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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260303T080000
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SUMMARY:2026 Strategic Org Design Certificate Program
DESCRIPTION:Comprehensive Two-Part Strategic Org Design Certificate Program (Enrollment Includes both Workshops)\n\nPart 1: Strategic Organization Design Workshop (3/3/26-3/6/26)\nPart 2 (Part 1 is a Prerequisite): Strategic Organization Design Activation Workshop (5/19/26-5/21/26)\nComplete both the Strategic Organization Design Workshop and the Strategic Organization Design Activation Workshop to earn your Certificate in Strategic Organization Design.\n\n\nAbout the Strategic Organization Design Workshop\nDeepen your understanding and sharpen your skills: Organizational design is a cornerstone of competitive advantage and performance. The ability to design organizations that are efficient enough to drive performance and flexible enough to sustain advantage is a fundamental capability in today’s dynamic and competitive environment. Dynamic strategies call for new organizational forms that pose complex new design challenges at all levels and in all sub-systems of the organization.\nThis workshop provides participants with the principles\, frameworks\, and tools of organization design for those who wish to develop a deeper understanding of the topic. It also addresses the ever-increasing challenges created by a growing digital economy where work\, change\, and design issues are merging.\nAttendees might include:\n\nHuman Resource Professionals\nHuman Resource Business Partners\nHuman Resource COE Professionals\nLine Managers and Design Teams\nInternal Corporate Consultants\nOrganization Development Professionals\nTalent Management\, Total Rewards\, HR Operations\nInternal Consultants\n\n\nAbout the Strategic Organization Design Activation Workshop\nSome of the more difficult design challenges occur after the organization chart has been communicated.  Activating a design successfully\, that results in sustainable competitive advantage\, is a formidable task.\nIn this highly interactive\, practical program\, participants will learn how to apply and leverage activation-related frameworks in addition to the frameworks and tools learned in the Strategic Organization Design workshop.  Real life case studies will be used to highlight applications.\nParticipants will learn how to:\n\nIntegrate organization design with business model frameworks\nApply a systems-thinking approach to activation\nOrchestrate identification and activation of effective lateral connections\nAddress micro-design challenges related to management processes\, rewards\, and people\nEnsure effective design governance and change management to activate and sustain the changes\nUnderstand how to influence and manage design fatigue and resistance\nThis course is especially beneficial for individuals or teams who are currently working on design activation.\n\n  \nAttendees are eligible to earn up to 15 SHRM PDCs (Professional Development Credits).\n  \nClick here to download a justification email template.\n			 \n				\n				\n				\nUniversity’s Notice of Non-Discrimination\nThis program is open to all eligible individuals. The Center for Effective Organizations operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race\, sex\, ethnicity\, sexual orientation\, or any other prohibited factor. \nIndividuals with disabilities who need accommodations to attend this event may contact Vivian Jimenez. We request that individuals requiring accommodations or auxiliary aids such as sign language interpreters and alternative format materials notify us at least 7 days prior to the event. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner.\n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				LOCATION:\nCaruso Center\n844 W 32nd St\, Los Angeles\, CA 90007 \n			 \n				\n				\n				INSTRUCTORS:\nChris Worley\nBeth Gunderson\nLiz Vales Damron\n\n			 \n				\n				\n				Registration Deadline\nFebruary 9\, 2026 \nPricing (Enrollment Includes both Org Design & Org Design Activation Workshops)\nNon-Sponsor: $11\,695Sponsor: $9\,470 (use your sponsor discount code at checkout) \nDiscount\nWhen signing up for the Strategic Organization Design Certificate Program\, groups of three or more from the same Non-Sponsor company will receive a 10% discount.  Contact Vivian Jimenez to receive this discount. \nQualifications\nAlthough this workshop provides a broad overview and hands-on tools\, it is designed for people with some grounding in organization design issues. \nCancellations\n\nOn or before 2/9/26 the cancellation fee is $250.00.\nFrom 2/10/26 to 2/23/26\, 50% of the fee will be refunded.\nRegistration fees are non-refundable for cancellations received after 2/23/26 and for no-shows.\n\n			 \n				Register Here\n			\n			 \n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS\n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n					CHRISTOPHER G. WORLEY\, Ph.D.\n					\n					Research Professor of Management\nPepperdine University &\nCEO Affiliated Senior Research Scientist \n					\n				 \n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n					BETH GUNDERSON\n					\n					CEO Affiliate Practitioner &\nMinikahda Partners\n \n					\n				 \n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n					LIZ VALES DAMRON\n					\n					Principal at Liz Vales Consulting
URL:https://ceo.usc.edu/event/usc-ceo-strategic-org-design-certificate/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260519T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260521T170000
DTSTAMP:20260521T134646
CREATED:20250709T124506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260326T144741Z
UID:82314-1779177600-1779382800@ceo.usc.edu
SUMMARY:Strategic Organization Design Activation Workshop
DESCRIPTION:Develop your skills to ensure successful organization design activation\nThis course is only open to individuals who have already attended Part I: Strategic Organization Design Workshop. Once a participant completes both the Part I: Strategic Organization Design Workshop and Part II: Strategic Organization Design Activation Workshop\, they will have earned their Strategic Org Design Certificate.\nSome of the more difficult design challenges occur after the organization chart has been communicated.  Activating a design successfully\, that results in sustainable competitive advantage\, is a formidable task. \nIn this highly interactive\, practical program\, participants will learn how to apply and leverage activation-related frameworks in addition to the frameworks and tools learned in the Strategic Organization Design workshop.  Real life case studies will be used to highlight applications. \nParticipants will learn how to: \n\nIntegrate organization design with business model frameworks\nApply a systems-thinking approach to activation\nOrchestrate identification and activation of effective lateral connections\nAddress micro-design challenges related to management processes\, rewards\, and people\nEnsure effective design governance and change management to activate and sustain the changes\nUnderstand how to influence and manage design fatigue and resistance\n\n This course is especially beneficial for individuals or teams who are currently working on design activation.    \nAttendees might include:\n\nOrganization Development Professionals\nHuman Resource Business Partners\nHuman Resource COE Professionals – Talent Management\, Total Rewards\, HR Operations\nInternal Consultants\nLine Managers and Design Teams\n\n  \nAttendees are eligible to earn up to 15 SHRM PDCs (Professional Development Credits).\nClick here to download a justification email template.\n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				LOCATION:\nUniversity of Southern California\, Los Angeles\, CA\n			 \n				\n				\n				INSTRUCTORS:\nBeth Gunderson\nLiz Vales Damron\n			 \n				\n				\n				Registration Deadline\nMay 5\, 2026 \nPricing\nNon-Sponsor: $5\,500Sponsor: $4\,495 \nDiscount Options\nWhen signing up for a single workshop\, groups of three or more from the same Non-Sponsor company will receive a 10% discount.  Contact Vivian Jimenez to receive this discount. \nQualifications\nAlthough this workshop provides a broad overview and hands-on tools\, it is designed for people with some grounding in organization design issues. \nCancellations\n\nOn or before 5/5/26 the cancellation fee is $250.00.\nFrom 5/6/26 to 5/16/26\, 50% of the fee will be refunded.\nRegistration fees are non-refundable for cancellations received after 5/17/26 and for no-shows.\n\n			 \n				Register Here\n			\n				May Workshop Agenda\n			\n				Contact Us\n			\n			 \n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Earn a Certificate\nOrganization design is a critical organizational capability in today’s dynamic global economy\, and that’s why we offer a Certificate in Strategic Organization Design. Complete both the Strategic Organization Design Workshop and the Strategic Organization Design Activation Workshop to earn your Certificate in Strategic Organization Design. This new certificate offering from the Center for Effective Organizations\, Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California\, will only be offered once in 2026. \n			 \n				Learn More\n			\n			 \n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS\n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n					BETH GUNDERSON\n					\n					CEO Affiliate Practitioner &Minikahda Partners \n					\n				 \n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n					LIZ VALES DAMRON\n					\n					Principal at Liz Vales Consulting
URL:https://ceo.usc.edu/event/82314/
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260602T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260602T090000
DTSTAMP:20260521T134646
CREATED:20260421T170702Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260421T183838Z
UID:85218-1780387200-1780390800@ceo.usc.edu
SUMMARY:AI Trends\, Tribulations and Transformations
DESCRIPTION:AI Trends\, Tribulations and Transformations\nTuesday\, June 2\, 20268am PDT | 11am EDT | 4pm BST (1 hour duration)\nSpeakers: Alec Levenson\, Sr Research Scientist\, CEO and Serena Huang\, founder of Data with Serena\, enterprise AI transformation leader\, and Affiliate Senior Research Scientist\, CEO. \nEveryone is asking how many jobs AI will eliminate\, and doomsayers warn of a coming jobs apocalypse. But most forecasts rely on a flawed assumption: that work can be cleanly broken into tasks\, automated in isolation\, and then translated directly into headcount reduction. That’s not how organizations actually work. \nWe are at an early inflection point for AI adoption. Though the initial hype has passed\, reports of struggles to effectively adopt AI and achieve meaningful ROI are everywhere. \nIn this session\, Alec Levenson and Serena Huang address the past\, present and future of AI disruption\, including: \n\nWhy AI job displacement forecasts break down when they assume task automation can be directly translated into headcount reduction\nWhy AI value depends on work re-design and business process transformation\, with humans still essential for judgment\, systems integration and accountability\nWhy measuring ROI of AI is becoming the real bottleneck in 2026\, as organizations struggle to connect pilots to improved business outcomes\nHow AI is creating uneven productivity gains while introducing hidden costs\nHow leading organizations are starting to redesign executive compensation and KPIs to support AI adoption and shift behavior toward new ways of working\n\n			 \n				Register Here\n			\n			 \n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				SPEAKERS\n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n					ALEC LEVENSON\n					Senior Research Scientist\, Center for Effective Organizations \n					Former CHRO\, The Chemours Company\, CEO Advisory Board Member \n					\n				 \n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n					SERENA HUANG\n					Founder of Data with Serena\, Enterprise AI Transformation Leader\, and Affiliate Research Scientist\, CEO \n					\n					\n				 \n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\nUniversity’s Notice of Non-Discrimination\nThis program is open to all eligible individuals. The Center for Effective Organizations operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race\, sex\, ethnicity\, sexual orientation\, or any other prohibited factor.
URL:https://ceo.usc.edu/event/ai-trends-tribulations-and-transformations/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ceo.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Webinar-6-2-26-Using-AI-to-Transform-Organizations-The-Promise-and-Barriers.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260914T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260914T090000
DTSTAMP:20260521T134646
CREATED:20260519T185413Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260519T191511Z
UID:85354-1789376400-1789376400@ceo.usc.edu
SUMMARY:EEN Session: Leading HR when AI Transformation Never Stops: Insights from a Microsoft HR Leader
DESCRIPTION:Leading HR when AI Transformation Never Stops: Insights from a Microsoft HR Leader\nSession leaders: Prerna Ajmera (General Manager of HR Digital Strategy and Innovation at Microsoft) and Sharna Wiblen (Senior Research Scientist)\nMonday\, September 14\, 2026  9:00 am PDT (Los Angeles) / 12:00 pm EDT (New York) / 5:00 pm BST (London)\n1.5 hours duration\n  \n			 \n				\n				\n				Hear from a Microsoft HR leader about what happens when transformation no longer has an endpoint. \nOrganizations have traditionally approached transformation as a process that could be planned\, implemented\, embedded\, and ultimately stabilized. Yet AI is challenging this assumption fundamentally. AI has not only expanded organizational capability; it has accelerated the pace at which capability evolves. New agents\, copilots\, models\, and workflows are emerging faster than many organizations can operationalize them across systems\, processes\, governance structures\, and ways of working\, making the traditional transformation cycle of implement\, roll out\, stabilize increasingly difficult to sustain. For HR leaders\, this shifts the challenge significantly. The question is no longer simply how to implement AI\, but how to lead effectively in an operating environment characterized by continuous change\, evolving capability\, and ongoing reinvention. \nJoin us for a live 90-minute Enterprise Effectiveness Network (EEN) session in which Prerna Ajmera (General Manager of HR Digital Strategy and Innovation at Microsoft) and Sharna Wiblen (Senior Research Scientist) will discuss how to approach and manage transformations when there is no longer a finish line. Prerna will share her experiences of leading change in Microsoft and suggest how HR can rethink how it operates\, makes decisions\, and scales in an always-on transformation environment. \nWho should attend?  \n\nCHROs and senior HR leaders responsible for aligning workforce capability\, technology and strategy\nHR technology and digital transformation leaders needing to execute in always-on contexts\nOrganizational effectiveness and operating model specialists responsible for and involved in redesigning work and workforces\nWorkforce strategy and people analytics leaders examining how AI capabilities reshape work\nBusiness leaders navigating AI-associated change\n\n\n\n\n\nPrerna Ajmera is General Manager of HR Digital Strategy and Innovation at Microsoft\, leading AI first workforce and employee experience transformation at enterprise scale. She partners with Microsoft product teams and leading HR technology companies to shape capabilities that extend beyond Microsoft\, enabling customers across industries to benefit. With decades of HR technology transformation experience\, Prerna focuses on solving why implementations take years and why value is frequently delayed\, diluted\, or never realized. Named one of HR Executive’s Rising Stars\, Prerna is known for delivering measurable business value in complex\, uncharted environments and for helping teams lead in a Future Unbound era with clarity\, rigor\, and trust. \nWhat’s the Enterprise Effectiveness Network (EEN)? \nThe Enterprise Effectiveness Network (EEN) is a dynamic peer-to-peer community where we discuss and address talent\, organizational\, and strategy execution challenges. Led by USC’s Center for Effective Organizations (CEO) experts Alec Levenson\, Jennifer Deal\, Sharna Wiblen EEN sessions are 90-minute virtual sessions founded on research-backed insights. By joining us for our EEN sessions\, you’ll gain access to expert and research-led discussions and practical tools and be part of a network of like-minded professionals committed to advancing enterprise effectiveness. Together\, we tackle real-world issues at a depth that drives meaningful\, lasting impact. \n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				Contact Us to Join EEN Meetings\n			\n				Learn more about EEN\n			\n			 \n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				SPEAKER\n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n					PRERNA AJMERA\n					\n					General Manager of HR Digital Strategy and Innovation at Microsoft \n					\n				 \n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n					SHARNA WIBLEN\, PHD\n					\n					CEO Senior Research Scientist \n					\n				 \n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\nUniversity’s Notice of Non-Discrimination\nThis program is open to all eligible individuals. The Center for Effective Organizations operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race\, sex\, ethnicity\, sexual orientation\, or any other prohibited factor.
URL:https://ceo.usc.edu/event/85354/
CATEGORIES:EEN
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ceo.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/EEN-Sept-14-2026-Live-Zoom.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261027T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261027T093000
DTSTAMP:20260521T134646
CREATED:20260520T164952Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260520T164956Z
UID:85389-1793088000-1793093400@ceo.usc.edu
SUMMARY:EEN Session: Rethinking Spans and Layers
DESCRIPTION:Rethinking Spans and Layers\nSession leaders: Alexis Fink and Alec Levenson\nTuesday\, October 27\, 2026 8:00 am PDT (Los Angeles) | 11:00 am EDT (New York) | 3:00 pm GMT (London)\n(1.5 hours duration)\n  \n			 \n				\n				\n				What if the problem with most “spans and layers” exercises is that they optimize for cost reduction while undermining the very organizational effectiveness they are meant to improve? \n“Spans and layers” is back. Rising costs\, productivity pressures\, and demands for greater efficiency mean many organizations are once again turning to organizational structure as a lever for cost reduction. But in many cases\, the conversation is being framed far too narrowly. \nTraditional spans-and-layers exercises often default to blunt cost-cutting logic: reduce management layers\, increase spans of control\, remove headcount\, and assume efficiency follows. Yet organizations frequently discover that these approaches create unintended consequences—decision bottlenecks\, leadership overload\, weaker capability development\, reduced coordination\, and declining organizational effectiveness. \nJoin us for a live 90-minute Enterprise Effectiveness Network session in which Alexis Fink and Alec Levenson (Senior Research Scientists) will examine how organizations should really think about spans and layers in today’s operating environment. Rather than treating spans and layers as a simplistic cost-reduction exercise\, this discussion will explore how leaders can make more deliberate\, evidence-informed decisions about structure\, management load\, coordination\, capability development\, and organizational performance. \n Who should attend: \n\nCHROs and senior HR leaders responsible for organizational structure\, workforce effectiveness\, and operating model decisions\nOrganizational effectiveness and organization design professionals examining spans\, layers\, decision rights\, and coordination mechanisms\nBusiness leaders navigating cost pressures while seeking to maintain performance\, capability\, and execution quality\nHR strategy and workforce planning leaders evaluating how structure shapes organizational agility and effectiveness\nTransformation and operating model leaders redesigning workflows\, accountability\, and leadership structures\nPeople analytics leaders interested in moving beyond simplistic structural benchmarks toward evidence-informed organizational design\n\nWhat’s the Enterprise Effectiveness Network (EEN)? \nThe Enterprise Effectiveness Network (EEN) is a dynamic peer-to-peer community where we discuss and address talent\, organizational\, and strategy execution challenges. Led by USC’s Center for Effective Organizations (CEO) experts Alec Levenson\, Jennifer Deal\, Sharna Wiblen EEN sessions are 90-minute virtual sessions founded on research-backed insights. By joining us for our EEN sessions\, you’ll gain access to expert and research-led discussions and practical tools and be part of a network of like-minded professionals committed to advancing enterprise effectiveness. Together\, we tackle real-world issues at a depth that drives meaningful\, lasting impact. \n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				Contact Us to Join EEN Meetings\n			\n				Learn more about EEN\n			\n			 \n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				SPEAKERS\n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n					ALEXIS FINK\, Ph.D.\n					\n					CEO Senior Research Scientist \n					\n				 \n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n					ALEC LEVENSON\, Ph.D.\n					\n					CEO Senior Research Scientist \n					\n				 \n			 \n			 \n				\n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n			 \n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				\nUniversity’s Notice of Non-Discrimination\nThis program is open to all eligible individuals. The Center for Effective Organizations operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race\, sex\, ethnicity\, sexual orientation\, or any other prohibited factor.
URL:https://ceo.usc.edu/event/een-session-rethinking-spans-and-layers/
CATEGORIES:EEN
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ceo.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/EEN-Oct-27-2026-Live-Zoom.png
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