Stuck in a rut…
Change is hard…
…and people don’t usually want to do it…
…unless it is their idea.
I could stop there, but the unfortunate thing in leadership is that to make progress, we actually may need change to occur.
How do we get there?
Acknowledge as the leader that you are likely ahead of your team in either understanding the need for change or having an appetite for the change. We can’t assume our team thinks about the change like we do. They don’t have access to the same information as a clear example. It will take effort as the leader to make the change and bring the team to a level of understanding and appreciation.
Define a plan for moving through the change process including into implementation. Most changes in life are not a light switch. They can take months or years to move from point A to point B.
Communicate the plan. Nothing is more frustrating to a team than not understanding what is happening or why it is happening. It doesn’t need to be a formal memo, but staff need to know what is happening if you want them to buy in. Avoidance does not equal acceptance.
Describe success before you start. Articulate that metric to your team members. By the end of the year, we want to see this in your classroom. By the end of the week, I want to observe this very specific strategy in your classroom. Don’t have 100 goals. Find one that matters and drive to that one.
I work with schools and corporations on change management processes. It is not a surprise that change needs to happen, but we often go straight to the end and assume all will be fine. It is more likely that the change will fail than succeed. That is why a plan is so important.