Alternative perspectives on the leadership and management of change in educational settings Kala Retna, John Davies, Victoria Management School Wellington, New Zealand International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement Singapore Jan 8th – 12th January 2018

Overview Introduction & Background The Design Thinking Initiative The Study project Understanding and Managing Change the use of alternative frameworks Using Kotter’s & Lewin’s Descriptive Frameworks sing Systems Thinking and Systems Representations to illustrate: how the tools of SD can be used to develop a better understanding of the process of the management of change … and the processes embedded in the management of change how an awareness and understanding of systemic structure … … can inform the understanding of the process of change how the building of understanding and insight can be enhanced … … by recognising and building on the structures … identified as Systems Archetypes Summary and Conclusions Questions

Managing Change Initiatives Too often, teachers/employees/workers will say that new processes … introduced by leaders/managers/change agents … will work for a while; everyone will get enthusiastic as successes are achieved by picking low hanging fruit; life will start to get difficult; heads will drop as problems crop up elsewhere in the business; teachers/workers and students/customers resent bearing the brunt of change; employees run out of steam …demoralised and ending up “back where we started”; and too fed up with change to try anything new! Parallels with other fads! Yes – so, … Much may be learned from the management literature, and from recognising the systemic structure … underpinning individual and organisational systems behaviours … associated with the use of such managerial practices Tjahjono, B. Ball, P. et al. (2010). Six Sx Sigma: a literature review. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 1(3): 216-233

Kotter’s Framework and Process for Organisational Change … relates to … Avoiding the Common Errors of Change Programmes that Fail Common Errors Allowing too much complacency Failing to Create a Sufficiently Powerful Guiding Coalition Underestimating the Power of Vision Under-communicating the Vision Permitting Obstacles to Block the New Vision Failing to Create Short-Term Wins Declaring Victory Too Soon Neglecting to Anchor Changes firmly in the Corporate Culture Process for Change Creating a sense of urgency Forming a powerful guiding coalition - the change leaders Creating a Vision to … Communicating the Vision Empowering and encouraging others to act on the vision Planning for and Creating Short-Term wins Consolidating improvement and producing yet more change Institutionalising new approaches Adapted from: Kotter, J.P. (1995), “Leading change: why transformation efforts fail”, Harvard Business Review, March‐April, pp. 59‐67. Kotter, J.P. (1996), Leading Change, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA.

Kotter’s Process for Change Creating a sense of urgency Forming a powerful guiding coalition - the change leaders Creating a Vision to … Communicating the Vision Empowering and encouraging others to act on the vision Planning for and Creating Short-Term wins Consolidating improvement and producing yet more change Institutionalising new approaches Managerial Applications Process of Organisational Change attributed to Lewin Unfreeze existing behaviour, processes etc ... from past behaviours ... from the notion that they cannot be improved Prepare the decision maker for change ... ... by clarifying the existence of ... specific judgemental and other deficiencies ... by explaining the roots of these deficiencies ... in a non-threatening way Refreezing ... ... by continuing to examine decisions for bias Lewin 48 / Bazerman 91 Lewin, K. 1958. Group decision and social change”, in Readings in Social Psychology, eds. EE Maccoby, Newcomb, TM and Hartley, EL. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, pp. 197-211.

Understanding the Management of Change Understanding the Management of Change in the Singaporean School System Understanding the Management of Change Senge’s Approach to Systems Thinking Using Senge’s Systems Representations Causal Loop Diagrams - CLD models Understanding the Systemic Nature of Change Micro, Meso & Macro Levels of Change Adapted from: Senge, P.M. et al. (1999). The Dance of Change: The Challenges of Sustaining Momentum in Learning Organizations, London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing. Senge, P.M. (2006). The Fifth Discipline, Doubleday/Currency: New York.

The Underlying Dynamics of Change- 1 Source: Senge, 1999: 69 The Individual Teacher or Micro Level A Simplified Systems Model Individual Teacher Benefits +S +S Enthusiasm and Willingness to Commit R1 Teacher Learning Capabilities +S Investment in Change Initiatives +S This is an example of a reinforcing causal loop, denoted as R1. In this case, it is a virtuous reinforcing causal loop generating continuing, perhaps, increasing benefit. Adapted from: Senge, P.M. et al. (1999). The Dance of Change: The Challenges of Sustaining Momentum in Learning Organizations, London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

The Underlying Dynamics of Change- 2 Source: Senge, 1999: 69 The Teacher Network or Meso Level A Simplified Systems Model +S Teacher Networking and Diffusion +S R2 Enthusiasm and Willingness to Commit People Involved = Investment in Change Initiatives +S +S This is an example of a reinforcing causal loop, denoted as R2. In this case, it is a virtuous reinforcing causal loop generating continuing, perhaps, increasing benefit. Adapted from: Senge, P.M. et al. (1999). The Dance of Change: The Challenges of Sustaining Momentum in Learning Organizations, London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

The Underlying Dynamics of Change - 3 Source: Senge, 1999: 69 The School or Macro Level A Simplified Systems Model +S School-wide Educational Benefits \\ +S Credibility New Educational Practices +S // +S R3 Enthusiasm and Willingness to Commit Teacher Learning Capabilities = Investment in Change Initiatives +S +S This is an example of a reinforcing causal loop, denoted as R3. In this case, it is a virtuous reinforcing causal loop generating continuing, perhaps, increasing benefit. Adapted from: Senge, P.M. et al. (1999). The Dance of Change: The Challenges of Sustaining Momentum in Learning Organizations, London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

The Underlying Dynamics of Getting Results - 4 Source: Senge, 1999: 69 New Educational Practices School-wide Educational Benefits Credibility = +S +S R3 Individual Teacher Benefits Teacher Learning Capabilities = +S R1 +S People Involved Teacher Networking and Diffusion +S +S +S +S R2 Enthusiasm and Willingness to Commit Investment in Change Initiatives +S These interacting reinforcing loops, R1, R2 & R3, present an optimistic scenario of continuing benefits via virtuous change cycles. But, several factors (already listed) may surface to inhibit change and to slow down benefits. +S +S Factors inhibiting Beneficial Change Not Enough Time Lack of Help/Support Inability to Walk the Talk Fear and Anxiety Believers and Non-Believers Assessment and Measurement Governance Diffusion Strategy and Purpose Adapted from: Senge, P.M. et al. (1999). The Dance of Change: The Challenges of Sustaining Momentum in Learning Organizations, London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

Figure 1: The Underlying Dynamics of “Not Enough Time” Factors inhibiting Beneficial Change An Example of Senge’s Limits to Growth systems archetype LtG Not Enough Time Lack of Help/Support Inability to Walk the Talk Fear and Anxiety Believers and Non-Believers Assessment and Measurement Governance Diffusion Strategy and Purpose Here, the Balancing Loop B1 acts to undermine learning capabilities, whilst … Balancing Loop B2 acts to lower enthusiasm for change. Figure 1: The Underlying Dynamics of “Not Enough Time” Time Available Time Flexibility +S New Educational Practices School-wide Educational Benefits Credibility = +S +S R3 Individual Teacher Benefits Learning Capabilities = +S R1 Frustration +S Time Gap +S People Involved Teacher Networking and Diffusion +S +S +S +S -O R2 Enthusiasm and Willingness to Commit Investment in Change Initiatives -O B2 +S Effectiveness of Change Initiatives +S +S +S +S Time Required B1 +S “We don’t have time for this stuff!” -O Senge, P. et al. (1999).The Dance of Change: The Challenge of Sustaining Momentum in Learning organisations. London: Nicholas Brealey, pp. 67-102, ISBN 1-85788-243-1

A Model of Generic Change Summary Understanding Change The illustration demonstrates how, … a complex of individual actions and initiatives, cause-effect relationships, … mutual dependencies etc … … can be reconceptualised as the interaction of different level systemic structures ie as the interaction of causal loops, rather than just individual causal relationships. … can not only impact the behaviour of individuals and groups, … but effect behaviours and outcomes at the level of the wider system … in unintended and unanticipated ways … that may be described as the emergent properties of the system. (Wolstenholme, 2004). E. F. Wolstenholme, E.F. (2013). Towards the definition and use of a core set of archetypal structures in syst... System Dynamics Review; Spring 2003; 19, 1; ABI/INFORM Global, pg. 7

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