4 Be prepared to shift from discussion to
commitment to implementation.
As the discussion of the change initiative reaches
the point of saturation and all points seem to
have been considered, take a barometer of the
group, summarize the discussion so far, and move
forward. We want to give the faculty plenty of
time to consider an initiative and ensure that we
have everyone’s feedback, but we don’t want the
discussion phase to carry on for months, or worse,
years. Leaders must be prepared to close the discussion, make a decision with the input they’ve
received, and call for commitment on whether to
move forward with the initiative. Without a doubt,
there will still be those who disagree, but this is
the time to remind the group why implementing
the change wholeheartedly and with fidelity is
necessary.
There will, of course, be times when a small
group pilots an initiative. The size of the group
implementing the change is unimportant; what’s
important is that everyone in that group does so to
the best of their ability.
It’s also important for school leaders to remain
open to changing direction as a result of the
discussion of a change initiative—for example,
because an overwhelming majority of teachers find
the direction to be ill-advised and are unwilling to
commit. Certainly, if a group finds the direction
conflicts with a legal provision or a fundamental
value held by the school or individuals within
it, teachers can’t be expected to commit. If the
leadership team receives this kind of information
from the discussion, they should reconsider the
initiative.
5 Take data and make adjustments as you go.
Just as we do in the classroom, we should gather
formative data on the effect an initiative is having,
share that data, and make adjustments along the
way. For more contentious initiatives, we may
need to revisit our culture of disagree and commit
regularly throughout the implementation period—
and openly applaud the efforts of those who’ve
made the decision to disagree and commit for the
betterment of the school. Certainly, it’s difficult
to find yourself in a position of implementing an
initiative the group has decided to take on that you
don’t fully support.
School Leader Be Nimble
Educational leaders are in the challenging position
of shepherding forward school change, often in the
face of heated opposition from faculty members or
families. But shying away from school change is
not the answer if we want to have progressive
schools that respond quickly to the research and
recommended practices from the field. We must
remain actively engaged with the research and
nimble enough to respond to it in our own
schools. School leaders must also have the skills to
guide difficult and productive conversations about
implementation with faculty members. The
disagree-and-commit approach, situated within
the;context of data-based decision making, offers
leaders one more tool for successfully
implementing difficult school change. ;L
References
Bezos. J. (2016). 2016 letter to shareholders, Amazon.
Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2010). Made to stick: Why some
ideas take hold and others come unstuck. New York:
Random House.
Tracy, B. (2010). How the best leaders lead: Proven secrets
to getting the most out of yourself and others. New
York: AMACOM.
Copyright © 2017 Lee Ann Jung
Lee Ann Jung is an education consultant and chief
academic officer of the ASCD Student Growth
Center. Follow her on Twitter.
Building a Team of Leaders
I’ve learned that I don’t have to do it all. I’m surrounded by smart, capable people. To be a good
leader, I need to recognize and draw on their strengths. No one
person has every trait that makes for an exceptional leader, but
together, a team of leaders can do the seemingly impossible.
When everyone takes ownership of the mission at hand, change
is easier to tackle.
Next year, I’ll intentionally seek out other leaders who can own
aspects of the work in more meaningful ways, and stop feeling
pressure to know all the answers. After all, leadership shouldn’t
feel isolating. Instead, it should build a community that works
together for the greatest good.
—Barb Casey, special education/behavior specialist,
Walla Walla Public Schools, Walla Walla, Washington
What I Learned this Year