Leading change in school organizations

In keeping with the changes in the schools and the pressures of the high performance, schools organizations are launching significant transformation initiatives For example
Teaching and learning, Supply quality of students, Strategic Sourcing, etc.

Leading change in school organizations

Major schools organizational transformations are highly complex, involve significant resources and risks and are driving change at a pace and scale still new to the leaders. Leading successful change is becoming a critical competency!

A LEADERS GUIDE: It is not prescriptive 3 characteristics

rather focuses on asking questions, offering suggestions and alternatives and exploring potential challenges It helps visualize problems, solutions, or progress in the change effort
-> in order to hit peoples emotions and evoke action

It acts as a framework to guide and support change leaders through important aspects of leading change.

 It is scaleable. The approach can be used to lead schools organization-wide transformation as well as focused changes specific to a unit within the organization. It provides checkpoints that assist leaders in tailoring the process to suit their needs.

A LEADERS GUIDE: 3 characteristics

 It is flexible. It can be tailored and adapted to reflect the unique aspects of each change initiative and each part of the schools organization.

A LEADERS GUIDE: 3 characteristics

8-Step Process for Leading Successful Change

Creating a climate for change

1. Creating a sense of shared need and urgency
Transforming complacency into a shared sense of urgency and need for change in order to get the cooperation needed to make the change happen.

2. Creating and being part of a guiding coalition

Mobilizing a group of individuals that can lead the change and act effectively as a team.

3. Developing a vision and strategy

Creating a compelling vision describing the future state of the organization to guide the change effort and a strategy to achieve that vision.

Engaging and enabling the whole organization

4. Communicating the change vision and mobilizing commitment Creating a common understanding of the changes required to mobilize the workforce behind the vision Involving people in the change to create the support and commitment to the change.

Engaging and enabling the whole organization

5. Enabling employees to make the change
Getting teachers to act on the vision by removing obstacles to action Encouraging new ideas, activities and more risktaking Educating and training teachers, senior teachers and staff Aligning new systems and processes with the new vision.

Engaging and enabling the whole organization

6. Generating and celebrating short-term wins Planning and creating visible performance improvements to gain support for the change Visibly recognizing and rewarding those who made those wins possible.

Implementing and sustaining transformation

7. Consolidating gains and building on successes Using credibility and momentum gained by the short-term wins to produce more changes in the organization.

Implementing and sustaining transformation

8. Making it last Embedding new behaviors in the culture of the schools organization Creating mechanisms for developing and reinforcing the desired behaviors in the leadership and the workforce. Articulating the links between the change and schools organizational successes.

THE NATURE OF CHANGE

Process is not linear Although the above may suggest that creating change is a linear process, large transformation is never that simple

THE NATURE OF CHANGE

Change is an iterative process. Change is an iterative process that frequently requires retracing steps in order to successfully move forward Some steps, such as the creation of a sense of urgency or a guiding coalition, will need to be revisited several times in the course of a transformation.

SEE-FEEL-CHANGE APPROACH
There are generally two approaches that can be used in change efforts: Analysis-Think-Change and See-Feel-Change Changing behavior is less a matter of giving people analysis to influence their thoughts than helping them to see a truth to influence their feelings. Both thinking and feeling are essential, both are found in successful organizations, but the heart of change is in our emotions.

SEE-FEEL-CHANGE APPROACH
The flow of see-feel-change is more powerful than of analysis-think-change These distinctions between seeing and analysis, between feeling and thinking, are critical because, for the most part we use the latter much more frequently, competently, and comfortably than the former.

Analysis-ThinkChange >< See-FeelChange

1. Give People Analysis Information is gathered and analyzed, reports are written, and presentations are made about problems, solutions, or progress in solving urgency, teamwork, communication, momentum slipping or other key problems within the 8 steps 1. Help People See Compelling, eye-catching, dramatic situations are created to help others visualize problems, solutions, or progress in solving complacency, strategy, empowerment or other key problems within the 8 steps

Analysis-ThinkChange >< See-FeelChange

2. Data and Analysis Influence How We Think The information and analysis change peoples thinking. Ideas inconsistent with the needed change are dropped or modified.
2. Seeing Something New Hits The Emotions The visualizations provide useful ideas that hit people at a deeper level than surface thinking They evoke a visceral response which reduces emotions that block change and enhances those that support it.

Analysis-ThinkChange >< See-FeelChange

3. New Thoughts Change Behavior or Reinforce Change Behavior 3. Emotionally Charged Ideas Change Behavior or Reinforce Changed Behavior

MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS
Measuring the sense of urgency in the organization. If you are being effective at creating a shared sense of urgency you will see some of these signs:

Signs of a shared sense of urgency

Individuals challenging, questioning and validating for themselves the need to change More discussions and reiteration of the risks of status quo. More talk about whats coming in the future, more long-term perspective Greater awareness of the competition, the industry and the external environment.

Signs of a shared sense of urgency

More discussions about problems that dont go away Groups starting to investigate where the problems are, or seeking opportunities. More energy and effort directed to satisfying customer needs.

THE ROLE OF LEADERS

make the need for change apparent to the entire schools organization and tie it to what is being changed. Paying homage to the past,
while recognizing the weaknesses of what is and acknowledging the challenges of the future.

Recognizing that the world does not remain still by highlighting changes in the educational environment.

THE ROLE OF LEADERS

Emphasizing the need for constant vigilance, i.e. success yesterday does not predict success for tomorrow. Communicating a compelling story and engaging others in a dialogue about the need for change.

THE ROLE OF MANAGERS

If senior teachers have sufficient autonomy, they may achieve change in their own department or unit But more often than not, change will cross functional boundaries -> any such initiative is doomed without strong leadership support from higher levels.
Collect information about the real performance of their group or unit. Involve the senior teachers in a serious examination of this information to gain support and commitment at higher levels for broader change.