Managing Complex Change

If educators plan to transform their schools into institutions that promote 21st century learning skills, systemic change must occur. This sort of change will not only require significant resources,  but the type of transformation we are looking for demands highly effective leadership– leadership that fosters meaningful change.

I came across this graphic while reading Darren Kuropatwa’s blog which I think wonderfully summarizes the sorts of leadership principles that are necessary to promote meaningful educational reform. Effective change requires a clear vision, appropriate skills, meaningful incentives directly related to outcomes, necessary resources, and a well thought out action plan.

When a lack of vision exists, organizational confusion occurs. This is why it’s important for school leaders to work with administrators, faculty members, and parents to construct a meaningful vision and expend the necessary time and energy to clearly articulate it to the school’s community.

Preparing a school or district for significant change also requires building organizational capacity for this type of change. Simply put, administrators and teachers must have the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to make change happen. When team members lack these skills,  a sort of professional anxiety results which usually cripples an organization.

Perhaps the most difficult challenge facing school leaders is the general resistance to change that is often expressed by teachers. Many schools face the seemingly insurmountable task of convincing their faculties of the necessity of implementing the sort of systemic change discussed earlier. Without meaningful incentives, resistance naturally occurs, particularly when the extent of the organizational change is significant.

Another important roadblock for school leaders to avoid is frustration that results from a lack of resources. With the terrible budget cuts facing most schools, building organizational capacity for change is as difficult as ever. Building a 21st century learning environment sounds great when teachers have fast computers, a network that is reliable, the technological resources necessary, and worthwhile professional development. But, how many administrators have access to the sort of capital that would enable them to build the type of  infrastructure necessary to transform their schools?

Finally, when the leadership doesn’t present a clear, common-sense action plan, the school finds itself on the “treadmill of change.” Effective change requires an effective action plan that includes all the aforementioned principles.

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