1. Leaders’ Guide to Change
Lecturette 1:
Leaders’ Guide to Change
Lecturette 1:
Now that participants know their personal roles on the Building Leadership Team, they must learn how to communicate effectively with their teammates and with those they expect to change. This lecturette explains specific change agent roles and responsibilities, and the types of people BLTs may face when trying to establish change in their communities.
Copyright 2004 NIUSI

2. Developing Trust Concentrate on relationships first
Acknowledge different kinds of knowing
Create a group plan and agreements
Define decision making
Developing Trust:
To be effective at creating change, then the people involved in the change or affected by the change must trust the BLT members.
The Building Leadership Team members must develop trust on two levels. The first is at the team level. The team members must trust and be able to rely on each other if the BLT is to be an effective change agency. The members must dependable and responsible to each other for the BLT to be influential and trusted by their constituents.
The second level of trust is at the constituent level – the level at which the BLT member wants to instigate change. These stakeholders must believe that the team member has the ability to lead them through the change-process successfully and with the least amount of inconvenience possible. They must believe that the team member cares about their lives and the way the change influences their jobs. They want to know that the team member is listening to their voices and hearing their concerns. They want to know the team member is taking action based on their input. People need to have confidence that the team member isn’t pushing bureaucracy down onto them, but trust that it is including them in change-efforts at their level – the level that they have some control over.
How does an individual develop trust on these levels?
Concentrate on relationships first:
Build strong relationships with people. By building relationships with people, you develop trust and mutual respect. These relationships affect the way you create change and the way the people receive change, making the process more comfortable and collaborative.
Acknowledge different kinds of knowing:
People interact with the world in different ways. Some people are quick to make and adopt change; some like to see change tested by others before suggesting or adopting a new innovation. Some people want to know how a change affects the greater good before trying it out; some want to know how it affects specific people before suggesting its adoption. To build trust, you must find a way to touch every person’s values by addressing the various ways of knowing. Some of these kinds of knowing are covered later in this lecturette.
Create a group plan and agreements:
When there is a plan, people trust it will be followed. People want to know what will happen, when it will happen, and who it will happen to. They want open communication and agreements. If you are part of this plan, they trust you will stick to it. If you earn this trust and keep your agreements, then people are more likely to follow your lead in the future.
Define decision making:
Who decides what will happen? How is the decision made? By telling the stakeholders exactly how the process works, they understand how their lives are affected. Laying out procedures, and sticking to them, allows them to build trust in you and in the system.
Copyright 2004 NIUSI

3. Group Development Forming Storming Norming Performing
Adjourning/Transforming
Group Development:
Developing an effective Building Leadership Team takes time. Just as important as building trust between group members, taking deliberate care of whole-group development leads to greater success in reaching the goals of the Building Leadership Team. This community-building goes through five stages, but they aren’t linear nor is there a final stage unless the group disbands; when the team’s membership or goals change, the stages are revisited. It is cyclical.
The 5 stages of development:
Forming:
A group goes through the forming stage multiple times: first when the team is new, and again whenever a new member joins the process. Time and patience are important whenever a new member joins and a period of group reformation takes place. Forming is the stage of introductions and building of relationships.
Storming:
Stakeholders determine whom they can turn to for leadership and guidance in the storming stage. Formal and informal leaders are identified. Formal leaders have defined positions that influence others (e.g., they make sure the organization’s responsibilities are fulfilled by assigning personnel to projects); informal leaders possess qualities that the other members see as critical for the issue or project – when that issue or project changes, so does the informal leader.
Norming:
Norming is the crystalization of group identity. As stakeholders grow more comfortable with one another, patterns of collaboration develop and consensus can be built. This is the stage where trust is developed.
Performing:
In the performing stage, stakeholders work together in a way that values difference and produces high quality collaboration and results.
Adjourning/Transforming:
Collaborative work is closed and accomplishments are celebrated in the adjourning phase. If collaborative work is ongoing, transforming is a time to reevaluate goals and vision.
Copyright 2004 NIUSI

4. Change Audience Students Researchers Parents Colleagues Administrators
Community
Change Audience:
Ultimately, students should be the focus of systemic change. The Building Leadership Team advocates for, recommends, implements, and supports systemic change with students in mind, but students are not always the audience they need to target. People in the community that the BLT members may need to connect with are: students, researchers, parents, colleagues, administrators, and other community members or organizations.
As a BLT member, knowing your audience is critical because it will help you target the kinds of information you need to share and the way in which you need to share it. So, be prepared for the audience you intend to communicate with.
This is a list of audience groups and how you may think about approaching them as a whole. Later we examine how to approach individuals.
Students:
Think about talking with students versus talking with researchers. Students want to know what you propose to do and when. They’ll probably ask why and what would happen if they didn’t participate. You may be able to engage them in deeper conversations as you build a relationship, but they will challenge you differently than a group of researchers or a group of administrators.
Researchers:
Researchers want a set of questions that you propose to answer, a connection to the research base, and a well described set of procedures for accomplishing whatever you propose.
Parents:
Parents want to know how the change affects their children. Will their children learn more? Are their extra-curricular activities in danger of being cut? How is the school comparing with other schools in the neighborhood? District? State?
Colleagues:
Colleagues want clear expectations and outcomes. They will want to know why your proposal is worthwhile and what impact it has on their positions and interaction with students.
Administrators:
Administrators want goals, outcomes, procedures, and lines of authority. They want you to help them consider potential barriers and how they can be overcome.
Community Groups:
Consider using community groups and agencies to further your plan. Show these groups how they will benefit from your proposal.
Copyright 2004 NIUSI

5. Basic Communication Skills
Know what the other person needs
Listen in sophisticated ways
Demonstrate empathy
Satisfy the “basic self” in others, then…
Appeal to the “better self”
Build capacity for collegiality
Accomplish small “wins” early and celebrate
Change Agent Responsibilities:
You are a change agent when you are part of an effort to implement a new proposal. Change requires more than presenting the effort and expecting people to accept willingly. Be aware of the people you are trying to persuade. Know your goals and be able to back them up before discussing them with others.
Be prepared! Know in advance what your constituency is going to need from you. What questions will they have? Are they going to be for or against this change? How much persuading are you going to have to do?
Listen. Don’t assume you are going to have to do all the talking. The questions you expect aren’t always the questions they have. Listen actively. Look people in the eyes. Rephrase what they say to make sure you accurately heard what they told you.
Empathize with the people who are affected by your proposal. Change isn’t always fun – it requires effort, time, resources – sometimes more than we have to spare. If people believe you understand how hard this change is, they are more likely to listen to you and follow your suggestions.
The “basic self” is to take care of “me” – What’s in it for them? Why should they change?
Give them reasons for changing and then appeal to their “better self”… why they should change for the school community as a whole – What’s in it for us?
It is much easier to change when you work as a group. Build this into the change process. Give opportunity for working together and support collegiality.
Instead of one big goal, break the change into small pieces and provide celebrations at intervals. By giving rewards throughout the process, motivation is sustained.
Facilitator Instructions:
Recall a time when you successfully used these skills to bring about change.
Copyright 2004 NIUSI

6. Cultural Influence on Communication Style
Language
Temporality
Cultural Influences on Communication Styles:
Another issue for talking with and persuading people to adopt a change is to be aware of cultural influences on communication style.
Basic elements of cultural interaction (e.g., language, temporality, and space and proxemics), as identified by sociologists and anthropologists, interact with each other and result in patterns of behavior that are shared by the culture. Because cultural elements converge with an individual’s experiences, history, and psychological makeup, no person can be pigeonholed by race, ethnicity, sexual preference or any other single feature.
By understanding the following characteristics, you will have a richer understanding of how each element plays out in everyday life.The following lists, defines, and provides examples of some of these elements.
Language:
Language includes not only spoken and written words, but also non-verbal communication forms such as the use of eyes, hands, and body.
Think about… Have you ever been in a meeting and noticed how people participate in the discussion? Or thought that people were not engaged in a conversation because they did not interject comments throughout? Or been frustrated at someone interrupting you? Think about how these situations might be indicators of cultural norms.
In the United States, English is the predominant language. However, many members of our society speak a language other than English. Additionally, we all use different levels of language in our everyday interactions. Language can be formal, technical, or informal dependent upon the situation and people we are involved with. One might use formal English when speaking publicly, use technical language at work, and speak informally to friends and families. Other differences in language may include using slang or dialects in place of formal language.
Different cultures may be distinguished by the rules used while speaking. For example, in some cultures each party in a conversation must wait their turn, and that turn will be signified by a pause in the conversation on the part of the current speaker. In other cultures, parties to a conversation do not wait for their turn to speak, but insert support or verbal explanations and questions throughout.
Think about… How do you feel when someone doesn’t make eye contact with you? Or sustains eye contact over a long period of time? What assumptions do you make about that person?
Hand gestures, body language, and eye contact are influential in our understandings of language and culture. In some cultures, eye contact is seen as disrespectful; in others, it signifies honesty. Some cultures keep their hands close to their bodies while speaking; others use hand gestures to punctuate their conversation.
Temporality:
Temporality refers to attitudes towards time: being early, on-time, or late.
Think about… How do you feel when someone is consistently late for meetings? What is your approach to appointment-making? Do you schedule appointments, or do you drop what you are doing to meet with someone who wants your attention?
Orientation towards time is different across various cultural groups. For some, schedules and appointments are priority; for others, what is happening at the moment matters more than future events. Likewise, some cultures stress punctuality; lateness is a sign of disrespect. Other cultures don’t mind when people are late, and the norm is that a set meeting time is only an approximation.
Space and proxemics:
Proxemics includes the accepted distances between individuals within a given culture, and the appropriateness of physical contact.
Think about… What is your comfort zone when thinking about physical space or contact? If someone stands close to you or touches you when they are talking, how do you feel?
Shaking hands is seen by some as a very personal action, not to be shared by strangers; others may see it as a casual and appropriate way of greeting. Similarly, in some groups, hugging and kissing upon meeting are standard forms of greetings; other people may be extremely uncomfortable with this level of contact. Rules for physical contact may be based upon gender or upon the relationship between the people involved. Rules also govern how closely people stand when conversing. In some cultures, people stand very closely together; in others it is considered rude to invade a person’s private space.
Space and Proxemics
Copyright 2004 NIUSI

7. Change Agent Roles Them You
Ad agent
Guide
Demonstrator
Instructor
Technical assistant
Awareness
Self-concern
Mental tryout
Testing
Adoption
Them
You
Change Agent Roles:
These are stages that a person who must adopt change goes through: awareness, self-concern, mental tryout, testing, and adoption.
No matter who that person is – student, parent, administrator, or anyone else – that person needs your support along the way. You support that person as an advertising agent, guide, demonstrator, instructor, and technical assistant.
When those who are affected are beginning to be aware of that change – your team is just starting to circulate the information, you must be an advertising agent. Sell the change! What’s in it for them? Why should they want this new thing you are trying to push?
When they show self-concern, guide them through the process. Anticipate their doubts and issues and show them you understand and care about their thoughts.
When they are ready to accept the new procedure or plan and are trying it out in their heads to see what kind of impact it has on their students and themselves, demonstrate it to them and show its benefits.
When the testing phase begins, be available to instruct the new process at each step. Have a variety of instructional materials on-hand for use: handouts, personnel in each school, and in-services are good ideas.
After the full adoption of the program, provide follow-up in the form of technical assistance, additional in-services, and in-school mentors. Make sure this change sticks.
Facilitator Instructions:
Talk about a time when you took on these roles when you were faced with some of these stages of Awareness, Self-concern, Mental tryout, Testing, or Adoption.
Copyright 2004 NIUSI

8. Changing People Changing People
How do you convince people to adopt a change that your team must implement? You develop trust. You talk to the right group of people. You become aware of cultural influences on communication and practice basic communication skills.
But why does one person you talk to choose to change when another person doesn’t? One reason is because people have personalities, and personalities influence how people make decisions.
The next step toward initiating a change is to learn about personality characteristics so you are able to target specific people and effect change at an individual level.
One personality theory breaks people into four groups. Organizers, Relaters, Analyzers, and Actors. Each of these personalities requires a different method of persuasion for adopting a change that you may wish to implement. Although no person falls completely into one category, you will see obvious characteristics in people you encounter.
Copyright 2004 NIUSI

9. Changing Organizers What are the norms? What is the data?
What is the point-by-point agenda and schedule?
How do I connect this to prior knowledge?
Will you do what you say you are going to do?
How will you show consistencies in practice and data?
How will I know if there will there be any surprises or changes?
Changing Organizers:
Organizers want facts and figures. They want schedules and follow-through. They want to know what the change is based on and how it will affect the future. Don’t surprise the Organizer – keep the Organizer informed at every step of the process.
The persuasion needs listed on this slide are those of high interest to Organizers. In order to persuade an Organizer, one needs to make sure they have answered these questions:
What are the norms?
What is the data?
What is the point-by-point agenda and schedule?
How do I connect this to prior knowledge?
Will you do what you say you are going to do?
How will you show consistencies in practice and data?
How will I know if there will there be any surprises or changes?
Facilitator Instructions:
Describe how you would persuade an Organizer to establish a specific change.
Copyright 2004 NIUSI

10. Changing Actors Actor What role can I play? Will we have it be fun?
Can we move ahead?
What are we going to do?
What are the absurdities?
Will you and will we be competent in the work?
Actor
Changing Actors:
Actors want to jump in and get started. They want you to get right to the point and tell them the plan. Leave out the details when talking to the actors, just let them know what they can do and make sure their roles are interesting, active, and relevant.
The persuasion needs listed on this slide are those that are of high interest to actors. In order to persuade an actor, one needs to make sure they have answered these questions:
What role can I play?
Will we have it be fun?
Can we move ahead?
What are we going to do?
What are the absurdities?
Will you and will we be competent in the work?
Facilitator Instructions:
Describe how you would persuade an Actor to establish a specific change.
Copyright 2004 NIUSI

11. Changing Analyzers Analyzer Why are we together? What are the trends?
What are the ironies?
What is the intended outcome?
What is the whole picture and gestalt?
Do we have the right path planned?
What are the big elements and categories?
Analyzer
Changing Analyzers:
Analyzers want all the details before accepting the proposal. What is it you really want to do and are you taking the right path to get there? These are the questions the Analyzer will ask.
The persuasion needs listed on this slide are those that are of high interest to actors. In order to persuade an actor, one needs to make sure they have answered these questions:
Why are we together?
What are the trends?
What are the ironies?
What is the intended outcome?
What is the whole picture and gestalt?
Do we have the right path planned?
What are the big elements and categories?
Facilitator Instructions:
Describe how you would persuade an Analyzer to establish a specific change.
Copyright 2004 NIUSI

12. Changing Relaters Relater Who is my network? What are the stories?
Is there a greater good in this work?
Are we going to focus on people and children?
Will we get to know each other via this work?
What are the places of importance and success?
Relater
Changing Relaters:
The Relater is a people person. Who is affected? Who will I work with? Where are our resources? Are we helping children? Make sure the Relater is working with people and directly affecting people.
The persuasion needs listed on this slide are those that are of high interest to Relaters. In order to persuade a Relater, one needs to make sure they have answered these questions:
Who is my network?
What are the stories?
Is there a greater good in this work?
Are we going to focus on people and children?
Will we get to know each other via this work?
What are the places of resonance and success?
Facilitator Instructions:
Describe how you would persuade a Relater to establish a specific change.
Copyright 2004 NIUSI

13. Things to Remember Develop trust.
Lead change by focusing on the needs of your team members and organization.
Know your change audience.
Practice communication skills.
Be aware of cultural influences and personality traits that affect communication styles.
Finally, listen and correct your course according to feedback.
Things to Remember:
You are most effective when you focus on other people. Use your skills to guide change at a steady rate. Know that different kinds of people need different persuasion techniques.
As you implement change using all these skills, reflect on how the process is progressing. Does it need to be revised based on your constituencies’ suggestions or difficulties? Listen to the people who are changing. They can signal problems to you verbally or non-verbally.
Copyright 2004 NIUSI

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