PLACITAS, NEW MEXICO, JUNE 14, 2005—Donna Robbins, Ph.D., has signed on as a new partner at change-management consulting firm About Changing. Dr. Robbins brings with her the Accelerated Project Launch (APL) product, a project management tool she developed and used extensively at Honeywell Defense Avionics near Albuquerque, NM to launch new projects or assist existing projects in performing to expectations.

"We're very excited about the many assets and abilities Donna adds to the About Changing team," states Suzanne Maxwell, Ph.D., president of About Changing. "In addition to Accelerated Project Launch, she brings more than 20 years of experience in organizational development and change management. She has worked with Fortune 50 and 100 companies in aerospace, banking, utilities, information technology and insurance, and we look forward to applying her energy and expertise in our engagements."

"I'm thrilled to be part of About Changing's excellent team," comments Dr. Robbins. "Their approach to change management has evolved in a similar direction as my own, which makes the company a great place to continue my work applying biological systems theory to human organizations. I'm confident that together we will bring enormous benefits to our clients, particularly with the expanded use of Accelerated Project Launch that About Changing will make possible."

About Accelerated Project Launch
The APL facilitation is typically a two-day meeting of stakeholders, including primes, subcontractors, suppliers and, of course, customers. The launch is "live" work, rather than training, so costs can usually be charged to the project budget. During the two days, the project manager presents the project goals, requirements, budget and schedule. The stakeholders then make agreements about their various roles, responsibilities and tools in order to integrate the work so nothing falls through the cracks as the project moves from one phase to another.

One important feature of enabling stakeholders to think together is the synergy generated, which makes for stronger decisions and agreements. Another advantage is that relationships formed during an Accelerated Project Launch make future interactions between stakeholders far more comfortable and effective. While APL has been used primarily with long-term projects lasting two years or longer, it has also proved effective with teams responding to RFPs as well as non-manufacturing projects.

About About Changing
Headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, About Changing is a change-management consulting firm that shepherds organizations, teams and individuals through changes that matter. Clients include Honeywell Defense Avionics, S.C. Johnson and the U.S. Dept. of Energy. The company publishes a monthly newsletter to subscribers entitled "Leading Between the Lines."

For more information about Accelerated Project Launch, click here. For more information about About Changing, please contact us at (505) 867-3942 or info@aboutchanging.com.