Leading Change Step-by-Step

Leading Change Step-by-Step offers a comprehensive and tactical guide for change leaders. Spiro's approach has been field-tested for more than a decade and proven effective in a wide variety of public sector organizations including K-12 schools, universities, international agencies and non-profits. The book is filled with proven tactics for implementing change successfully, with helpful tools to put change efforts into practice (including forms, rubrics, and helpful questions to ask). Also included are success stories that show how this approach has been used effectively in 22 states and internationally. The tools reveal how the leader analyzes situations, identifies the groups needed to get desired results, and works with them effectively to do so.

• Includes engaging self-analyses for leaders to inform their leadership when putting in place a change initiative
• Jody Spiro is an experienced leader of systems change for public, nonprofit, and private sector organizations
• Offers information on assessing a situation, engaging stakeholders, planning "early wins," minimizing resistance, building a supportive culture and much more

This important resource shows how to translate a vision of a sustainable educational reform into a series of coordinated action steps.

Acknowledgments xiii

About the Author xv

Introduction The Essentials of Leading Change Step-by-Step 1

Step One Determining Your Change Strategy—and Making Your Plan 11

Tactics 13

Essential Elements 13

Common Mistakes to Avoid 17

Tool: Strategy/Action Aligner 18

Tales 20

Step Two Assessing Readiness—Where You Are Isn’t Necessarily Where They Are 23

Tactics 25

Essential Elements 25

Common Mistakes to Avoid 28

Tool: Readiness Rubrics 30

Tales 44

Step Three Analyzing the Stakeholders—Who Cares? Why? and What Can They Do About It? 51

Tactics 53

Essential Elements 53

Common Mistakes to Avoid 58

Tool: Stakeholder Strategizer 59

Tales 64

Step Four Minimizing Resistance—While Maximizing Your Tolerance for It 69

Tactics 71

Types of Resistance 71

Essential Elements 72

Common Mistakes to Avoid 74

Tool: Resistance Reducer 77

Tales 84

Step Five Securing a Small, Early Win—Turning the Tide Toward the Results You Want 89

Tactics 91

Essential Elements 91

Common Mistakes to Avoid 93

Tool: Early Win Wonder 94

Tales 97

Step Six Engaging the Key Players in Planning—Achieving Collaboration Without Disintegration 101

Tactics 103

Essential Elements 103

Common Mistakes to Avoid 105

Tool: Collaborative Planning Parameters 108

Action Planning Sheet 113

Tales 116

Step Seven Scaling and Sustaining—or All Your Effort Will Be for Naught 123

Tactics 125

Essential Elements 127

Common Mistakes to Avoid 131

Tool: Scale and Sustainability Score Sheet 133

Tales 142

Step Eight Monitoring and Continuously Improving—Taking Advantage of the Changes You Will Encounter 147

Tactics 149

Essential Elements 149

Common Mistakes to Avoid 151

Tool: The 3 R’s: Review, Revise, Repeat 153

Tales 155

Conclusion Using the Tactics and Tools to Make a Real Difference 159

Appendix Sample Completed Tools 165

Index 197

JODY SPIRO, Ed.D., has worked extensively with nonprofits, governments, universities, districts, and schools in the U.S. and abroad on leading change. Currently she serves as adjunct professor at NYU's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and senior program officer at The Wallace Foundation.

LEADING CHANGE STEP-BY-STEP

The subject of leading change is of paramount importance for leaders these days as it seems that, more than ever, the only constant is change. It is crucial to not only have a vision, but also to be skilled at translating that vision into reality and sustaining it. Leaders must know where to start, how to win support and cope with resistance, and how to institutionalize the change initiative.

Leading Change Step-by-Step offers a comprehensive and tactical guide for change leaders. This field-tested approach from change expert Jody Spiro has been used successfully for more than a decade in a wide variety of organizations, including K–12 schools and districts, universities, international agencies, and nonprofits. The book is filled with proven tactics for implementing change successfully, with helpful tools to put change efforts into practice—including rubrics, helpful questions to ask, and common mistakes to avoid. Also included are stories of struggle and success that show how this approach has been used effectively in 22 states and internationally. The tools guide leaders through analyzing situations, identifying stakeholders, and working with them effectively to bring about the desired results.

Praise for Leading Change Step-by-Step

"Anyone who is willing to make the tough, risky decisions to effect real change should read Leading Change Step-by-Step: Tactics, Tools, and Tales. There's no fixed formula or cookbook for reforming large, complicated systems, but Jody Spiro prescribes important steps and tools in a way that any leader can understand." —JOEL I. KLEIN, chancellor, New York City Department of Education

"Spiro's book provides a practical guide for leaders who are committed to planning, implementing, and sustaining meaningful change. Her ideas should be shared throughout an organization." —ALLEN S. GROSSMAN, professor of Management Practice, Harvard Business School, Cambridge, MA

"Spiro gives facilitators of change practical information grounded in reality. She provides valuable tools and resources that can be used to meet the unique needs of any organization or team as they work to make and sustain changes." —CAROL SEID, principal, Fairmeadows Elementary School, West Des Moines, Iowa