Sustaining Success: Proactive Leadership for Lasting Impact Rorie Fitzpatrick, WestEd/National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) Leah Voorhies, Utah State Board of Education Glenna Gallo, Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

2019 OSEP Leadership Conference DISCLAIMER: The contents of this presentation were developed by the presenters for the 2019 OSEP Leadership Conference. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e-3 and 3474)

Session Overview The What Systems change: technical vs adaptive implications Managing up and laterally Succession planning The How Active engagement for learning & idea exchange Poll Everywhere, Flipgrid Leave with relevant resources & knowledge

Technical Problems vs Adaptive Challenges Easy to identify/clearly defined Difficult to identify (easy to deny) Often lend themselves to quick and solutions Require changes in values, beliefs, roles, relationships, & approaches to work Often can be solved by an authority or expert People with the problem do the work of solving it Require change in just one or a few places; often contained within organizational boundaries Require change in numerous places; usually cross organizational boundaries People are generally receptive to technical solutions People often resist even acknowledging adaptive challenges. Solutions can often be implemented quickly—even by edict “Solutions” require experiments and new discoveries; they can take a long time to implement and cannot be implemented by edict Adapted from Heifetz, R. A., & Linsky, M. (2002). Leadership on the line: Staying alive through the dangers of leading. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press.

The Concepts in Context In Utah, the focus is on aligning services and supports across divisions to reduce duplication, and fill gaps, to impact outcomes, an adaptive challenge. In Washington, the focus had been technical compliance, but needed to expand to address expectations, an adaptive challenge.

Making it Real There are no silver bullets for adaptive challenges, so overcoming them requires a thoughtful strategy, continuous support, and time to adapt (hence, adaptive challenges). Dylan Rodgers, Content Strategy Manager and Editor in Chief of the Schoology Exchange What challenges are you facing as you work to sustain or scale up initiatives designed to improve outcomes for children with disabilities and their families? Are the challenges adaptive, technical, or both? Process in small groups Process in small groups

Taking the Temperature Poll Everywhere Our sustainability and scale up challenges are: (A) Technical (B) Adaptive (C) Both technical and adaptive https://PollEv.com/ncsiwested458 Or Text to: 22333 Code: NCSIWESTED458

Poll Everywhere Results

Leading for Success: Leveraging Influence Managing Up. The process of consciously working with your superior to obtain the best possible results. Gabarro, J. J. & Kotter, J. P. (2005). Managing Your Boss. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2005/01/managing-your-boss Managing Sideways. Forging strong ties with peers/colleagues to build momentum to reach goals. Barta, T. & Barwise, P.. (2017). Why Effective Leaders must Manage Up, Down, and Sideways. McKinsey Quarterly. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/leadership/why-effective-leaders-must-manage-up-down-and-sideways

Strategies for Managing Up (and Laterally) Thought partner Trusted advisor Influence not power Internal knowledge broker Capacity with accountability

The Concepts in Context continued In Utah, reducing duplication and filling gaps requires both managing up and managing laterally in order to align systems and impact outcomes. In Washington, the adaptive challenge of increasing expectations required both managing up and managing laterally, in order to impact systemic changes

Making it Real continued How will you deploy the concepts of effectively managing up and/or managing laterally to improve the likelihood of achieving your organizational goals and priorities Process in small groups Process in small groups Process in small groups

Taking the Temperature continued Let’s Use Flipgrid! Choose one person to record your group’s big idea(s) Download Flipgrid app or go to flipgrid.com Enter the code 555f6f56 or scan it Verify email address via Microsoft or Google Record a quick video (2 mins max)

Succession Planning Turnover is real Smooth transitions are possible State Chiefs State Special Education Directors Part C Coordinators Smooth transitions are possible Purposeful succession planning Strategic collaboration and partnership development

Proactive Planning for Sustainability Successful sustainability can be enhanced when purposeful efforts are taken to align systems Shared goals across programs and projects Stated resource commitments Enabling policies and accountability Interwoven technical assistance supports …within your division …across the agency …with partners across the state

Proactive Planning for Sustainability continued Successful leaders operate with an expectation of turnover, and actively plan for it

Making it Real continued. What other strategies and resources can you suggest? How will you apply these succession planning concepts? Process in small groups Process in small groups Process in small groups

Thank you! And we’re available for follow-up… Rorie Fitzpatrick: rfitzpa@wested.org | 415.205.3155 (mobile) Glenna Gallo: glenna.gallo@k12.wa.us | 360.725.6075 Leah Voorhies: leah.voorhies@schools.utah.gov | 801.538.7898

2019 OSEP Leadership Conference. DISCLAIMER: The contents of this presentation were developed by the presenters for the 2019 OSEP Leadership Conference. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e-3 and 3474)