the fullest, and engaging in positive, transformational change. I am a university professor, OD consultant, and Change Strategist. Each episode I will engage in conversations with a guest from diverse backgrounds around the topic of change.

  1. 09/22/2025

    Building Change Capabilities: A Conversation with Riley Smith of Propeller Consulting

    In this episode, I had the opportunity to chat with Riley Smith, Senior Director at Propeller Consulting, about his nontraditional path from teaching high school biology with Teach for America to leading large-scale change initiatives in consulting. Riley shares how experiences in building new functions, engaging stakeholders, and driving outcomes led him naturally into the field of change management. He offers an inside look at Propeller’s approach across industries—from retail and technology to healthcare and public sector—and discusses how curiosity, adaptability, and a methodology-agnostic mindset shape their client partnerships. This conversation highlights both the art and discipline of leading change in complex organizations.

    42 min

  2. 09/12/2025

    Learning OD in Action and Reflections from the IODA Ghana Conference: A conversation with Cody Smith

    In this episode, I chatted with Cody Smith of Virginia Tech to reflect on his experience at the recent IODA conference in Ghana. This was Cody’s first time attending the International Organization Development Association conference (IODA).  Cody shares how the highlight of his trip wasn’t just the presentations, but the opportunity to engage in pro bono consulting with the Department of Rural Housing. From working alongside seasoned OD practitioners from around the world to adapting in real time with no pre-work—what Cody describes as “improv comedy in consulting”—the experience offered powerful lessons in collaboration, agility, and applied learning. Together, Cody and I explore how giving back to the host community not only enriches the conference experience, but also strengthens the practice of OD through action and reflection.

    32 min

  3. 08/19/2025

    Designing for Human Flourishing: A Neuroscience-Based Approach to Organizational Success – A conversation with Sasha Farley

    In this episode, we explore a human-centered, neuroscience-based approach to Organization Development consulting that places people at the heart of organizational success. Sasha Farley introduces the powerful idea of moving beyond survival into human flourishing—a shift in mindset that encourages growth, thriving, and well-being not just in business, but across society. Using the metaphor of houseplants to illustrate the difference between merely surviving and truly thriving, Sasha highlights how organization development principles like participation, listening, and systems thinking can foster environments where individuals and communities flourish. Sasha and I discuss how leaders can design environments that foster growth, resilience, and collective well-being. This conversation invites practitioners and leaders to reimagine development not only in business contexts but also in broader societal systems, where flourishing becomes a central goal.

    41 min

  4. 04/29/2025

    International Organization Development Association OD World Summit coming to Accra, Ghana, in September 2025: The Practice of OD in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: Swim or Sink?

    My guest this episode is Noble Kumawu from Accra, Ghana.  Noble is the current president of the International Organization Development Association (IODA). Noble shares with us some of the exciting details about the upcoming Organization Development World Summit. This conference is held every four years and will be held next September 2025, in Accra, Ghana.  The conference will be an opportunity to explore how the field of Organization Development (OD) is rapidly evolving to help organizations meet the demands of constant change and innovation. Emerging trends like artificial intelligence (AI), automation, hybrid work, and the gig economy are reshaping how organizations operate, learn, and grow. According to the World Economic Forum, AI and automation are expected to create 97 million new jobs by 2025, introducing new business models and fundamentally changing many roles. While these advancements present exciting opportunities, they also raise uncertainty and resistance among employees navigating a tech-driven future. In this shifting landscape, OD plays a critical role in guiding organizations through digital transformation while maintaining a human-centered approach.  Key themes of the conference include: OD in the Digital Age – Examine how trends like remote work and automation are shaping OD practice and the future of work.Fostering an OD Digital Culture – Learn how to build cultures of innovation, adaptability, and continuous learning.Human-Centeredness & OD in Digitalization – Discover how to design digital tools that support meaningful, effective OD interventions.Overcoming Resistance to Digital OD – Explore strategies to manage change and engage employees in digital transformation.Noble is the President of the Organization Development Institute and Chief Executive Officer of the Organization Development (OD) Consultancy firm, Organization Capacity Improvement Consultants (OCIC).  Noble established the first African educational graduate program in Organization Development.  He is the author of two books, “Global OD: A Model for Africa and the World” (2007) and “The Father of Organization Development in Africa: The Journey, The Struggles and The Career” (2020).    https://www.iodanet.org/2025-ioda-conference/ Join us in Ghana, and together, we’ll explore how OD can thrive in a world driven by rapid technological change.

    33 min

  5. 02/11/2025

    Uncovering the Hidden Dynamics of Teams: A conversation with Willie Marais, from Cape Town, South Africa.

    What happens when high-pressure environments, global expansion, and organizational change bring unspoken team tensions to the surface? In this episode, I sit down with Willie Marais, an organizational psychologist and Organization development consultant from Cape Town, South Africa, to explore the complexities of leadership, team dynamics, and organizational psychology. Willie shares his insights on hidden conflicts, trust issues, and behavioral shifts that emerge in uncertain times. Through experiential learning and adventure-based facilitation, he helps teams uncover the real challenges they face—beyond just aligning on strategy. Join us as Willie and I discuss the unspoken fears, expectations, and motivations shaping workplace culture and discover how teams can move from underlying tensions to true alignment and collaboration.

    48 min

  6. 01/29/2025

    Unlocking Optimal Performance with Georgia Ellis, founder of Blue Chip Minds

    Unlocking Optimal Performance with Georgia Ellis, founder of Blue Chip Minds  In this episode, I’m joined by Georgia Ellis, a leadership consultant, workplace trainer, and founder of Blue Chip Minds. Based just outside Melbourne, Australia, Georgia has impacted individuals and teams across 17 countries, helping them break free from conventional thinking and unlock their potential. She’s also the host of the Ellis in Wunderland podcast, where she explores transformative ideas for thriving in today’s fast-paced world. Georgia shares her passion for empowering organizations and individuals who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or burnt out by the demands of modern life. Through tools, maps, and models, she equips her clients to pivot, innovate, and thrive—ultimately contributing positively to their businesses, teams, families, and communities. Join us for an engaging conversation about leadership development, the art of better decision-making, and cultivating “better humans” for a better world. Check out her podcast, and connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram!

    1h 1m

  7. 01/13/2025

    Co-creating development processes with clients in Organization Development and Change Management: A conversation with Timea Agota Rozsa, consultant, coach, and managing partner with the ICG Integrated Consulting Group, in Budapest, Hungary

    In this episode, I’m joined by Timea Rozsa, a consultant, coach, and managing partner at ICG Integrated Consulting Group in Budapest, Hungary. With a deep passion for fostering sustainable development and cultivating trust within organizations, Timea supports her clients in organizational development, process innovation, and team collaboration. During our conversation, Timea shares her wisdom and practical insights on creating cultures where teams can thrive, innovate, and work together effectively. Beyond her work with organizations, she provides Gestalt coaching, empowering individuals to achieve personal growth and unlock their full potential. Tune in to explore how Timea combines her expertise in consulting and coaching to help people and organizations navigate change, embrace innovation, and build meaningful connections.

    46 min

  8. 09/17/2024

    Harnessing AI for Learning: A Conversation with Eric Zenor on Transforming Organizations with AI-Powered Knowledge Systems

    My guest on this episode is Eric Zenor, a learning and development expert and consultant with over 35 years focused on educational technology.  Eric shares his wealth of experience working with integrating AI into the learning and development space.  He shares the complexity of leveraging AI and the complexity of understanding and using AI and how it is rapidly changing the landscape of not just learning and development, but organizations in general.  He shares how AI can be an accelerator and is enabling organizations to move into the space of being learning organizations. One great example Eric discusses is the potential of AI to access and organize corporate knowledge from various sources. He explains how AI can easily codify explicit knowledge from documents, databases, and guidelines, but also go beyond by making sense of implicit knowledge from meeting recordings, emails, and chats. AI can identify patterns from these data and even infer tacit knowledge based on personal experiences, insights, and intuition. This combined knowledge can then be made accessible to employees based on their roles and needs. Zenor further describes a hybrid model, known as retrieval automated generation (RAG) architecture, which connects different systems to access and utilize this knowledge. If you want to learn more about Eric’s work and AI, check out his company, Epam, which is one of the market leaders in AI architecture, and their website has tons of information on those accelerators that he discusses in the podcast.

    54 min
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About

Chatting About Change is about organizational change and helping individuals and organizations experience life to the fullest, and engaging in positive, transformational change. I am a university professor, OD consultant, and Change Strategist. Each episode I will engage in conversations with a guest from diverse backgrounds around the topic of change.

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