Chapter 8: Constructing Understanding of Change Intervention Mushrooms 1

Perception is Reality It is not what you do that counts, but how other people perceive and interpret what you do Just because the leaders of a change effort are well intentioned does not mean that the participants will see them that way. Participant interpretations will have an affect implementing change. The leaders and facilitators do not control all that happens; there is another form of influence. 2

KEY: Make a shift in thinking — think about things other than what is done and what is intended! Have a shift toward the uncontrollable and unpredictable -- a process of integrating the controllable, predictable, factors with those less predictable factors that are controlled only by individual and shared interpretations. 3

I know you think that you understand what you think I said. However, I am not sure you understand that what I said is not what I meant. 4

Mushrooms: a unique form of intervention Change facilitators are not the source but have little control over. Can be nutritious or poisonous Grow in shadows of a change process and are fed by the actions of the change facilitators and other participants Change facilitators should try to take advantage of the positive mushrooms and discourage the growth of the poisonous ones (if noticed) 5

Guiding Principles of Mushrooms: Grow out of individual interpretations of actions and events as a change process unfolds or a predisposition of an individual – this can be a positive or a negative attitude inherent in a person! May be constructed by an individual or group. Understanding a mushroom is to be able to see the overall pattern of actions that have contributed to growth of its constructed theme May be nutritious or poisonous Intervening in response to individual actions will contribute to a poisonous mushroom’s further growth Both positive and negative mushrooms can be constructed by people A change facilitator needs to be attuned to both positive & negative mushrooms Interventions must be aimed at its constructed theme (not individuals) Keep in mind how others may interpret your actions 6

Objectivist/ Behaviorism: What the students could do, not what they “understood” Focus on counting observable behaviors, quantity of questions asked frequency of management directions Absolutely objective about what one did: remove the bias and perspective of the observer by describing events in terms of cold, hard facts. Interpretivist/ constructivism: How the learner develops or “constructs” his or her own “understanding,” or “interpretation” of reality. Strive to analyze how understanding is developed by studying the way people interpret and give meaning to events. Stresses unearthing and describing the interpretations and meaning that people attach to an action, event, or concept. 7

4 Aspects of Intervention of Mushrooms: Interpretivist Component: addresses the interpretations that an individual or a group constructs about the meaning & intention of a change facilitator’s interventions. Objectivist Component: addresses the behaviors, or the statements and actions, that emanate from the constructed interpretations. Potential Effects:can be positive or negative but they grow and can impact the change process Individual or Group Construction 8

Life Cycle of A Mushroom: Birth: Gradual development of a shared interpretation of what the “change” means (social constructivism) that out of discussions will rise a “first consensus”— correct or not. Growth: events that are second-hand are shared and interpreted begins to grow and take on a life of its own. Maturity: If mushrooms did not exist, actions/ events would not have been noticed or interpreted differently. Teachers will compare notes and growth will spread. 9

Pothole Warning: Do not argue with the accuracy or correctness of an Intervention Mushroom Constructed Theme. The constructors of the mushroom believe it to be true!!! 10

Implications for Leaders Facilitating Change  Change efforts can be won or lost based upon mushrooms!  Identify self-based concerns and look for poisonous mushrooms.  Look for task based concerns to find nutritious mushrooms and build on them.  It is difficult to get subordinates to discuss negative mushrooms—this tells us that the better the internal trust and communications are, the more successful the leader will be in dealing with mushrooms!!!!  Finding mushrooms is a challenge to every CI. 11

SoC: Stages of Concern Powerful catalyst for the development of mushrooms. Personal Concerns: Negative Mushrooms—Person with high personal concerns is interpreting actions and events chiefly in terms of what the change means for THEM. Intervening: Insecurity Mushrooms—Can go either way. Wrong ways to respond: “Trust Me” or to put something in writing. Should respond to person one-on-one and respond positively to change and requirements. Leaders should carefully monitor statements that could be interpreted negatively. Impact Concerns: Positive Mushrooms—Frequently overlooked. Concerned about the impact of the change on students. They are positive and energetic and they collaborate with others about their success with intervention or change. Intervening on Positive Mushrooms: More deliberate effort needs to be given to recognizing Impact-concerned people and the positive mushrooms that they generate. 12

LoU: Levels of Usage A special focused interview procedure that is based purely on soliciting and coding examples of the interviewee’s innovation- related behaviors. Constructivist Perspective: presents snapshots of gradually increasing sophistication and complexity of “understanding” about how to use the innovation. LoU based Mushrooms: Depends on the person’s level of understanding.  Level 1: cannot make the link back to how the change would work in his/ her situation. Change is too complex, confusing, unrelated to problem,  Level 4: Full understanding of how innovation will work and can fine tune plan  Level 5: Relates to collegiality—they talk about how to use in class with peers which leads to collaboration… Begins to grow 13

Change Facilitator Style & Mushroom Continuity & predictability is the style of leader-- Initiator, Manager, Responder--represents a pattern within which individual actions can be understood. The actions of the leader are interpreted within constructed context of his/ her overall style. What does the intervention mean to the teacher receiving the intervention? It will all depend on the Change Facilitator Style of the principal—that perception of style is the teacher’s reality!!! 14

Implications for leaders facilitating change: Too many poisonous mushrooms can kill a change process before it begins It is not only what you do, but the meaning that others assign to what you do, that counts. Detection by a change facilitator: The presence of mushrooms may be detected at any point in their growth, and intervention can occur. Initiators then support and nourish their further growth (if positive)…Responder leaders do not detect mushrooms, because of this oversight there seem to be more poisonous mushrooms in organizations led by Responders 15

Dealing with a Growing Mushroom: Positive Mushroom: straightforward process, assuming that the different individual actions are seen in the context of the larger pattern of the mushroom. Critical for Change facilitators to become skilled in mushroom detection. Mushroom needs to be recognized and dealt with in its totality. 16

Evergreen Mushrooms: No matter what is tried, they just keep coming back!! 17

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR MUSHROOM INTERVENTIONS 1. Mushrooms grow out of interpretations of actions and events as a change process unfolds. 2. A Mushroom may be constructed by an individual or socially constructed by a group. 3. A critical aspect of understanding a Mushroom is to be able to see the overall pattern of actions that have contributed to growth of its Constructed Theme. 4. Mushrooms may be nutritious or poisonous to a change process. 5. In most cases, intervening in response to Individual Actions will not kill a Poisonous Mushroom but instead will contribute to its further growth. 6. Contrary to what one might predict, both Positive and Negative Mushrooms can be constructed by people at each SoC and LoU. 7. An important CF skill is to keep one’s antennae tuned for actions that could be the germination of Negative and Positive Mushrooms. 8. To sustain or kill a Mushroom, interventions must be aimed at its Constructed Theme. 18