Lecture 1 Notes

LEADING CHANGE IN SCHOOLS AND REGIONS

CHANGE THEORY 1

Alfred J. Sant Fournier

A missing ingredient in most cases is insufficient appreciation and use of what we will call change knowledge: understanding and insight about the process of change and the key drivers that make for successful change in practice. The presence of change knowledge does not guarantee success, but its absence ensures failure.

Fullan (2004) Core Concepts

I think children celebrate change. They go into it gleefully. Somewhere along the line I think it’s beaten out of us. By the time we become grown-ups, we become terrified to look at anything which will expand our comfort level even a little bit. […] if you make me stretch, that doesn’t feel good.

Michele Atkins (1998)No Fear management

Continuous change

Incremental change Comfort Authority remains in control Repetition of previous knowledge

Handy (1990) The Age of Unreason

Discontinuous change

Rethinking of new ways Discomfort Authority feels threatened New learning New enlightenment New freedom Age of true learning

Handy (1990) The Age of Unreason

Possible attitudes

Peruvian IndiansBoiling the frog

The lily and the farmer

A farmer had a big pond for fish and ducks. On the pond was a tiny lily. The tiny lily was growing. It was doubling in size every day. “Look”, said the people to the farmer, “You’d better cut that lily. One day it will be so big it’ll kill all your fish and ducks.”

“All right all right”, said the farmer, “But there is no hurry. It’s only growing very slowly.”The lily carried on doubling in size every day. “Look”, said the farmer several days later, “the lily is still only half the size of the pond. No need to worry yet.”

The next day the farmer was very surprised.Richardson (1983)

Teachers and administrators have learned to treat innovations like kidney stones; they may cause considerable pain but, in the last analysis … “this too shall pass”.

Unfreeze -> change -> refreeze

Kurt Lewin (1951) Field Theory in Social Science

Unfreezing

Motivation for change must be generated before change can occur. One must be helped to re-examine many cherished assumptions about oneself and one’s relations to other.

Lewin

Unfreezing

The process of separation from the norm from past behaviour from what has been comfortable & is now obsolete

Unfreezing

Push is the stick with and from authority

Unfreezing

Pull is the carrot creating conditions that they chose themselves Motivating and leading

Unfreezing

1. Determine what needs to change Survey the school/organisation to understand the current state

Understand why change has to take place.  2. Ensure there is strong support from upper management Identify and win the support of key people within the organization  Frame the issue as one of organization-wide importance. 

Unfreezing

3. Create the need for change Create a compelling message as to why change has to occur

  Use your vision and strategy as supporting evidence

  Communicate the vision in terms of the change required

  Emphasize the “why”.

4. Manage and understand the doubts and concerns Remain open to employee concerns and address in terms of the need to

change.

Change

where we intervene in the system to develop new behaviours, values and attitudes through changes in organizational structures where people begin to resolve their uncertainty and look for new ways to

do things

Change

1. Communicate often Do so throughout the planning and implementation of the changes Describe the benefits  Explain exactly the how the changes will effect everyone  Prepare everyone for what is coming.

2. Dispel rumours Answer questions openly and honestly  Deal with problems immediately  Relate the need for change back to operational necessities.

Change

3. Empower action Provide plenty of options for employee involvement Have key persons provide day–to–day direction.

4. Involve people in the process Generate short-term successes to reinforce the change  Negotiate with external stakeholders as necessary.

Training is essential!!!

It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive.

Robert Louis Stephenson (1881) El Dorado

Refreeze

stabilizes the organization at a new state of equilibrium – frequently accomplished through the use of supporting mechanisms that reinforce the new organizational culture, norms, policies & structures.

1. Anchor the changes into the culture Identity what supports the change Identify barriers to sustaining change.

2. Develop ways to sustain the change Ensure leadership support  Create a reward system  Establish feedback systems Adapt the organizational structure as necessary.

3. Provide support and training

Keep everyone informed and supported.

4. Celebrate success!

Shall we prepare for the next change???

Lewin’s force field analysis

1. Identify and understand the current state

2. Identify and understand the desired goal state relative to the proposed change.

3. Identify and list driving forces acting to support the change. It is important to list all forces regardless of their seemingly small influence.

4. Identify and list restraining forces acting to hinder the change.

5. For each force, designate the level of influence using a numerical scale (e.g. 1 = extremely weak and 7 = extremely strong).

6. Chart the forces by listing the driving forces on the left and restraining forces on the right. Also chart the numbers allocated in step 5 next to their related force.

7. Evaluate the chart and determine whether change is viable.

8. Discuss how the change can be affected by decreasing the strength of the restraining forces or by increasing the strength of driving forces.

9. Discuss action strategies to eliminate the restraining forces and to capitalize on the driving forces.