Marybeth Flachbart, Ed.D.Deputy Superintendent

Idaho State Department of Education

Managing Change

What is it you want to change?

Professional

Relational

Personal

The Million Dollar QuestionDoes the situation call for change or

acceptance?

Case for Acceptance:A matter of lawImportant to supervisor (or significant other)

Important to my colleagues (or family)

Not that big a dealIt just is…

Cycle of Inquiry

Case for ChangeIt is causing you or someone else pain

or lossThere is sufficient evidence that a

change is neededThere is a solution or potential

solutionBenefits outweigh risksBenefits go beyond self

Change Process

Accept Change

ADKAR Model

AwarenessDesireKnowledgeAbilityReinforcement

Jeffrey M. Hiatt ADKAR: A Model for Change in Business,

Government and Our Community

Awareness of the Need for Change

1. Why is the change necessary?

2. Why is the change happening now?

3. What is wrong with what we are doing today?

4. What will happen if we don’t change?

AWARENESS

Garnering Support

Executive Sponsor

Agent Advocate

Implementer

Phase 1: Preparing for Change

Elevator SpeechCommunicate the need for change and explain why the change is necessary; provide the compelling reasons for the change and emphasize the risk of not changing now.

Two minutesStick to the facts (evidence)Provide incentivesCreate a sense of urgency and teaming

1. What the change is and how they wi l l be impacted

2. The organizat ional or env ironmental context for change

3. An indiv idual ’s personal s i tuat ion4. What mot ivates them ( intr ins ic

mot ivators that are unique to the indiv idual )

DESIRE

You get the best effort from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, but by building a fire within

Bob Nelson, Buffalo Bills

Things to Consider during Phase 2

Desire Factor 1 – A person’s view of the current

state Factor 2 – How a person perceives problems Factor 3 – The credibility of the sender Factor 4 – Circulation of misinformation or

rumors Factor 5 – Contestability of the reasons for

change

And above all else WIIFM (What’s in it for me?)

Building Consensus

An advocate without an executive sponsor is a pest

Accept input from othersDecide what you’ll go to the mat for and what

you can let go ofEnroll othersBe the lead learnerCheck ego at the door (respectful and open)Enthusiasm is contagiousPositive Pressure

Establish Norms

Establish operating principlesEncourage shared accountabilityEstablish measurable goals related to processDevelop a theory of actionRevisit, refine, reflect on your communication

strategyConsistently balance relationships vs.

outcomesUse every opportunity to lean-in

When a person has the awareness of the need to change and the desire to partic ipate and

support a change, knowledge is the next bui lding block for real izing that change.

1. The current knowledge base of the individual

2. The capacity or capabi l i ty of this person to gain addit ional knowledge

3. The resources avai lable for education and training

4. The access to, or existence of, the required knowledge

KNOWLEDGE

KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge of how to change

Coaching

Zone of proximal developmentPermission to be imperfect beginnersBuild capacityReward effortProvide specific, constructive, feedbackDanielson Framework 2, 3, 4?

If you want to go fast, go alone;If you want to go far, go together.

African Proverb

1. Psychological blocks2. Physical abilities3. Intellectual capability4. Time available to develop

needed skills5. Availability of resources to

support skill development

Ability

Psychological Blocks

Can’t vs. Won’t

Fear of being seen as less than

Fear of change

Fear of isolation

Fear of loss

Fear of failure

Coaching your way through… Empathize Build Capacity Take from a place of comfort Baby steps Encourage risk taking Culture of Candor Model Co-teach (lead, facilitate, etc.) Rehearsal time Buddy system

Time Available

Time is our most precious commodity

Lose yourself in the service of others

What are the time constraints?Establish a deadline by when

the expected behavior, practice must be established

Set incremental benchmarksCollect dataSet a limit and turn to

executive sponsor

Resources

We learn best when we are surrounded by friends that want us to succeed.

Positive pressure is a necessity for change

Is there an expert within the system?

Is there an external “agent” that can provided scaffolded support?

Are there resources such as online classes, virtual learning communities, web sites?

Is there a program, a person, or an initiative offered by the district, SDE, or other external organizations?

1. The degree to which the reinforcement is meaningful to the individual

2. The association of the reinforcement with actual demonstrated progress

3. The absence of negative consequences4. Accountabil i ty systems to reinforce

change

Reinforcement

Meaningful Reinforcements

The recognition or reward applies to the person being recognized

The person providing the recognition or reward is someone the individual respects

The reward is relevant or valuable to the person being recognized

Theory of Action

If this

Then that

What is a Theory of Action?

Theory of ActionArgyris: “A set of rules that individuals use

to design and implement their own behavior as well as understand the behavior of others” (p.7)

City… & Elmore: “A story line that makes a vision and a strategy concrete… a narrative… a map” (p. 40)

Building Consensus around the change

Some final thoughts about communicating change:

A simple and incomplete theory of action is better than no theory at all.

More heads in developing a theory of action are better than fewer.

Clutter is the enemy of clarity and coherence.Communicate the organization’s theory of action

with audiences inside and outside of the organization.

You can never communicate enough.

Resources

ADKAR: A Model for Change Management in Business, Government and Our Community, J. Hiatt

Managing at the Speed of Change, D. ConnerChange Wars, A. Hargreaves, M. FullanThe Six Secrets of Change, M. FullanDrive, D. PinkInfluencer, K. Patterson, J. Grenny, D.

Maxfield and R. McMillan

Ticket out the door

1. Act and talk as if you were in control and project confidence

2. Take credit and some blame3. Talk about the future4. Be specific about a few things that matter

and keep repeating themPfeffer & Sutton, 2006

Let’s revisit that elevator speech!