Dr. Rebecca Shively
Organizations Don’t Change. People Do.
Change isn't just a project timeline to manage or a tactical problem to solve. Organizations don't change; people do. Using research and principles grounded in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, I help leaders look past timelines, milestones, and deliverables to support the human side of transformation.
If Organizational Change Was Like Shark Week
When most people encounter a shark, the immediate reaction is fear and defense. In organizations, we react the exact same way to change. In this 12-minute TEDxOmaha talk, I challenge the notion that change is purely technical, showing how psychology offers tools, and surprising insights, that help leaders turn resistance into resilience.
Resources & Tools
Change Conversation Deck
Conversation cards to help team, leaders, and individual explore how people experience change. Through questions, stories, and reflection prompts, participants can spark meaningful conversations and build a deeper understanding of the human side of change.
Leader Discussion Guide
This guide helps leaders explore how their actions influence the way employees experience organizational change. Use it with a peer group to discuss four leadership practices, apply them to a current change challenge, and identify one leadership experiment to test with your team.
Teammate Discussion Guide
This guide helps any teammate reflect on how they personally experience and navigate organizational change. Use it with a peer group to explore what supports engagement, understanding, and confidence during periods of uncertainty.
About Dr. Rebecca Shively
Why do people resist change—and what actually helps them move forward? Dr. Rebecca Shively has built her career around answering that question.
As an organizational change practitioner, Dr. Shively guides leaders and teams through complex transformations with a focus on people-centered strategies. She brings both scholarship and practice to her work, holding a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Nebraska Omaha, where her research on goal-setting, motivation, and leadership continues to inform real-world impact.
Her career spans higher education, the nonprofit sector, and multiple industries in the private sector, giving her a broad perspective on how organizations adapt and thrive. Outside of work, she channels her love of creativity and collaboration by playing trumpet in a community concert band, exploring the outdoors, traveling, and enjoying time with family and friends. Guided by curiosity, connection, and continuous learning, she brings a thoughtful, human-centered approach to every challenge.