School leadership and management resources
Change management
The principles of change management
(originally published by Booz & Company)
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Address the “human side” systematically: It should be based on a realistic assessment of the organization’s history, readiness, and capacity to change.
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Start at the top: Leaders must speak with one voice and model the desired behaviours
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Involve every layer: Include plans for identifying leader and pushing responsibility down, so that change “cascades” through the school
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Make the formal case: The articulation of a formal case for change and the creation of a written vision statement are invaluable opportunities to create or compel leadership-team alignment
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Create ownership: Ownership is often best created by involving people in identifying problems and crafting solutions
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Communicate the message: Reinforce core messages through regular, timely advice that is both inspirational and practicable
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Assess the cultural landscape: Identify the core values, beliefs, behaviours, and perceptions that must be taken into account for successful change to occur
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Address culture explicitly: Be explicit about culture and its underlying behaviors that will best support change. Develop a baseline and define an explicit end-state
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Prepare for the unexpected: Continually reassess the impact of change and the school's willingness and ability to adopt transformation
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Speak to the individual: Individuals need to know how their work will change, what is expected of them during change and what the results will mean for them