Built to Adapt: Designing Execution Systems That Move With You

Topic Summary

Most change efforts don’t fail from lack of intent—they fail because of a mismatch between strategy and the system meant to carry it. Execution breaks down in the interaction—where trust, timing, and coordination live.

This session introduces a practical, human-centered approach to execution design. You’ll learn how to:

• Replace outdated assumptions that no longer fit the pace and pressure of real-world work
• Design routines that embed clarity, trust, and adaptability into the structure of the organization
• Engage people in co-creating these routines—so change sticks without relying on constant selling or compliance
  
  This isn’t about bolting on more process. It’s about building execution into the system itself—so your organization can move with coherence, even when things get hard.
  
  

  Meet the Speaker

  

  Dennis Stevens is an organizational strategist and systems designer with over 30 years of experience helping complex organizations navigate disruption and deliver lasting value. His work spans enterprise technology, transformation leadership, and business architecture—always focused on reducing friction, enabling flow, and building systems that hold strategy in motion.
  
  With a degree in Organizational Psychology and Development, Dennis integrates behavioral insight with structural design. He was one of eight original co-creators of PMI’s Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certification and served as Deputy Chief of the Software Extension to the PMBOK® Guide, shaping PMI’s early approach to agile and software delivery.
  
  He co-authored the original Agile Extension to the BABOK and helped design ICAgile’s first value- and project-management tracks—frameworks now used globally by training providers. He was also instrumental in shaping Microsoft’s Strategic Business Architecture offering and co-authored the Harvard Business Review article “The Next Revolution in Productivity,” which anticipated the shift to modular, scalable organizations aligned around outcomes.
  
  For over a decade, Dennis served as Chief Methodologist at LeadingAgile, leading enterprise transformations across over100 firms from early growth to the Fortune 100. Today, he is the founder of OrgWright, where he helps organizations design execution systems built for coherence, trust, and adaptability—combining real-world experience with deep research in systems thinking, human dynamics, and adaptive strategy.
  
  He recently partnered with PMI Chief of Staff Lenka Pincot on The Agile Network for leadership sessions on transformational leadership, enterprise agility, and redefining project success.

Continuing education credits for professional certifications will be available from the participating organizations.

Light refreshments and snacks will be available during the event.

Registration fees cover costs and support the organization to be able to organize and coordinate future events.