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Archive for the ‘change’ category

Your School’s Secret Change Agents

September 3rd, 2010

School change is a challenging, necessary, and sticky business. Too often though, it begins with the search for the negative. Putting on, as thinking expert Edward de Bono would say, our “Black Hat.”

It’s a story that has been told a thousand times. A school needs to improve, to “fix what is broken” and it is up to the principal to identify what isn’t working, develop a plan to improve or repair the issues, and maybe hires a few consultants along the way to help.

What if, we started with de Bono’s “Yellow Hat?” Might the search for solutions began with finding those people at the school who are already succeeding and thriving in spite of the challenges and obstacles they face?

Because, as Harvard Business Review authors Richard Tanner Pascale and Jerry Sternin in their article “Your Company’s Secret Change Agents” point out….

“Somewhere in your organization, groups of people are already doing things differently and better. To create lasting change, find areas of positive deviance and fan their flames.”

Here is an “uncommon sense” approach to school change adapted from their article.

Traditional Approach To School Change	Positive Deviance Approach To School Change
Principal or Administrator as Path Breaker Primary ownership and momentum for the school change comes from the principal’s office. Teachers and staff leave it up to principal to discover what isn’t working and fix it.	Leadership as Inquiry Principal or administrator facilitates search; the school staff takes ownership of the quest for change. The teachers look around for positive deviance, those teachers, departments, or grade levels that are doing it differently and better.
Outside In Outside consultants are hired to identify and share best practices.	Inside Out School staff looks for and identifies preexisting solutions (what is working) and amplifies them across the school.
Deficit Based Principal deconstructs common practices and recommends best-practice solutions. The implication to teachers is “Why aren’t you as good as your peers?”	Asset Based Teachers and staff leverage preexisting solutions practiced by those teachers who succeed against the odds.
Logic Driven Teachers “think” into new ways of teaching and instructing.	Learning Driven Teachers teach and instruct into new ways of “thinking.”
Vulnerable To Transplant Rejection Resistance arises from ideas imported or imposed from outside consultants and or district office.	Open To Self-Replication Latent wisdom and knowledge of teachers and staff on site is tapped within the school walls to circumvent the school’s culture/social reaction to outsiders.
Flows From Problem Solving To Solution Identification Best practices are applied to problems defined within the context of existing parameters.	Flows From Solution Identification To Problem Solving Possible source of solutions is expanded through discovery of new parameters.
Focused On The Protagonist Engages school stakeholders who would be conventionally associated with the problem.	Focused On Enlarging The Network Identifies school stakeholders beyond those directly involved with the problem.

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Posted in change, Leadership, Rob Jacobs

Shift Happens. Even in Schools.

October 30th, 2009

By Jason Flom, Ecology of Education

On a recent field trip, neither my students nor I was at threat of being eaten alive by a t-rex.

Why, despite ruling Earth for nearly 80 million years (even longer than Wall Street barons), are Cretaceous period animals not regularly chowing on our gizzards? Things change.

Scientists have suspected this for some time. In fact, a growing body of geologic evidence seems to support the theory that things today are not the same as they were 200 million years ago. (Many even suspect tomorrow will be different than today.)

Surprisingly, this idea of “change as constant” is not yet an accepted norm. (Though it comes as no surprise to anyone who has visited any number of schools in the past few years.)

In a recent post, titled “Constant Transformation is the New Norm”, on his “Innovation Insights” page on Harvard Business Publishing, Scott Anthony writes:

There are still some executives who are waiting for things to return to “normal.” It’s not going to happen. Constant change is the new normal.

Um. . .correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t “constant change” been the norm for quite some time? Sure, there were (and will be) periods of relative stability, but these are often preceded and followed by periods of growth and transformation. Nothing stays the same forever. This hold true in both geologic and bi-pedal time.

So, why is this news? How can such a scientifically accepted norm make it onto a Harvard blog geared toward innovation? Why is this an emerging trend worth writing about by someone with such an impressive resume in innovation? Surely business executives were aware that things change. What’s so different now?

Pace.

Despite vain attempts by the learned and powerful to keep things as they were, the digital domain is disrupting the old standard, rapidly. Such meteoric growth is transforming how businesses do business, and should affect how schools administer schooling.

While the key to success is to adapt to the new landscape, the strategies for doing so are not so clear cut.

Toward this end, Mr. Anthony offers 3 points of advice:

1. True transformation starts with a deep understanding of the severity of the problem.
2. Transformation requires being outside-in, not inside-out.
3. Space is the only way to avoid the “sucking sound of the core.”

While specifically geared toward businesses, reform minded education trailblazers would do well to take notes on these points, because they offer insights for being on the leading edge of transformative change in our nations schools.

True transformation starts with a deep understanding of the severity of the problem. In education’s case, it must include a deep understanding of the severity and variety of the problems. Too often measures are put in place based on a single problem, as in addressing an important issue, such as the achievement gap, while neglecting or exacerbating others. Leaders would do well to think system-wide before instituting scaled-up standards that solve one problem at the cost of creating others.
Transformation requires being outside-in, not inside-out. Innovation is born out of a novel combination of knowns. Facilitating the innovation process necessitates drawing in elements/people/knowledge from outside the organization. Education’s deeply rutted top down hierarchy maintains the inside-out approach by limiting inputs. As a result, much of the “reform” appears much the same as before, just more of it. More standards, more tests, and more hoops to jump through. Yet, beyond the school walls there is a shift in how people are interacting with knowledge and each other, and an even larger shift in the behavior of the global economy. Looking for meaningful and lasting transformation requires that education leaders broaden their inputs from outside the economic interests of the lobby-sphere to include ideas and influences that develop life long learners.
Space is the only way to avoid the “sucking sound of the core.” In an interview with Blogging Innovation, Mr. Anthony describes the “sucking sound” this way:

Most companies excel at managing innovations that extend their core business. They struggle with innovations that run counter to their existing way of operating. Then, the greatest enemy lies within. We call it “the sucking sound of the core.” A company’s core systems and structures “want” an innovation to conform to what a company has done before, not what is necessary for success. The sucking sound makes innovation slow and complicated. To break the sucking sound of the core, companies need to make sure they have a “safe space” for innovation, and that senior leaders actively step in to break standard operating procedures when required.

In many ways, charter schools represent the laboratory of the education institution, the Skunk Works of sorts. However, as testing and accountability systems become increasingly standardized, the sucking sound at the core threatens to pull any innovation in the public school system toward the previous norm. Continuing to develop and support the relative autonomy of charter schools will help to ensure that our education system has room to explore new and compelling ideas.

Change is not the new norm, but we would do well to act as if it is.

It is the one thing we can count on. In fact, it is the only thing we are sure our students will face as adults. Preparing them for adapting to change must be our top priority. If we are truly bent on normalizing our nation’s schools, we must find a way to standardize diversification and differentiation.

Image: National Geographic

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Posted in change, Charter Schools, Harvard, Innovation, Jason Flom, Scott Anthony, transformation

Aspects of Change: A Time of Learning

May 27th, 2009

By Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, 21st Century Learning

“Things do not change; we change.” Thoreau

“It’s not that some people have willpower and some don’t. It’s that some people are ready to change and others are not.” James Gordon, M.D.

“Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.” King Whitney Jr.

As a year of helping districts and schools manage change comes to a close, I understand more than ever that leading a successful change
effort is a hands-on, fully engaged job. One which often kept me from doing other things I love. It has been two months since my last blog post. I have missed blogging and reflecting here with you- because my personal path for change and growth comes from sharing, reflecting and constructing knowledge here with you.

I have learned a lot this year, but what stands out most clearly is that to change an organization, its people
must see their roles in it differently. If we focus on the people,
and how they change themselves, organizations change more quickly.

CHANGE IS GENERALIZABLE

Some of you know I bought a house this year. Pretty big change for me and mine. Then I got this crazy idea that I would remodel the home. So we gutted the kitchen, den, and dining room. Knocking down walls and starting at scratch. It has been a time of renewal. The other day it occured to me that the frustration, redefining, and hard work I am experiencing through this process (which has been going on since February- change takes time) is generalizable to the organizational and personal change efforts Will and I have been leading with PLP.

Preparing for Change

For change to take hold and redefine people and the places they live and grow there needs to be a time of inquiry, reflection, and visioning.

When I moved into this house I knew I wanted to change it. I started with imagery. I started looking at possible images and examples of what I wanted this house to become; scourging the Web, my networks and books and magazines for stories of others who had transformed their homes into more updated and functional spaces. Because I understood the culture of our family I was instinctively drawn to options that would work for us. Interestingly enough many of the changes I wanted to make came from a schematic building of ideas I had been collecting since childhood. Some of the changes were for fun and “cool” factor, some were to make the home more functional and relevant, some were to create a sense of beauty and well being and some were to support the social aspects of my life and to connect to the future- my children and their children.

Once I had some basic ideas I began to reflect and think and share. I would sit in a room quietly and observe, vision, and play with concepts. Then I would bring others in the room and elaborate my vision and ask for their opinions and ideas. I asked lots of questions. Then I took the new information and reworked my plans incorporating the ideas I liked best. Constantly, I was using the “wisdom of the crowd” to shape and reshape my vision. I brought family members into the planning to garner buy-in and collaboratively we created a shared vision. Every time there was a disagreement and a storm of ideas and opinions colliding I reminded myself this was part of the process and that out of diversity would come innovation.

Once I had a clearer vision of what the principled changes needed to be to make this home more relevant in our lives, now and in the future, I committed it to paper. In some cases where I knew I had limited knowledge, like the landscaping, I hired an expert designer to actually draw up some plans to follow. I worked for weeks with the designer to make sure the options we chose were the ones that would fit best with the needs of our family. It is important that as you are reculturing you consider best fit and how lives will be impacted in the most positive way from the changes you are about to make.

Getting the Right People on the Bus

Finding the right people is important. I needed to have a team that was willing to take risks. One that was not daunted easily. One that didn’t mind learning new things and being innovative. I needed a team that would not bend and give me what I thought I wanted in a time of weakness but rather would hold true to the vision. I needed team members with skill and expertise who were networked and could bring in other experts to help us deliver. I needed a team that was in it for the long haul and who would pay attention to detail. I wanted team members who understood this project was going to be transformational and as a result joined me in pursuing excellence.

I needed to make sure I had not only the right people on my team but enough people to get the job done in a timely manner.

Keeping the Momentum Up and Not Giving Up

The toughest part of the change process with this house has been keeping the momentum and the dream of the transformation alive. I have had contractors in my house since February. Dust, debris clutter, noise, parking issues, inconveniences are all part of the messiness of change. Dealing with the ambiguity has been tough too. There are times I wanted to throw in the towel and thought as outdated as the home was at least there was peace and comfort. I questioned if I did the right thing. And in the demolition phase I reminded myself of the implementation dip- that things will look worse before they get better, and that the end result will not be chaos, but rather peace and improved and better for all.

Fear is a big part of it too. Especially in these tough economic times. Am I spending money that should be allocated somewhere else? Should I be saving this money for a “just in-case” moment or is what I am investing going to payoff? Trust is another issue. Do the experts I have hired to make these changes a reality have the know how and wisdom to make it all happen- or was it just talk? When all around me looks overwhelming, can they lead us out of the chaos and confusion into the shared vision we have developed?

It was the talking, visioning, revisioning, and reflecting that kept this change project alive and moving forward. It was interesting to me that as one task of the mission was completed, the next change needed would become obvious. Change motivates and reveals the need for more change.

Lessons Learned

When one group fails to perform their piece of the change process it sets everyone back.

Relationships need to be negotiated along the way.

Resources need to be examined closely and also negotiated creatively.

Risks need to be considered and in some cases pieces of the plan need to be abandoned while others move on to phase 2.

Celebrate and document the progress and changes along the way. Recognize those who are working hard. Reward and credit those who deserve it. Nurture those who need help.

Not everyone on your team has pure motives for change. Some see the change as an opportunity for wealth and power rather than the goal of helping those who will be living out the change. Deal with this diplomatically.

This experience has reminded me of a reality TV show at times- intense with drama and life. It is almost surreal. But change produces movement and turbulence. And turbulence is life force. It is opportunity.

Comparisons

So as I wrote about the change process with my home I could clearly see the comparison to the changes organizations and individuals go through with 21st Century reform. Can you? I would love for us to discover them together here in the comments. Please share your ideas- how does what I describe above compare?

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Posted in change, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach