Navigating Educational Change
Organizational change is complex. Education reform and systems change are seriously difficult. Leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and advocates are deeply committed to addressing gaps, eliminating inequities, and improving opportunities for all learners; that requires changing practices, policies, people, structures, and culture.
While the body of research on change has grown, there is little empirical evidence supporting a preferred change model (Hallencreutz & Turner, 2011). Furthermore, there is no universal change management approach that works in all settings. However, there is a plethora of change frameworks, models, and strategies that can be adapted to varied contexts.
For a recent client, I adapted two change models that support education leaders in managing the change process. Regardless of what innovation, intervention, or initiative an organization or education system is implementing, I think you’ll find this integrated approach helpful.
Rousseau and ten Have (2022) encourage the use of four sources of evidence to influence the quality of change-related decisions—
Scientific (Findings from scholarly research)
Organizational (Facts about the organization)
Stakeholder (Concerns of people and groups)
Professional Judgement (Insights from experts)
Bolman and Deal (2003) focus on four “frames” that help us address complex organizational dynamics and attend to different aspects of a system—
Structural: Focus on improving and aligning systems, processes, procedures, and policies.
Human Resources: Attend to goals, priorities, and capacity of staff.
Political: Harness the energy of different groups and attend to power dynamics.
Symbolic: Address sense-making, meaning, perceptions, and self-expression of constituents.
I find that the integration of these two models helps guide leaders to gather information continuously from multiple sources. This promotes a better understanding of the change process throughout various phases of implementation. Building on evidence, those leading and implementing change can make decisions and take actions using the four frame model to strategically manage change and advance the work. These tools can also be adapted to ensure that we are mindful of human experiences—the ways in which people influence the change and are impacted by the change.
If you’re curious about these ideas, please feel free to contact me to schedule a consultation.
