Change is all around
us…..people changes, curricular changes, instructional changes, leadership
changes, personal changes. How do
we learn to manage these changes in our lives in order to continue growing and
moving forward? There are two
kinds of basic changes: first and second order change. First order change improves the
efficiency and effectiveness of existing structures. Second order change is systemic and modifies basic
assumptions, goals, structures, roles, and norms. The numbering seems a bit backwards to me, since improving
efficiency and effectiveness of something must be preceded by a change in basic
assumptions regarding something.
Therefore, we need to examine change from this viewpoint and make sure
that we devote enough time to the prerequisite second order change
responsibilities before jumping in to a first order change.
Change requires that we make
the case for innovation, emphasize the seriousness of the problem/situation,
and emphasize the rightness of the solution. According to Robert Evans in The Human Side of School
Change, the four problematic aspects/dilemmas of change are the feelings of
1) loss, 2) competence, 3) confusion, and 4) conflict. So what do we do? We need to move from loss to
commitment, old competence to new competence, confusion to coherence, and
conflict to consensus. We need to
decrease the fear of trying and increase the fear of not trying. That is called “unfreezing.”
How do we move from loss to
commitment? We must experience
continuity, have the necessary time, and maintain personal contact. There must be a balance between pressure
and support…change and continuity.
Moving from old competence
to new competence requires training.
This training must be coherent with a specific design and sequence of
content; personal by tailoring the experience to the current knowledge,
practice, and needs of the stakeholders; and continuous before, during, and
after the training experience.
The transition from
confusion to coherence requires the resolution of uncertainty to a new clarity
of structure, function, roles, and responsibility. We must understand the big picture and presenting it visually
is of the utmost importance.
Finally, sometimes conflict
results from the anticipation of change.
To move from conflict to consensus, we must build a critical mass of
supporters, exert pressure if necessary, and make the appropriate use of power
as a last resort. Pressure without
support results in resistance and alienation. Support without pressure results in a drifting and wasting
of resources.
According to Edie Holcomb in
“Asking the Right Questions: Tools for Collaboration and School Change,”
initiating any kind of change requires us to address five seminal questions:
1. Where are we now?
2. Where do you want to go?
3. How are we going to get
there?
4. How do we know that we’ve
gotten there?
5. How do sustain the focus and momentum?
Until we realize the human
side of change and address the aforementioned characteristics, we can kiss the
success of that change goodbye. It
is a belief and a commitment that we must make, whether we are boards,
administrators, teachers, students, parents, community members or Bulls’
fans. Admittedly, change takes
time, but as Todd Whitaker says: “ We are dealing with the minds of
children. We can’t take that much
time, or we lose the chance to make that difference.”