Decoding Human Behavior: Social Styles in Change Management
Change is about people, and people do not all experience change in the same way. The Merrill-Reid Social Styles Model provides a simple and practical lens for understanding how individuals and groups prefer to communicate, make decisions, and engage with change. In this session, participants will explore how recognizing Social Styles in themselves, their leaders, their teams, and their stakeholders can help build trust, reduce friction, and accelerate adoption of new ways of working. Through relatable examples and practical tools, participants will learn how to apply Social Styles to stakeholder assessments, sponsor engagement, and team collaboration in order to achieve stronger change outcomes.

About Jason Rubsam
With nearly 30 years of experience in Information Technology, Jason Rubsam has helped organizations evaluate, design, deploy, and adopt new systems with a people-first mindset. Since joining Wabash in 2017, he transitioned from IT into Change Management in 2019 and now serves on the Wabash Management System team. In this role, he supports cultural transformation by blending change management and Lean principles to equip employees with the clarity and capability to solve problems, continuously improve processes, and grow as individuals. Jason lives in rural Michigan, works remotely, and enjoys photography, spending time outdoors, and life with his wife Julie, their two cats—Merl and Leo—and keeping in touch with their son Ash, who attends the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis. He is a Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP), a Prosci® Certified Change Practitioner, a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and a Microsoft Service Adoption Specialist.