144. Breaking Resistance: Implementation Science, Leadership & Change from New Orleans

In this episode, Renee Schulte and Jason Haglund record live from New Orleans at the Associations of Paroling Authorities International conference, diving into conversations around evidence-based parole decision-making, implementation science, and organizational change. They explore why resistance to change is so common in healthcare, behavioral health, and justice systems, and how leaders can better navigate transformation efforts without losing sight of people, purpose, and outcomes. From productivity standards to questioning outdated systems, this episode highlights the importance of curiosity, adaptability, and focusing on what truly drives progress in complex organizations.In this episode, you will be able to:Why implementation science matters when introducing change in healthcare, behavioral health, and justice systems.How resistance to change impacts organizations and why many initiatives fail.The psychological and operational reasons people resist new systems and expectations.Why leaders must challenge the status quo while remaining focused on outcomes and sustainability.How productivity standards, role clarity, and organizational focus influence long-term success.The key moments in this episode are:00:00:09 - Introduction & Recording Live from New Orleans00:02:18 - Whiny Farmer Intro & Conference Conversations00:04:41 - Implementation Science with Dr. Alexandra Walker00:07:12 - Why People Resist Change00:10:06 - The Cognitive Load of Leaving Autopilot00:12:34 - Organizational Resistance & Failure Rates00:15:20 - Evidence-Based Parole Decision-Making Discussion00:18:11 - Challenging the Status Quo in Systems00:20:43 - Productivity Standards & Accountability Conversations00:23:08 - The Importance of Role Clarity & Leadership Focus00:25:31 - “What We Focus On, We Get More Of”00:27:04 - Closing Thoughts & TakeawaysLinks:APAI conference: https://www.apaintl.org/conference.html Dr Alexandra Walker LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-alexandra-walker Resilient Optimism: https://www.dralexandrawalker.com/ Connect with us: https://ruralpolicypartners.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/linkedin.com/company/rural-policy-partners/ https://www.facebook.com/facebook.com/ruralpolicypartnershttps://www.youtube.com/@ruralpolicypartnersWatch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rHj3qVF4134