Change Management and Leadership
Without a doubt we are undergoing a major paradigm shift in education, and with that comes the importance of communicating carefully to ensure that our stakeholders are eager to support the journey. With any widespread change there will be uncertainty, obstacles and challenges. Change Management (and the Leadership required) is an intriguing subject. There is not necessarily a "right" way to do it, but we can learn from others' research and success stories regarding what has been effective and successful.
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“There are many people who think they want to be matadors,
only to find themselves in the ring with 2000 pounds of bull
bearing down on them, and then they discover that what they really wanted
was to wear tight pants and hear the crowd roar.” Terry Pearce.
My Own Musings....
Useful Resources and Readings
Inviting Innovation: Leading Meaningful Change in Schools - Mark Osborne
A wonderful article about leading meaningful change in schools
Snippets: "One of the first steps in supporting people with change is to identify whether they are experiencing
that change as technical or adaptive because different support structures are required for each. It’s helpful to think of technical challenges as being those which are an extension of the past, sit within existing paradigms, are consistent with prevailing values and norms, and can be implemented with existing knowledge and skills. Adaptive challenges represent a break from the past, sit outside existing paradigms, conflict with prevailing values and norms and require new knowledge and skills to implement", (Waters & Marzano 2006).
"A crucial part of successful change leadership is avoiding an approach which leads to change being “done to” people, and embracing an approach which empowers and enables people to contribute to, and to see themselves in, the change they are bringing about."
A wonderful article about leading meaningful change in schools
Snippets: "One of the first steps in supporting people with change is to identify whether they are experiencing
that change as technical or adaptive because different support structures are required for each. It’s helpful to think of technical challenges as being those which are an extension of the past, sit within existing paradigms, are consistent with prevailing values and norms, and can be implemented with existing knowledge and skills. Adaptive challenges represent a break from the past, sit outside existing paradigms, conflict with prevailing values and norms and require new knowledge and skills to implement", (Waters & Marzano 2006).
"A crucial part of successful change leadership is avoiding an approach which leads to change being “done to” people, and embracing an approach which empowers and enables people to contribute to, and to see themselves in, the change they are bringing about."
inviting_innovation.pdf | |
File Size: | 136 kb |
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A Summary of Diffusion of Innovations by Les Robinson
Diffusion of Innovations offers three valuable insights into the process of social change: - What qualities make an innovation spread. - The importance of peer-peer conversations and peer networks. - Understanding the needs of different user segments. Diffusion researchers believe that a population can be broken down into five different segments, based on their propensity to adopt a specific innovation: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards |
A light-hearted (but wonderful) example of how the first followers are vital to support the initial "movers and shakers" ;-)
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What's teacher resistance really all about? A great read about why teachers may be resistant to various changes, and strategies to support.
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Principals as Leaders in a Culture of Change by Michael Fullan
Introduction: The more that large scale, sustainable educational reform becomes the agenda, the more that leadership becomes the key. In this article I will argue that ‘the principal as instructional leader’ has been a valuable, but too narrow a solution. Instead, the instructional focus must be embedded in a more comprehensive and fundamental set of characteristics which I call ‘the principal as leader in a culture of change’. I will also argue that to achieve the latter we must address the even deeper matter of ‘leadership and sustainability’.
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A framework for transforming learning in schools: Innovation and the Spiral of Inquiry
Helen Timperley, Linda Kaser and Judy Halbert Snippet: Our central argument is that innovation floats on a sea of inquiry and that curiosity is a driver for change.
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The Learning Pit by James Nottingham
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the_learning_pit.pdf | |
File Size: | 109 kb |
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Leadership for 21st Century Learning - OECD Executive Summary
Leadership is critical because it is strongly determinant of direction and outcomes, whether at the micro level of schools or of broader systems. As learning is the core business of education, it provides the paramount form and purpose of leadership focused on creating and sustaining environments that are conducive to good learning. Innovation is an integral part of the exercise of learning leadership in setting new directions.
Leadership is critical because it is strongly determinant of direction and outcomes, whether at the micro level of schools or of broader systems. As learning is the core business of education, it provides the paramount form and purpose of leadership focused on creating and sustaining environments that are conducive to good learning. Innovation is an integral part of the exercise of learning leadership in setting new directions.
- Learning leadership puts creating the conditions for 21st century learning and teaching at the core of leadership practice.
- Learning leadership models and nurtures 21st century professionalism
- Learning leadership demonstrates creativity and often courage.
leadership_for_21st_century_learning.pdf | |
File Size: | 360 kb |
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Maxine Driscoll: 9 ESSENTIAL 21ST CENTURY LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Educators around the world have been grappling with the concept of 21st Century Education for the past 20 years! Some are earnest, some are cynical and some are overwhelmed with the whole notion. How are you dealing with the changes we need to make in schools to meet the needs of 21st Century Learners? Do you have a clear vision of your way forward? Are you feeling confused, frustrated or overwhelmed? Or are you just too damn busy to even think about it? |
The Irrational Side of Change Management by Carolyn Aiken and Scott Keller
Most change programs fail, but the odds of success can be greatly improved by taking into account these counterintuitive insights about how people interpret their environment and choose to act. |
Mark Osborne: Knowledge-Building OrganisationsUseful Change ModelsJohn Kotter: 8 steps for implementing strategy
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John Hattie: "Know Thy Impact" - 8 Mindframes for TeachersThe pencil analogy is a useful visual aide for change management. As per the "Crossing the chasm" visual in the screencast, focus energies of the innovators (leaders) and "feed the hungry". Others (the wood) may need to "see" the changes/benefits clearly first before being fully prepared to buy in.
“The challenge of leadership when trying to generate adaptive
change is to work with differences, passions, and conflicts in a way that diminishes their destructive potential and constructively harnesses their energy.” ― Ronald A. Heifetz, Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leading There’s no reason to turn back,
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