Leading for Impact: Leading change Session 6

Dream Big Academy Charter School What should Stone do?

Change can be massively disruptive to an organization 4_84 Change can be massively disruptive to an organization Normal behavior Disruption Dysfunctional behavior

There are three building blocks of effective change 21_84 There are three building blocks of effective change Can we justify and make the transition to a new approach or way of working? POSITIONING Do we have what it takes to deliver the results we envision? EXECUTING How will we track our progress, learn and improve over time? MONITORING

Exercise: Identifying the most significant changes The most significant changes we will likely make as a result of our LFI project are:

Three building blocks of effective change POSITIONING Leadership Inspiring vision Supporters EXECUTING MONITORING

Alternative visual to use depending on talking points 9_85 10_85 14_84 Inspiring vision: To build support, define and communicate a compelling vision of the future Alternative visual to use depending on talking points WHY WE ARE CHANGING WHERE WE ARE GOING Candid Data and fact-based Compelling but realistic Mission-based May be vague, as it will evolve over time Source: Bain & Company framework

Inspiring vision: JFK challenges America to go to the moon www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUXuV7XbZvU&feature=youtu.be&t=20s Some facilitators may decide to cut

Exercise: Making the case for change Context Change you are communicating: Target audience: Why we are changing Candid recap of status quo: Data supporting need for change:

Facilitator – feel free to replace with a cartoon or another quote 10-minute break It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. C.S. Lewis ” “ Facilitator – feel free to replace with a cartoon or another quote

Supporters: Build a sponsorship spine 85_89 Supporters: Build a sponsorship spine Lead A sponsorship spine cascades through the organization, building commitment and buy-in for the change Sponsors are leaders with authority that can inspire confidence and mobilize others to change Performers are those whose behavior actually has to change to achieve the goals of the change As possible, include sponsors and performers in generating solutions so they feel ownership over the change Influencers exist at all levels and may be supportive of the change or not P I S Source: Bain & Company framework

Supporters: Assess colleagues based on individual’s influence over and attitude towards the change High Engage and if possible diffuse Elevate role in change effort Influence over change Monitor, but invest less heavily Reinforce support with light investment Low Negative Attitude towards change Positive

Attitude toward change Content from Influence/Attitude matrix Supporters: Consider using a tracker to monitor internal and external stakeholder engagement Name Influence over change Attitude toward change Role to date Potential sponsor Plan for next outreach Mitch S. High Interviewed, survey Michelle K. Amy D. Medium Survey Ishan I. Include in focus group Tom T. Anita R. Ruby T. Low Focus group Ted A. Jeff B. Nicole H. Tom T. to reach out to address concerns Content from Influence/Attitude matrix

Three building blocks of effective change 8_84 13_84 Three building blocks of effective change Building Future Leaders Decision-making (RAPID), technology, governance Leadership Inspiring vision Supporters POSITIONING EXECUTING Talent and behavior Systems Funding Achievable plan MONITORING Funding Models Session 7

Three building blocks of effective change 8_84 7_84 Three building blocks of effective change Measuring and Managing Performance Leadership Inspiring vision Supporters POSITIONING Talent and behavior Systems Funding Achievable plan EXECUTING MONITORING Indicators Continuous improvement Accountability Improving Programs and Operations

Three building blocks of effective change Leadership Inspiring vision Supporters POSITIONING Talent and behavior Systems Funding Achievable plan EXECUTING Indicators Continuous improvement Accountability MONITORING

Putting it all together: A change checklist identifies and prioritizes potential challenges to implementation Potential Challenges High risk Med risk Low risk Positioning Leadership Is our leadership team aligned on the change that needs to happen? Inspiring vision Can we tell a compelling story about why and how we are pursuing a change? Supporters Are there change leaders throughout the organization who are credible and trusted by their team members? Executing Talent Can we develop the right skills and change the right behaviors throughout the organization, either through training or hiring, to achieve the results we seek? Systems Do we have the organizational systems (e.g., technology, decision, processes, governance, etc.) necessary to sustain the changes we seek? Funding Are we confident in our long-term ability to finance our change efforts? Achievable plan Do we have an action plan that is achievable given our organization’s capacity? Monitoring Indicators Do we have goals, metrics, and milestones to track our progress? Continuous improvement Are there processes in place to frequently reflect on our results and quickly adapt our approach as needed? Accountability Is there a person or team responsible for results of this change and with the ability to make decisions about course-correction?

Exercise: Identifying critical risks to your project 6_84 Exercise: Identifying critical risks to your project Individual reflection (5 min) Fill out the change checklist for the most critical change you identified for your LFI project Team discussion (30 min) Take turns sharing the things you flagged as high risk. Where do you agree? Where do you disagree? As a team, select one significant risk to your change effort and discuss ways you can mitigate this risk

Challenge: __________________________________ Potential Challenges High risk Med risk Low risk Positioning Leadership Is our leadership team aligned on the change that needs to happen? Inspiring vision Can we tell a compelling story about why and how we are pursuing a change? Supporters Are there change leaders throughout the organization who are credible and trusted by their team members? Executing Talent Can we develop the right skills and change the right behaviors throughout the organization, either through training or hiring, to achieve the results we seek? Systems Do we have the organizational systems (e.g., technology, decision processes, governance, etc.) necessary to sustain the changes we seek? Funding Are we confident in our long-term ability to finance our change efforts? Achievable plan Do we have an action plan that is achievable given our organization’s capacity? Monitoring Indicators Do we have goals, metrics, and milestones to track our progress? Continuous improvement Are there processes in place to frequently reflect on our results and quickly adapt our approach as needed? Accountability Is there a person or team responsible for results of this change and with the ability to make decisions about course-correction?

Appendix

Alternative visual to use depending on talking points 9_85 10_85 14_84 Inspiring vision: To build support, define and communicate a compelling vision of the future Alternative visual to use depending on talking points WHY WE ARE CHANGING WHERE WE ARE GOING Candid Data and fact-based Compelling but realistic Mission-based May be vague, as it will evolve over time Source: Bain & Company framework

Positioning: Anticipate and mitigate challenges 3_85 Positioning: Anticipate and mitigate challenges Leadership Inspiring Vision Supporters Where is the leadership team in agreement? Where do opinions diverge? Get specific: Can we name and narrow the specific difference? Why are there different opinions? What are the major concerns? Can we brainstorm potential solutions or plans to mitigate concerns? Does this need to be a consensus decision? Can all members agree to support the change, even if they would not have preferred it? Why is the status quo not an option anymore? What data supports this? How can we share this data so that all can understand it well? What is the new reality we envision? What makes this reality compelling? What links this reality to our shared mission? What advantages does it have over the status quo? Being realistic, what disadvantages might the new reality have (for the organization or for individuals)? How can we acknowledge these appropriately (in public or private)? In prior change efforts, what stakeholder engagement practices have worked well? Internally Externally What have you learned from past efforts that you can adjust for the better this time? Who are your key change supporters? Why are they supportive? Who can they influence? Who are key detractors? Why? What might make them neutral, or supporters?

Executing: Anticipate and mitigate challenges 3_85 Executing: Anticipate and mitigate challenges Talent Systems Funding Action Plan What skills and expertise are needed to be successful in new approach/program/ initiative? Think of the behaviors that have to change to identify skills needed Do you have people with these profiles on staff now? How do you know? How can you build the missing skills and expertise via: On-the-job growth? Professional training? Are new hires needed? What are key elements of job description? Where should recruiting be concentrated? Technology: Will change require gathering more or new types of data? More or new communication types/ lines? New hardware or software needs? Who could help? Decision-making: What are the most important and/or recurring decisions that will be needed for success? What are some potential decision-making challenges? Can RAPID help? Governance: Do you have the right board composition to pursue change? Any shifts in board interaction (type, timing) for success? Will this change significantly affect: Funding needs? Funding model? Of current funding sources, what 1-2 might you tap for additional support? If significant new funding is needed: Potential sources? Lead time needed? If funding mix is likely to change: What is target mix? Do you have the capabilities needed to achieve future funding targets and types? If not, what are steps you can take to develop or acquire capabilities? Think of a time when implementation plans or project management were used effectively in your organization: What went well? How did it go well? What feels challenging about developing this implementation plan? For the 1-2 most challenging parts: Break into smaller steps until key issues are isolated; focus here for problem solving

Monitoring: Anticipate and mitigate challenges 3_85 Monitoring: Anticipate and mitigate challenges Indicators Continuous improvement Accountability What will success look like at: 18 months? 12 months? 6 months? How could you measure progress towards these targets of success? How would you know if you reached those targets? How can you collect those metrics? What data? Who will gather? What tools are needed? How will they be shared? Right now, what process does the organization use to analyze and reflect on performance data? What is working well about this process? What is not working well? Can you incorporate reflection on data from this new change into existing processes for learning? If yes, how? If not, why? Will you need to change anything about your reflection and learning processes for success in monitoring this change? Roles involved Output reviewed Format of sessions Timing How do you currently assign accountability for outcomes (process, cost and impact)? To whom would accountability for results from this new change naturally fall? Does that feel right? Why or why not? Is this person or role generally supportive of the changes at hand? If not, how can their concerns be addressed? How do currently you hold people accountable for results? What incentives or consequences will be most effective in ensuring accountability in this case?

Sponsorship spine: Build change supporters throughout the organization Definition Key insights Change performer Individual whose behaviors must actually change to achieve the goals of the change Performers must buy into the change to make it happen Change sponsor Individual with the power to authorize or legitimize the change Well-positioned vis a vis performers to provide communication and accountability Committed sponsors ensure the change is followed through Change influencer Individual whose informal influence is critical to execution success, but who does not have the formal power to sanction it Influencers can work for or against the change – make sure they are promoters, not detractors P S I Source: Bain & Company framework