The Future of Change Management: Insights from Change Chicago 2025
Are we in the midst of the profession’s defining moment?
This year, the Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP) hosted its annual North American conference right here in Chicago. Three days of programming brought together change management pros from across industries, and as a first-time attendee, I was eager to understand how a room full of change experts was approaching our rapidly evolving work environment. Here are my observations and takeaways from Change Chicago 2025.
1. A Seat at the Table
Artificial intelligence was a hot-button issue, but for many change managers, the most immediate challenge is far more foundational: convincing stakeholders of the importance of change management. There were a lot of heads nodding in the audience whenever the conversation turned to the ongoing struggle of being called in at the "11th hour" or perceived as optional. As the profession continues to evolve, change managers are focused on translating their insights into business language, quantifying their impact, and demonstrating clear ROI. In other words, they’re adapting and speaking the language of executives.
2. Building Bridges with Project Management
Along those same lines, another recurring theme was how change managers are navigating their relationships with project management teams. Cameal Harris, CEO of Ridier Consulting Group, tackled this issue in her session, “Bridging the Gap.” Many attendees shared their firsthand experience of having been excluded from project kickoff meetings and check-ins. But their ability to see, quantify, and communicate what others couldn’t—namely readiness and risks—gave them a vital seat at the table. It became clear that when change and technical teams co-create joint readiness plans from day one, the likelihood of success greatly increases.
3. The Data-Driven Change Revolution
Speaking of seeing what others can’t—it was interesting to see how change professionals are embracing more quantitative approaches to their craft. From the presenters on stage to sponsors demoing their tech solutions, the conference was buzzing with discussions about tracking stakeholder engagement, measuring readiness over time, and using predictive analytics to anticipate resistance before it emerges.
It appears that closer collaboration with project managers is inspiring some imitation; tech startups are building tools and dashboards for change managers that show sentiment heatmaps, engagement trends, and collision risks across multiple transformation initiatives.
4. AI, Power, and Inclusivity
Also on the tech front, Andrew Butow, Director and Co-founder of Earth2Mars, delivered a thought–provoking session entitled, “AI and Inclusivity Driving Change.” Butow suggested that we’re in the midst of a major shift in power structures, ushered in by AI In one generation, we’ve moved from:
Industrial era, where Power = Control
Information era, where Power = Knowledge
Imagination era, where Power = Ideas
This democratization of technology is creating "hierarchies of ideas versus people," where “AI whispering” (a.k.a. prompt engineering) becomes a critical skill, and an augmentation mindset proves more valuable than pure automation.
As AI continues its rapid reconfiguration of work as we know it, change management practitioners are uniquely positioned to help guide us through the transition. In fact, it could prove to be the defining challenge for the profession. Change Chicago showed me that the practice is evolving—becoming more strategic, more data-driven, and more collaborative. So, as we all learn to work with and alongside AI, change managers have an opportunity to help shape the future of work.
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