Change is hard. I think this sentence was actually the first sentence in my last blog post, but I wanted to add to that by saying that change is hard, but bringing about change is even harder. Being the person who first acknowledges the need for change, then comes up with a plan for change, then has to actually sell the idea for change and convince others to do work in order to make change happen… well, that’s just bonkers.

Except, it’s really not. Our world depends on change. Humans need change to thrive. Change brought us everything from fire to the wheel to agriculture, to the Industrial revolution, to the Internet. Every one of those ideas began with someone saying, “gee, there ought to be a better way to do things.” And pretty much every one of those people was met with at least one person telling them their idea was crazy (especially the person who first came up with the idea for cheese.) 

Opposition is a natural part of change-making, but it crushes brilliant ideas all the time. In order to move beyond opposition and into the exciting work of creating change, we’ve got to learn to cope with opposition. But once we’re there, we can’t stop; we also have to learn to think through all the potential problems and get out in front of them, prevent apathy and laziness from setting in, and encourage continual growth so that the plan reaches maturity. Making change is not for the weak of heart!

Last year, I became an Apple Distinguished Educator. Part of this program meant that I needed to do some kind of project to bring change to my school. I knew my school was trying to embrace Project-Based Learning, so I came up with this huge project for my school to create a history book about our school’s neighborhood, which is the most historically-rich, but most under-appreciated part of town. I was so proud of myself for coming up with such an exciting plan, and I was sure all the teachers would be excited, too. Then I presented the plan. Maybe half the teachers showed any kind of interest. And then I sent out emails and examples of potential classroom projects that could work for our book, and I got maybe a few contributions that weren’t really what I was looking for. And within a short time, teachers were bad-mouthing me and my project because just who do I think I am giving them extra things to do? By this point, I had no idea what to do, so I gave up on the project, even though both my school principal and my Apple friends urged me not to. It was already too difficult keeping up with my regular responsibilities as a traveling art teacher to try to get every teacher on board, and I certainly did not want to negatively affect my relationship with teachers at the school, when I’m already sort of an “outsider” by being only in the building part-time.

I think that, had I had been a student in the EDLD program at Lamar prior to trying to launch this project, things would have been much more successful! First of all, I had a fantastic idea for my project, but I learned in EDLD 5305 that I also needed an Innovation Plan. Just coming up with a great idea for a project and waiting for everyone to jump on board and make it happen is never going to work out. But in 5304, we have also been learning about how to address the psycho-social aspects of change, and that is just as important as having a really well-thought out and exciting plan.

Though my history book project is now on the back burner, I will revisit it someday. My current project is to create a Makerspace at Edgewood Elementary School. I started by creating my “Why Statement,” which uses Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why” method for communicating the importance of a goal. My current Innovation Plan is already in its early stages of progress, and I am working through my Launch Plan to ensure that not only do I roll out my project to my teachers in such a way that I empower them as facilitators through this plan, but I am also learning the best ways to talk to my teachers about this plan in order to ensure success throughout the lifespan of this project. I used both the Influencer and 4DX Models to come up with a Launch Plan to plan the stages of the launch from before the launch to the time when the project has become part of our daily routine. This plan will help us plan our goals, measure progress, and leverage actions to ensure that progress without getting bogged down by ineffective measures, apathy, and the whirlwind of other tasks that tend to get in the way of progress.

Through studying the book, Crucial Conversations, I am learning how to craft conversations that will come up throughout the lifespan of this project. Through this book, I am seeing the many errors that led to the failure of my history book project, such as the “fool’s choice” of not feeling like I was important enough to speak up for my project (“who are you, art teacher, to give us extra work?!?!”) to knowing how to read sabotage as something that comes from fear of trying something new instead of something more personal. This time, I will keep those things in mind, and I am not afraid to speak up for this project, because I know it is what’s best for our students. I will also engage my teachers in more conversations that invite their perspective early on, so I can learn what it is about this project that excites them, confuses them, or makes them want to avoid talking about it. I now know how to turn those conversations around with honest dialogue about our ultimate goal — to provide better learning opportunities for our students — and to find better ways to address adverse responses. I need to create a safe place for each teacher to provide input, and I have also learned the most effective ways to circle back around with those conversations at a later date to check in and get a true read of each person’s participation, and not just settle for “it’s all good!” and a thumbs-up.

Though this was only a five-week course, I am already employing most of the things I have learned in this course, especially the Crucial Conversations. Though the application of this book in this course is geared more toward fulfilling our Innovation Plans, I find myself keeping the steps of Crucial Conversations in mind when talking with everyone (even my family!)

• Get unstuck. — I tend to procrastinate when I need to have a crucial conversation, especially if it’s something I know I will get pushback from. I think other people get stuck, too, because they fear the conversation will not go well, or is a waste of time. We need to start by sharing information so we can all start from the same place.
• Start with heart. — It is easy to see others as adversaries, but usually, we all want the same thing. Starting the conversation this way is a great way to ensure buy-in from the start. It’s always a relief to start out a high-stakes conversation knowing that you’re on the same team.
• Learn to look — There are always signs that a conversation isn’t going the way you want, like when someone stops sharing and uses body language to communicate discomfort. This is a good time to bring them back into the conversation in a way that empowers them to share honestly.
• Make it safe. — When other people feel safe to share (even if their idea isn’t a popular one,) they will contribute their perspectives to the conversation and be more likely to collaborate.
• Master my stories. — We all have emotions. Negative emotions can turn positive communication astray and can make people stop feeling safe and collaborating. By mastering our own communication and setting anxiety aside, we can keep communication flowing in a positive manner.
• State my path. — This is another one that I need to work on. I was raised to be a good, Southern woman, and my politeness and deference sometimes sabotages me in these communications by coming across as wishy-washiness. In this step, the speaker needs to speak in a way that is direct, but respectful. It is OK to state your goal.
• Explore others’ paths. — By gaining others’ perspectives, you can steer the conversation in a positive direction, anticipate any problems ahead, and provide everyone in the conversation what they need to end the conversation with better understanding and cooperation.
• Move to action. — This is the most exciting part of the conversation, because this is where the call to action happens. By this point, everyone has shared their perspectives, problems have been addressed, suggestions made, negative emotions set aside, and all team members have played an important role in the conversation. Everyone leaves the conversation with a clear picture of what to do, next.

It’s exciting to see my Innovation and Launch Plans taking shape and some of it already happening. As my school year winds down, I am excited to start preparing the behind-the-scenes parts of the project and preparing my team for the big launch in August!

References:

Grenny, J., Patterson, K., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2013). Influencer: The new science of leading change: 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.

McChesney, C., Covey, S., & Huling, J. (2012). The 4 disciplines of execution: Achieving your wildly important goals. New York, NY: Free Press.

Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2012). Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High. Columbus, OH: McGraw Hill.C