ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILITY

STEPPING IT UP – PBIS CONFERENCE

Kris Bosworth, Ph.D.June 2008

“People don’t resist change as much as they resist being

changed. ”

Krug & Oakley, 1991

“People’s habits change only when they have strong reason

to want to change, and a conducive environment.”

Deborah Meier, 1995

“Change can not be managed.

It can be understood and perhaps led, but it can not be fully

controlled. ”

Michael Fullan, 2001

“CHANGE CONDITIONS

CHANGE PEOPLE

LIVING SYSTEMS

• Equilibrium = death• New solutions found at the edge of

chaos• Systems self organize• Approximate the desired outcome

LIVING SYSTEMS

Need nourishment and proper environmental conditions to grow, develop, and thrive.

Bosworth, 2006

Change Process - Rogers

Knowledge

Persuasion

Decision Implementation

Confirmation

Change Curve - Rogers

Time

Innovators

Early Adopters

Very Late Adopters

INNOVATORS

Venturesome

Control of resources – able to absorb the loss

Understand high level of technical knowledge

Comfortable with uncertainty

Change Curve - Rogers

Time

Innovators

Early Adopters

Very Late Adopters

Early Adopters

Local social systems

Leadership

Respected

Decreases uncertainty for others

Change Curve - Rogers

Time

Innovators

Early Adopters

Very Late Adopters

Early Majority

Interact with peers

Not opinion leaders

Deliberate

Interconnectedness

Change Curve - Rogers

Time

Innovators

Early Adopters

Very Late Adopters

Late Majority

Skeptical

Economic necessity

Peer pressure

Uncertainty about resources must be removed

Change Curve - Rogers

Time

Innovators

Early Adopters

Very Late Adopters

Laggards

Traditional

Isolates in social system

May be in a precarious economic position

Suspicious of innovators & change agents

Change Curve - Rogers

Time

Innovators

Early Adopters

Very Late Adopters

Change Agent

Communication link

Translator

Influences decisions

Stabilizes the process

Change Agent Characteristics

Able to take a long term view Relishes short term successes Enjoys hearing new & different

ideas Can ride through disappointments Is excited by trying new ventures Looks forward to personal challenge Moves quickly to take opportunities

Implementation Dip - Fullan

B

A

CONDITIONS THAT UNDERMINE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

Vision problems Organizational ADD Law of the jungle Knowing/doing gap Feedback failure

From Platt, et. al. (2008) The Skillful Leader II, pg. 13.

VISION PROBLEMS: Broken, Clouded or Cockeyed Lenses

Lack of a coherent, deeply desired personal vision

Poor assessment of current organizational values and congruency with behavior

Others are not mobilized to develop a shared vision

From Platt, et. al. (2008) The Skillful Leader II, pg. 13.

MORAL PURPOSE

LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE

EXAMPLE

Smaller class sizes Every child connects with a significant adult daily

Implement PBIS The school environment is protective and safe for all children to learn and teachers to teach

RESULTS IN……

Pursuit of fads & quick fixes

Celebration of average

Writing off large segments of the student population

From Platt, et. al. (2008) The Skillful Leader II, pg. 15.

SOLUTIONS: VISION PROBLEMS

Communicate daily/weekly/monthly attention on the future Collaborate with visual thinkers and story tellers Seek out stories of how the vision is alive Challenge debilitating beliefs

From Platt, et. al. (2008) The Skillful Leader II, pg. 18.

ORGANIZATIONAL ADD

Urgency of the week Fad of the year Activity for activity’s sake Initiative overload Wasted effort

From Platt, et. al. (2008) The Skillful Leader II, pg. 18.

“…staff are unable to persist with an effort long enough to correct initial mistakes, fine tune practices and see the results of their hard work.”

From Platt, et. al. (2008) The Skillful Leader II, pg. 19.

SOLUTIONS: ADD

Data driven decision making Leadership teams Performance-based criteria for success Problem identification protocols (Logic

models) Seek & speak about connections

(Coherence) Use visuals

From Platt, et. al. (2008) The Skillful Leader II, pg. 21.

LAW OF THE JUNGLE

High risk competitive culture Poorly functioning teams Gossip Not open to feedback Defensiveness Misinterpretation of well-intentioned

actions Difficult individuals dominate culture Lack of conflict resolution skills

SOLUTIONS: JUNGLE

Build trust Field trips to observe collaborative

cultures Transparent decision making Knowledge sharing Coaching and consultation Eliminate bullying

KNOWING-DOING GAP

All talk and NO action

From Pfeffer & Sutton, (2001)

SOLUTIONS: MORE ACTION

Get to know the practical demands of work

Identify 3-5 top priorities and focus on them

Report at each meeting progress Use plain talk Hold people accountable Encourage people to jump into action

(“Any good idea is worth doing badly.”)

FEEDBACK FAILURE

Do not use information about success or failure to shape next actions

Mistakes are repeated Expend time & energy and accomplish

very little Cycle of failure & helplessness

Fullan: Leading in a Culture of Change

Moral Purpose

Coherence Making

Knowledge Creation and Sharing

Understanding Change

Relationship Building

Commitment

(External and Internal)

More good things happen; fewer bad things happen

Supporting Sustainability

Leadership commitment Written plan Active team Use data Communication with stakeholders Periodic review and reflection Continuous improvement

“CHANGE CONDITIONS

CHANGE PEOPLE