Components of Effective Change Lecturette 2: Components of Effective Change Lecturette 2: Components of Effective Change: After learning how to implement change, BLTs must have the skills and knowledge to implement the process in their own schools. This lecturette introduces the five elements of change that must be present and working together to implement effective change. Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org

Elements of Change Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org Effective change doesn’t just happen. Even if a majority of your constituencies like your proposal, it may fail. Even if you have support from the principal, all the resources you need, and a fool-proof plan, the proposal may fail. Why? It takes more than these for effective change to occur. These are the five components of effective change: vision, skill, incentives, resources, and action plan. All of these must fit together for your change to occur without major roadblocks. The following slides detail these components. Facilitator Instructions: Point out that all the components are linked to the effective change circle, however, they are also linked together. That is, Skills aren’t likely to be developed well without the Resources to train them. Vision isn’t viable without a good Action Plan. Incentives are worthless if the staff doesn’t have the Skills to implement the change. Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org

Vision A well-conceptualized description of the outcomes of the change process. Vision captures the emotions and the intellect; it propels effort in the change process. Vision: Vision is critical to the change process. A vision needs to describe a future reality that improves on the present situation and captures the imagination. It should be communicated often since it provides the mission for the change effort. For example, a team may want to increase parent involvement in making school-level decisions. What would this look like if it actually happened? How can tell if you are successful? What will this improve? Who will benefit? Describe the outcomes (vision) and communicate them often to keep your team and the community motivated. Facilitator Instructions: Describe a change process that you participated in when the vision was clear – and one in which it is not. Engage the participants: Who needs to know the vision? How can it be communicated? Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org

The technical part of change – knowledge and ability to implement a set of thinking processes, complex assessment and implementation procedures to reach the vision. Skill Skill: Skills may include a proficiency, facility, or dexterity that is acquired or developed through training or experience. Or it may be knowledge needed to execute a process. Skills all lead to implementation of the vision. They may be skills already developed, or they may be skills that need to be learned. If training is required, provide adequate time for skill acquisition. Also, many times people need support for their newly acquired skills – provide a means for people to maintain their skills (an adequate resource). For example, if the school wants to adopt a new technology-based math curriculum, the people affected by the change must be competent in the technology they are being asked to adopt. Facilitator Instructions: Describe a change process that you participated in when skills were not satisfactory for the change or time was not provided for adequate skill development. Engage the participants: Does everyone need the same skills? Can you find people who already have the skills you need? Where? Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org

Incentives Fuel motivation to learn new skills, reframe work efforts, encourage innovation. Incentives: Incentives are motivation, such as the fear of punishment or the expectation of reward that induces action or motivates effort. The love of money and the desire of promotion are two powerful incentives to action. Every change effort requires different incentives. Every person involved in a change effort will possibly require different incentives. For example, for a specific change, parents probably require different incentives than administrators or teachers. Facilitator Instructions: Describe a change process that you participated in when no incentives were provided. Engage the participants: How can you find out what incentives you should provide? Does everyone want the same incentives? Should everyone get the same incentives? Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org

Resources People, things, money, time and arrangements that support the process and facilitate change. Resources: Resources can be used for support or help. Resources are people, things, money, time and arrangements. Change can’t happen without resources. Something or someone must change and will draw upon time, money, objects, or arrangements to assist in that purpose. For example, if we ask a teacher to implement a new reading program, she probably needs an adequate number of new books for the students in her class to be successful. Facilitator Instructions: Describe a change process you participated in when inadequate resources were available. Engage the participants: What kinds of resources are needed for school reform? Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org

Action Plan The map that guides the change effort, and creates coherence among team member efforts. The state or process of acting or doing Organized activity to accomplish an objective Habitual or vigorous activity; energy Action Plans: Action Plans describe the method of achieving the vision. The plan breaks down the goal into small objectives and is based on prior knowledge to achieve an expected end result. For example, our goal is for student achievement scores to rise, but to do this effectively we must break down the goal into smaller steps. This is an action plan. Facilitator Instructions: Describe a time when you participated in a change with no plan to guide the process. Engage the participants: Who are the best people to create action plans? When should they be revised? Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org

Absent Elements The elements work together to bring about effective change. What happens when an element is missing? Absent Elements: The elements work together to bring about effective change. What happens when an element is missing? The next slides show the consequences of trying to bring about change when an element is missing. Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org

Absent Vision Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org Change without Vision is like wandering a forest without a map or compass - you may have everything else you need, but don’t know where you are going. This causes Confusion among the members of the group involved in the change. Facilitator Instructions: Ask participants what components are directly affected when Vision is absent. (Everything - Action Plan; Skill; Incentives; Resources) Why? Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org

Absent Skills Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org Skill: We must have the Skills to carry out the Vision. Skills can be obtained through training, team building, experience, consulting, mentoring, professional development, coaching, etc. This causes Anxiety because the group feels unprepared for the change. Facilitator Instructions: Ask participants what other components are directly affected when Skill is absent. (Vision; Action Plan; Incentives; Resources) Why? Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org

Absent Incentives Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org Without Incentive, change is slow if it happens at all. Know the people you are influencing: Some will be motivated by extrinsic rewards such as money, time off, etc.; Others will be motivated by intrinsic items such as pride in a job well done or feeling of accomplishment. Facilitator Instructions: Ask participants what other components are directly affected when Incentives are absent. (Vision; Action Plan; Skill; Resources) Why? Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org

Absent Resources Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org Without Resources you may have the will and the skill, but not the tools you need to get the work done. This causes frustration among the group members because they want or need to change, but can’t. Facilitator Instructions: Ask participants what other components are directly affected when Resources are absent. (Vision; Action Plan; Incentives; Skill) Why? Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org

Absent Action Plan Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org The Action Plan is the map that gets you from where you start to your identified ending point. It can help you find your way if you get off track, or rethink your path. All the members of the team have this map; it creates points of agreement and coherence. If you don’t, then the group members may make a number of false starts before finding one that gets them where they want to go. Facilitator Instructions: Ask participants what other components are directly affected when the Action Plan is absent. (Vision; Skill; Incentives; Resources) Why? Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org

Change Elements Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org When all elements are present and working together, effective change is likely. Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org

Questions Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org Questions: This is a question and answer period. Limit it to 3 – 5 minutes. Copyright 2004 NIUSI www.inclusiveschools.org