Summary:
In this episode of Change Chats, Judith Bueving speaks with Margot Waldorf, founder of the Change Awards and owner of Altioras about:
- Why organizational change management deserves more recognition and how the field is evolving.
- Why the Change Awards was created to recognize people and organizations doing transformative, sustainable change work, especially in a field that has often lacked visibility.- The Change Awards' origin story, the growth of the applications from the UK to an international pool.
- How change practitioners can build stronger careers by staying curious, visible, and open to continuous learning.
- Organizational change management should be understood as part of a larger ecosystem that also includes behavioral science, innovation, and coaching.
- Change capability needs to be built into organizations themselves, because every company now operates in a state of continuous change.
- Emotional resilience at work, feedback that stings, and the importance of naming feelings instead of suppressing them.
- Advice to newer practitioners: work across many projects and clients, ask specific questions, seek out learning opportunities, and be realistic about being “80 percent perfect.”
- Advice to new mid-career professionals, look beyond traditional internal change roles and considering adjacent spaces such as member-based organizations, chambers of commerce, and other people-driven environments.
- For anyone considering change entrepreneurship, Margot says fear is normal, progress comes from action, and success should be measured against your own path rather than someone else’s.
Show notes timestamps:
- 00:00 — Welcome to Change Chats and introduction to Margo Waldorf
- 00:34 — What the Change Awards are and why Margo founded them
- 03:34 — The first Change Awards event: an unexpectedly full room
- 05:57 — Growing the awards and evolving the event experience
- 07:34 — From UK-focused awards to a global applicant pool
- 09:45 — Running the Change Awards alongside Altioras
- 12:06 — What award applications reveal about the future of organizational change
- 13:18 — Big business pivots, AI, and what change looks like behind the headlines
- 16:12 — Why Margo built her career as an independent consultant
- 20:04 — Different career paths in change management
- 23:25 — Navigating difficult feedback and protecting your emotional wellbeing
- 30:07 — Why emotions belong in the workplace
- 31:14 — Behavioral change and the broader value of change management
- 35:08 — Coaching and innovation as adjacent fields for change practitioners
- 38:51 — Building benchmarks for what good organizational change looks like
- 40:01 — Advice for early-career change practitioners
- 44:37 — The value of working across industries and embracing imperfect expertise
- 46:26 — Mid-career opportunities beyond traditional organizational roles
- 50:27 — Advice for aspiring change entrepreneurs
- 54:10 — Where to connect with Margo and learn more about the Change Awards
Resources:
Change Awards
Margo Waldorf's LinkedIn
Altioras Advisory Firm
