Leading Change: innovation for the Future

Cheryl Doig and Chris Jansen

October 2012

1

Cheryl Doig

Otautahi

3

Chris Jansen

Overview

• exploring your change inquiry

• systems thinking

• complicated or complex?

• system mapping

• creating self organisation

• tools for adaptive leadership

• mapping your change journey

4

Herrmann’s Whole Brain Processing

Model…

What did the data

tell us about you?

How will we

organise resources

& planning?

What is the big

picture of your

change?

How will we work

with a diverse team

in ways that meet

your needs?

Dile

mm

as

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Stretch No Constraints

Consider a change initiative you

are involved in. Take turns to question each other

and record on behalf of your partner

Consider the key question you want to work on during the day – use the time to clarify this…

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Partner interview

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In what ways are

international schools in

Africa changing to meet the

future needs of learners?

STATUS QUO

CERTAINTY UNCERTAINTY

AG

RE

EM

EN

T

DIS

AG

RE

EM

EN

T

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CHAOS

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No easy answers… Technical problem Adaptive challenge

Clear problem

definition and

solutions that can

be resolved through

current know-how,

expertise,

organisational

structures

Complex and

requires learning -

can only be

addressed through

changes in people’s

priorities, beliefs,

habits & loyalties

Heifetz, Grashow & Linsky, 2009

Systems Thinking…

….is a way of making

sense of a complex system

…is the ability to see the world as relationships and connections

...allows us to influence a complex system

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“Where the world is dynamic, evolving and interconnected, we

tend to make decisions using mental models that are

static, narrow, and reductionist.”

Seeing connections instead of parts…

“You can never understand anything

by analysing it.”

“We have to understand the whole before

we can understand the parts - what

matters is their interaction.”

Russell Ackoff

# students enrolled

reputation

student satisfaction

resources (physical,

people)

revenue

S S

S

S

S

resources for

research

staff research

activity

UC research

profile

TEC funding S

S

S

S

efts cap

economy

marketing

financial targets

management

strategies

imposed performance

standards

staff involvement in

decision making

motivation and

commitment

resistance

collaboration/

engagementteam spirit/ morale

sick leave, stress

leave, staff turnover

S

S

O

SO

O

S

S

O

O

O

Causal loopdiagram for

University ofCanterbury

R1 Growth

R2 Growth R3

Performance

B1 Resistance

B2 Health

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Simple, predictable cause and

effect interactions

Multiple predictable cause and

effect interactions

Multiple connected but unpredictable interactions

Multiple disconnected interactions

Complex Complicated

Chaotic Simple

Cynefin Framework

Decisions are obvious

Decisions require expert knowledge

Decisions are uncertain and solutions only

apparent in retrospect

Decisions need to be made quickly to dampen energy

Dave Snowden

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Multiple predictable cause and effect

interactions

Multiple connected but unpredictable

interactions

Complex Complicated

Chaotic Simple

Cynefin Framework

Decisions require expert knowedge

Decisions are uncertain and solutions only

apparent in retrospect

Adaptive challenges

Technical problems

+innovative, responsive, nimble +Efficient, reliable, powerful

- messy and spontaneous - Inflexible, slow to respond

System thinking tools – affinity process

1) Clarify the question

2) Determine influence factors

3) Map connections

4) Identify leverage

5) Act with clarity

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What are the indicators of a successful international school in Africa?

What are the factors that contribute to this?

• What influences that?

• What influences that?

• What influences that?

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Annual Goals 2012

1. Advancing student achievement through effective use of data

2. Continue implementation of school curriculum document

3. Consolidating a positive school wide culture for learning

4. Enhance presence in and engagement with community

5. Sustained improvement in school wide leadership, systems and processes

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“Multiple connected but unpredictable interactions”

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C

Adaptive Leadership

Complex systems Self organising, adaptive, innovative, flexible, nimble,

responsive, creative and resilient

Grow engagement, motivation and commitment

Foster interaction and shared learning

Positive relationships and trust

Conditions for self organisation

1. independent agents

2. interactions with neighbours

3. Decentralised control

4. an attractor - motivated by

threat or opportunity

Can leaders foster self organisation?

Benefits:

• Engagement, ownership leading to…

…enthusiasm/energy and commitment

• Better solutions – innovation

The Pronoun Test “I” or “We”

“My” or “Our”

“We” or “They”

Daniel Pink – “A whole new mind”

“There's only one thing better than ownership – authorship!

Simon Breakspear , “Talent Magnets”

Adaptive Leadership

Characterised by both; • participative processes ”Surfing the Edge of Chaos‟” • collaborate solution finding

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Grow engagement, motivation and commitment

Sample Engagement Survey

1) I really care about the future of my organisation

2) I am proud to tell others that I work for this organisation

3) My organisation inspires me to do my best

4) I would recommend my organisation to a friend as a good place to work 5) I am willing to put in a great deal of effort and time beyond what is

normally expected

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Achieving the Tipping Point

Rogers, E.M. (1983). Diffusion of innovations. NY: The Free Press. p262

Innovators

Venturesome,

risky, can cope

with uncertainty

Can understand &

apply complex

technical

knowledge

Not always

respected by others

in the system

Plays an important

role as gatekeeper -

bringing in new

ideas from outside

the system

Early Adopters

Respect, more

integrated into the

system

“The individual to

check with”

Not so far ahead

so serve as a role

model

Plays an important

part by decreasing

the uncertainty

and conveying a

subjective

evaluation through

interpersonal

networks

Late Majority

Skeptical, cautious

May adopt because

of increased

network pressure

from peers or for

economic necessity

The weight of

systems norms

needs to favour an

innovation before

they are convinced

Means that most

uncertainty must be

removed before

they feel safe

Laggards

Traditional,

focussed on past

and interact with

like minds

Suspicious of

innovations and

change agents

Limited resources

leads to

cautiousness

Can change when

they can see what

is happening and

it fits with their

cultural values

Rogers (1995) Diffusion of Innovation

Tune into the environment

Professional Learning B

asis

fo

r A

ction

Novice

Small

routines

expected

Beginner Proficient Competent Expert

Ru

le d

riven

C

onte

xtu

al

One idea in

context added

to routine

Make

connections

Reward

intuition &

integration

Allow

freedom to

explore Reinforcing focus on the learner and not needing to „know‟ all themselves

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A (Induction)

Team Leaders

Technology

Board

B (the D)

Adapted from the ESD Toolkit v2.0

Teacher inquiry

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Commitment Strategy

• How will you engage with them?

• Who will this be delegated to? Why?

• FRY

– Frequency

– Reach

– Yield

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Team Leaders

• Co-created Y charts

• Learning walks

• Dialogue

• Action

• Relentlessness

• Sharing commitment stories

• Team expectations and feedback

“The difference between talk and practice”

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Final word strategy 1. Read the article individually, highlighting items of

interest to you.

2. The first person shares one of their items; they simply read it out and do not comment on it.

3. Each team member comments in round-robin order about the item. (No cross-talk)

4. The person who named the item then shares his or her thinking about the item and gets - the final word.

5. The pattern repeats until all team members have

named their item and had it commented on.

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The Plastic Paradox

Neuroplasticity has the power to produce more flexible but also more rigid behaviours.

Norman Doidge ‘The Brain That Changes Itself’ pxvi 41

The way we talk,

interact or do

anything is mostly

hardwired

therefore habitual.

Habits are literally

unconscious to us.

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Conditions for self organisation

1. independent agents

2. interactions with neighbours

3. decentralised control

4. an attractor - motivated by

threat or opportunity

Rigorous Relationships

Shared norms values and beliefs about learning and the way we

behave around here…

SUPPORT CHALLENGE

Leading change engages the creative tension between support and

challenge

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Agreed norms for our work together Take turns Build on ideas Suspend judgment Involve the whole group Work together Listen to understand Maintain confidences Respect differences Honesty Trustworthiness Be present

www.thinkbeyond.co.nz 45

Differentiation

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Conditions for self organisation

1. independent agents

2. interactions with neighbours

3. decentralised control

4. an attractor - motivated by

threat or opportunity

Foster Interaction

Conversation

•Exploratory •Suspend assumptions •Mutual questioning •Growing of insights and new ideas

Dialogue Discussion

Decision Understanding

An exchange of ideas between two or more people

Social

Advocating Inquiring Listening

Conscious use of language and clarity of purpose through…

Task AND relationship

www.thinkbeyond.co.nz © 2011 48

•Reach a conclusion •Kill choice •Debate •Logically explore

“Doing the thinking for other people is not just a waste of our own energy; it also gets in the way of other people working out the right answers." Rock:9

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Th

e E

PS

‘m

ap

’

http://eps.core-ed.org/

Listening to the voices of young learners…

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How to encourage self-feedback

• What were six things you did really well?

• What are three things you learnt about yourself?

• What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

• What would you do differently next time?

• What action will you take next? This develops

the teacher

inquiry process 52

What went well?

What impact did it have?

How do you think more of that?

What went well? What impact did it have?

How do you think you could do more of that?

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• How may I better serve you? • Ask your team this and then follow through

e.g. Am I providing what you need right now? Am I being an obstacle or a help with this project? How can you best use me here?

Remember – you must follow through

Realise Your Team is Your Customer

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Change Inquiry Process Planning (20 mins)

•Start with your change inquiry question

•Collate key ingredients of process

•Consider a sequence of steps

Articulating

•First person present summary (2 mins)

•Second person ask questions and feedback (5 mins)

•Swap roles

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Change agenda - organisational change processes

1. establish urgency based on provable need/gap

2. form a powerful coalition or core team

3. develop a vision and operation plan

4. launch numerous small ‟safe to fail‟ pilots

5. communicate the vision and develop whole school approach

6. consolidate improvements by building capacity

7. widen awareness and support

8. celebrate and embed

Based on Kotter

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Our contacts

c.doig@thinkbeyond.co.nz

www.thinkbeyond.co.nz/aisa

chris.jansen@canterbury.ac.nz

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One new idea is… This is how I could use it…

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Can they live with it?

• Clear proposal and context. • Listening and being listened to. • Understanding you don‟t have to love the

idea. • Can you live with it? • If not explain your reasoning. • What is a minor modification that would

enable you to live with it? • Can you support this in public and in private? • Until?

“Working towards and gaining 100% commitment from all when working a

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Next Practice

Innovation unit - www.innovation-unit.co.uk/

Next Practice

moves beyond

good practice that

already exists

“but sets out to

move it to a new

level”

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Research on attitudinal change has long found that most of us change our behaviors somewhat before we get insights into new beliefs.

The implication for approaching new change is clear. Do not load up on vision, evidence, and sense of urgency.

Rather, give people new experiences in relatively non-threatening circumstances, and build on it, especially through interaction with trusted peers.

Behaviours before beliefs

From Motion Leadership Michael Fullan 63

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Change Complexity

Uncertainty Ambiguity

Opportunities Paradox

Speed Lack of Control

Freshness

Unintended consequences

Exponential rate of change

Peter Senge – global issues Ecological, social justice and impacts on economy Daniel Pink Abundance, Asia and Automation

change is changing…..

+ technology, globalization, diversity, 21st century learners, mental health and wellbeing, achievement tail, recruitment and retention, workload stress

+ earthquake…..

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Networked Leaders

• Understanding learners and their needs • Sharing challenges & collaborating across

schools • Data teams – learning analytics • Eliminate distractions • One message • Over and over with the message • A few targets – focused • Rigour and quality of learning for all • Connected influencers

Adapted from Fullan: Motion Leadership re Instructional Leadership 66

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Four Critical Tasks in Leading Change – to adapt….

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Leadership

Appreciating Change

Mobilising Support

Building Change Capability

Executing Change

Research on attitudinal change has long found that most of us change our behaviors somewhat before we get insights into new beliefs.

The implication for approaching new change is clear. Do not load up on vision, evidence, and sense of urgency.

Rather, give people new experiences in relatively non-threatening circumstances, and build on it, especially through interaction with trusted peers.

Behaviours before beliefs

From Motion Leadership Michael Fullan 70

One new idea is… This is how I could use it…

71

How to encourage self-feedback

• What were six things you did really well?

• What are three things you learnt about yourself?

• What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

• What would you do differently next time?

• What action will you take next? This develops

the teacher

inquiry process 72

Networked Leaders

• Understanding learners and their needs • Sharing challenges & collaborating across

schools • Data teams – learning analytics • Eliminate distractions • One message • Over and over with the message • A few targets – focused • Rigour and quality of learning for all • Connected influencers

Adapted from Fullan: Motion Leadership re Instructional Leadership 73

Contributions charts • To remedy, fix or improve a situation

• To enable people to reach an important goal.

www.plotpd.com

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Le

ve

rag

e

The Iceberg… CONTENT what can be seen

above the surface?

SYSTEMS put in place to support

the culture of the organisation: processes,

structures

CULTURAL mission, values, norms

What we are all about here…

Where do you spend your efforts? – on the 13% that is visible?

Mental Models

Patterns of Behaviour

Vision What we think

What we feel

Habits/behaviours

Events

Results

Adapted from models by Daniel Kim, systems thinking and David Rock

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Norms build trust In schools with low levels of relational trust, there is a 1 in 7 chance of showing gains in student achievement. In schools with high levels of relational trust, there is a 1 in 2 two chance of showing gains in student achievement. Trust in Schools Bryk& Schneider

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