Leading Second Order Change The 21 st Century Leadership Challenge: Leading Second Order Change General Session

Implementation Dip Organizational Team Personal

SystemsSchoolsClassrooms Leadership People

ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE 1. CHANGE IS A PROCESS, NOT AN EVENT 2. ORGANIZATIONS CANNOT CHANGE UNLESS PEOPLE CHANGE 3. AT ANY GIVEN TIME MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT USING ALL THE KNOWLEDGE THEY HAVE 4. SUCCESSFUL CHANGE REQUIRES STABILITY 5. WHERE THERE IS CHANGE, THERE WILL BE CONFLICT

Organizational Implementation Dip

Team Forming Norming Storming Performing

Norming Storming Forming Transforming

Future Implementation Dip Personal Transitions Past

Freeze Unfreeze Re-Freeze Transition State

Thoughts on Change

Change is MESSY! Fullan: “The more accustomed one becomes to dealing with the unknown, the more one understands that creative breakthroughs are always preceded by periods of cloudy thinking, confusion, exploration, trial and stress; followed by periods of excitement and growing confidence as one pursues purposeful change, or copes with unwanted change.

THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF CHANGE Organizations rarely change unless the people in the organizations change. This includes leaders as well as employees. Most adults find it difficult to change.

Change means bumps in the Road

JARED DIAMOND’S FOUR INVITATIONS TO DISASTER 1. Failure to anticipate a problem 2. Failure to recognize a problem once it surfaces 3. Failure to try and solve a problem once it is recognized 4. Failure to solve a problem, despite trying to solve it

Leadership

JOHN KOTTER’S EIGHT STEPS TO TRANSFORMING YOUR ORGANIZATION 1. Establish a sense of urgency (setting direction) 2. Form a powerful guiding coalition (setting direction) 3. Create a vision (setting direction) 4. Communicate the vision (setting direction) 5. Empower others to act on the vision (developing people) 6. Plan for and create short-term wins (developing people) 7. Consolidate improvements and produce still more change (redesign organization) 8. Institutionalize new approaches (redesign organization)

 Understanding of Change Cyclical Structural

Structural Change Subsystem Cultural Transformational

There is a difference between cyclical and structural change. Anything we’re trying to change away from will keep coming back unless we replace it with something new.

Types of Change

First and Second Order Change A change is first-order when it is perceived as A change is second-order when it is perceived as An extension of the pastA break with the past Within existing paradigmsOutside of existing paradigms Consistent with prevailing values and norms Conflicted with prevailing values and norms IncrementalComplex Implemented with existing knowledge & skills Requires new knowledge & skills to implement Implemented by expertsImplemented by stakeholders

First or Second Order Change? It’s a matter of perspective!

First-Order Change? 1. Professional development to implement new editions of social studies textbooks 2. Reading The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and establishing norms for faculty meetings 3. Implementing a new dress code 4. Revamping the master schedule, moving from 7 periods per day to 6 5. Converting your school to International Baccalaureate (IB) status

Plan Create Demand Implement Monitor and Evaluate 1 st Order The Four Phases of Change McREL

First Order Second Order When stakeholders see the change as: Consistent with existing values and norms Advantageous for stakeholders Readily implement-able with existing knowledge and resources When stakeholders: Are unclear about how it will make things better for them Must master new knowledge, practices, or approaches to implement the change Feel the change conflicts with prevailing personal values and organizational norms

First or Second Order Change? It’s a matter of perspective!

Plan Create Demand Implement Monitor and Evaluate 1 st Order The Four Phases of Change McREL Manage Personal Transitions Second Order

THE CHALLENGES INHERENT IN ANY CHANGE PROCESS Can you generate a sufficient sense of urgency to overcome inertia? Can you achieve consensus among stakeholders on the conditions that need to be changed? Can you avoid harming those who benefitted from the status quo?

THE CHALLENGES INHERENT IN ANY CHANGE PROCESS Can people do as well with execution as they do with planning? Can people maintain focus and momentum as the year wears on? Can people avoid premature celebration and disappointment over “implementation dips?”

Importance of paying Attention to People in the Change Process

ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE TRANSITION PROCESS 1. People have characteristic ways of ending things and beginning things. 2. Transitions are not the same as changes. Changes are situational. Transitions are psychological. 3. A change without transition is likely to be unsuccessful. 4. We lack a vocabulary for talking about transitions. BRIDGES, Managing Transitions (2003)

Plan Create Demand Implement Monitor and Evaluate 1 st Order The Four Phases of Change McREL Manage Personal Transitions Second Order Denial

Future Implementation Dip Transitions Past

STAGE 1: Transition: Ending /Denial Letting go of the old ways and the old identity people had. People need help dealing with their losses.

STRATEGIES FOR Ending/Denial 1. Be sure people understand the purpose and the outcome being sought. 2. Paint a picture of how the desired outcome will look and feel. 3. Lay out a step-by-step plan regarding how the new outcome will be achieved. 4. Give each person a part to play in the plan. People need a tangible way to contribute.

STAGE 2 OF TRANSTION: Resistance Going through an in-between time when the old is gone but the new isn’t fully operational. In this “resistance zone” psychological realignments are taking place.

Plan Create Demand Implement Monitor and Evaluate 1 st Order The Four Phases of Change McREL Manage Personal Transitions Second Order Denial Resistance

2 nd order change Is a horse of a different color from a leadership perspective. To successfully implement a second order change initiative, a school leader must ratchet up her/his idealism, energy, and enthusiasm. Additionally, he must be willing to live through a period of frustration and even anger from some staff members. No doubt this takes a great personal toll on a school leader and might explain why many promising practices have not led to improved student achievement and ultimately have been abandoned. Ron Heifitz Marzano, Waters, McNulty

Resistance Zone DANGERS 1. Anxiety rises and motivation falls. People feel disoriented. Energy is drained away from work into coping tactics. 2. Employee absenteeism increases. 3. Old weaknesses in the organization reemerge and old resentments surface anew.

Resistance Zone DANGERS (con’t) 4.People feel overloaded and priorities are confused. As uncertainty grows, confidence in the organization is lost. 5.Polarization occurs among employees. Some want to rush forward; others want to go back to the way things were. 6.The organization becomes vulnerable to outside criticism.

Resistance Zone Strategies 4.Listen and talk to the people, find out their feelings 5.Don’t tell them what to feel 6. Support their willingness to express their feelings 7. Respond to concerns 8. Reiterate vision and information for successful transition

The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and preserve change amid order. ~ Alfred North-Whitehead

7 Responsibilities Critical to Support Second-Order Change 1. Change Agent 2. Flexibility 3. Ideals & beliefs 4. Intellectual stimulation 5. Knowledge of Curriculum Instruction, Assessment 6. Monitor and evaluate 7. Optimizer

ResponsibilityDefinitionPractice 1. Change AgentActively challenge status quo Challenges status quo Comfortable leading change Looks for new, better ways 2.FlexibilityAdapts behavior; OK with dissent Comfortable making change OK w/ diverse opinions 3. Ideals and Beliefs Well-defined beliefs Behavior models beliefs 4. Knowledge of CIAContent, instruction, and assessment Extensive knowledge Provides guidance -teachers 5. Intellectual Stimulation Discusses current theory, practice Keeps informed Fosters discussions, etc. 6. Monitor and Evaluate Impact and effective- ness of practice Continually monitors C-I-A Impact of practice on achievement 7. OptimizerInspires, leads new & challenging innovation Inspires; driving force Positive challenges

Optimizer Inspires teachers and staff to accomplish things that might seem beyond their grasp Portrays a positive attitude about the ability of teachers and staff to accomplish substantial things Is a driving force behind major initiatives Helps people find JOY in tackling the tough challenges

Ideals and Beliefs What Is Our Purpose? To improve the quality of human life. To create schools in which every child learns at high levels. To secure America’s future—one student at a time!

What Do We Value? We put service to students above all else. We take responsibility for the success of all students. We care passionately about our work with children. We build strong, positive relationships with students, staff, parents, and community. We model and promote civility and integrity.

Collective Efficacy: “We can make a difference.” Building a Purposeful Community Collective Efficacy - The group members’ shared perception or belief that they can dramatically enhance the effectiveness of an organization. The collective efficacy of the teachers in a school is a better predictor of student success in schools than is the socioeconomic status of the students. Goddard, Hoy, and Hoy, 2004

Definition: Purposeful Community “A purposeful community is one with the collective efficacy and capability to develop and use assets to accomplish goals that matter to all community members through agreed-upon processes.” Marzano, Waters, McNulty, 2005

 Build a purposeful community Focus on the right things Assess and manage the magnitude of change FocusMagnitude Leadership

FocusMagnitude Classroom Research School Research Student Research Create demand Implement change Manage transitions Monitor/Evaluate Purposeful Community Leadership

Why We Must Change: The Knowledge-Implementation Gap Society Changes Constantly & Education Needs to Adapt Expert Knowledge of Best Educational Practices Our Knowledge of Best Educational Practices Our Implementation if We Maintain Knowledge of BEP Our Implementation w/ Moderate Knowledge of BEP Our Implementation with No New Knowledge No New Knowledge, Low Effort

Knowledge of Curriculum and Instruction

Monitoring and Evaluating The Core

Intellectual Stimulation Rigor Rigor of Task Rigor of Task predicts Performance Accountability is the rigor of the task

Change Agent ~ Leadership is Difficult! “Perhaps the most revealing aspect of analysis is that some responsibilities are negatively affected by second-order change:” Culture (Strongest negative relationship with 2 nd order change) Communication Order Input

True Leadership is Risky Business “When exercising leadership, you risk getting marginalized, diverted, attacked, or seduced. Regardless of the form, however, the point is the same. When people resist adaptive work, their goal is to shut down those who exercise leadership in order to preserve what they have.” Leithwood

Possible perceptions of principal leading 2 nd order change Team spirit, cooperation, and common language have deteriorated as a result of the innovation (Culture) Communication has deteriorated as a result of the innovation (Communication) Order and routine have deteriorated as a result of the innovation (Order) The level of input from all members of the staff has deteriorated as a result of the innovation (Input)

Beginning to Trend Up  Organization  Team  People

Plan Create Demand Implement Monitor and Evaluate 1 st Order The Four Phases of Change McREL Manage Personal Transitions Second Order Denial Resistance Exploration

STAGE 3 OF TRANSITION: Exploration This is when people develop the new identity, experience the new energy, and discover the new sense of purpose that make the change begin to work.

Exploration: Stage Three Transition Lots of new ideas/energyFocus on priorities Too much to doSet short term goals Can’t focusFollow up on projects Trying new approachesDevelop people

Implementation Dip Denial Resistance Exploration Commitment

Plan Create Demand Implement Monitor and Evaluate 1 st Order The Four Phases of Change McREL Manage Personal Transitions Second Order Denial Resistance Exploration Commitment

STAGE 4 OF TRANSITION NEW BEGINNING: Commitment This is when people develop the new identity, experience the new energy, and discover the new sense of purpose that make the change begin to work.

Commitment: Stage 4 Transition Team work is norm Renewed energy Clear Focus They have a plan Empower others Create/support purposeful community Set long term goals Monitor Flexible Intellectual stimulation Validate/Reward Look ahead

Leadership—A Balancing Act Adaptive work creates risk, conflict, and instability because addressing the issues underlying adaptive problems may involve upending deep and entrenched norms. Thus, leadership requires disturbing people—but at a rate they can absorb. Heifitz

Fullan Those individuals and organizations that are most effective do not experience fewer problems, less stressful situations, and greater fortune, they just deal with them differently.