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Managing Organisational Change

Why Change?

Most Organizations have been designed to solve yesterday’s problems, rather than capitalizing on today’s opportunities to effectively confront the issues of tomorrow.
That which got us where we are is not very likely to get us where we want to go!
People usually support improvement…It’s Change that they don’t like!
There is nothing permanent except Change.

Barriers to Change

Why do people resist change?

The status quo provides a certain comfort zone
Need for stability
Need for predictability
Fear of the unknown
Others???

Model of Employee Decision

Model of Employee Decision to Actively Resist an Organizational Change Effort

Management of Complex Change

Management of Complex Change: Critical Components

Vision
–Strategic Planning
Skills
Incentives
Resources
Action Plan

Management of Complex Change Activity

With a person sitting next to you, go through the complex change matrix with this situation:
You are asking every staff member to incorporate cooperative learning strategies into their lessons.
Decide what must be done to make sure each component of the matrix has been addressed.

Force Field Analysis

Force Field Analysis: Critical Components

Desired Change
Driving Forces –Favoring Change
Restraining Forces –Resisting Change
Equilibrium or Current Status

Force Field Analysis Activity

With a person sitting next to you, work with the force field analysis using this situation:
You have decided to ask staff to help you increase parent involvement at your school.
What are the driving and restraining forces involved? How can you increase the driving forces and decrease the restraining forces?

Leaders Support the Improvement Effort

Leaders Support the Improvement Effort

Recognize the Differences Between Leadership & Management
Give Up the Notion of the “Hero-Leader”
Develop Broad-Based Leadership
Encourage Individual Initiative
Develop a Learning Organization
Take a Balcony View

Effective Leaders Must:

Increase their own knowledge base
Take risks, break new ground, and cultivate a climate of experimentation
Share leadership with competent staff --put less competent staff “on a short leash”
Help others to acquire reform-related knowledge and skills
Be persistent
Appreciate incremental change (baby steps)

Overlapping Arenas of Management Expertise Needed for Change to Take Root & Thrive

Management of day to day school issues
Management of long term school issues
Maintenance of relationships with the governing body
Maintenance of relationships with the community

Conclusions from a Body of Recent Research:

Effective school leaders are those who are visionary and skillful learners, as well as strong and competent partners in facilitating and sustaining reform
Conclusion: One can become a notably successful school leader given any of a considerable array of gifts and tendencies.
It’s what you do with what you have that really counts!

Requirements of effective Leaders

Effective Leadership Requires Understanding of…

The System- the context in which you operate, including agency/district norms, local, state, and federal policies, and standards of accrediting bodies for public & private programs
Self- leadership style, preferences for change, facilitation skills, philosophy of teaching and learning
Others- those who serve as “levers” and those who must make changes

You as a Leader

You as a Leader
Your own orientation to change, leadership and management styles, and philosophy of teaching and learning provide the pathways for determining how you, as a unique individual, can be successful

Relationship to Others

Nearly all studies show that without buy-in from teachers, change is “doomed”.
At the very least, you need a critical mass of support.

Building Consensus

Building Consensus: What Is Consensus?

Group decision-making process
Everyone's opinion is encouraged and valued
Differences are viewed as helpful rather than hindering
All voices are heard and understood before an effort to finalize a decision is made
After full discussion, those who continue to disagree indicate a willingness to experiment for a prescribed period of time
All members share in the final decision-making

Advantages of Decision-Making by Consensus

Can be informal or use formal procedures
Members are more likely to support the decision
Provides for a win-win solution
Facilitates open communication
Requires members to listen and understand all sides of the issue
Sets the stage for action - who, what, where, when, how & why

Disadvantages of Decision-Making by Consensus

Trust is needed among members of group to encourage sharing
Group leaders must use facilitation rather than control
Takes more time to reach consensus, especially in larger groups
7 magic number for reaching group consensus
One or two people tend to dominate larger groups

Steps in Facilitating Consensus

Identify and define problem, situation, or issue
Brainstorm list of alternatives - suspend judgment; do not discuss or reject any ideas
Review, change, consolidate, rewrite and set priorities as a group through a discussion
Make a decision and put in writing
Later, review and evaluate results; revise as needed

Consensus Building: Activity

As a group, come to consensus in regard to the following scenario:

Everyone in the group is a teacher at the same school and each staff member must have 15 clock hours of professional development per year. All have personal preferences for the topics of upcoming professional development workshops.
You must decide as a group what areas you want further training in and reach consensus on three topics

Summary

To be effective as a change agent, consider and understand:

The system or context in which you work
Yourself as a leader
What it takes to motivate and involve others

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