The article focuses on how school librarians could lead change in their schools. It states that some people do not want change because it is considered as a threat to familiar behavior. It says that in introducing change there should be a sense of urgency, a group that has the power to lead the change, communicate the vision of change. It adds that school librarians must consider all aspects including the involvement of principals, school staff, and the community

Haycock, Ken

English

San Jose State University

Leading change

SJSU ScholarWorks

San Jose State UniversitySJSU ScholarWorksFaculty Publications School of Information1-1-2012Leading changeKen HaycockSan Jose State University, ken.haycock@sjsu.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/slis_pubPart of the Library and Information Science CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Information at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in FacultyPublications by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact scholarworks@sjsu.edu.Recommended CitationKen Haycock. "Leading change" School Library Monthly (2012): 32-34.                    n o t e s  F r o m  t h e  F i e l D | T  A  K  I  N  g  T  H  E L  E  A  D  Leading Change by KEN HAYCOCK BEING ENGAGED WITH change, and typically leading change, places school librarians in an enviable position on one level, but a problematic one on another. Change leads to improvement, but few people like change. Indeed, everyone wants to improve, but no one really likes change that takes effort—except maybe a wet baby. Strange that we give so little attention to the implementation of change in our graduate education and continuing profes­sional education programs when it is such a critical part of our professional lives. People resist change because it is seen as a Using a research- threat to the old and familiar patterns ofbased model to behavior and even to our competency andinitiate change 	 perceived status. Change can also be unsettling,and identify inconvenient, and the necessary threatening to our personal relationships. scaffolding can And, indeed, who wants to fail in front of help problems others or lose control and a sense of belonging?to be handled Change brings risk with­out guaranteed success. It more readily and also takes more work and momentum to be more energy. At the same time, how-maintained.	 ever, there is no question but that there are better ways to teach and to learn, and that there is substantial research into handling change in schools. Let’s take a look at a couple of typical change efforts. MATERIALS, STRATEGIES, OR BELIEfS First, change is not about materials. Change the science curriculum? Why do we so often think that this can be accomplished by simply changing the texts and supplementary resources? Not if you are looking at the way we approach children and learning. Not if you want a new emphasis on discovery, inquiry and problem solving, and the scientific method. We spend considerable time in professional development programs talking about new man­dated materials, even though change is much more complex than this. Harder to implement are the strategies that are espoused in the new resources. We spend less time introducing differ­ent methodologies and technologies, providing opportunities to practice and to get feedback, and even less time on follow-up and follow-through, with on-site coaching. Yet this is where the new resources are exploited for improved student learning. Of course, all of this can be derailed by a colleague’s belief and values system. Values drive education, but we rarely discuss them in schools. You may have the best professional development program on the face of the planet for inquiry-based learning, but it will go nowhere when someone declares, “This is very interesting, but I just don’t believe it.” And don’t fool yourself into thinking that mere data will change belief systems. We need to learn to discuss respect­fully our different assumptions about the nature of teaching and learning. Whether talking about introducing a focus on inquiry, flexible scheduling, or learning centers, colleagues have dif­ferent concerns if they are not familiar with the approach. CONCERNS-BASEDADOPTION MODEL Occasionally we make the assumption that concerns are “opposition,” yet these can be based on simple lack of understanding or appreciation. Years ago, a team of research­ers at the University of Texas-Austin found that teachers have different levels of concern. These educators developed a “concerns-based” adoption model that demonstrates the levels of concern and how they are expressed (Hord et al. 1987). Imagine introducing a rather simple notion like us­ing learning centers in the library—note that addressing an 32 SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTHLY | VOLUME 28 | NUMBER 4 | jANUARY 2012                           informational concern is going to be quite different from a management concern. Typical Expressions of Concern about an Innovation (Hord et al. 1987) Stage of Concern Expression of Concern 6. Refocusing I have some ideas about something that would work even better. 5. Collaboration How can I relate what I am doing to what others are doing? 4. Consequence How is my use affecting learners? How can I refine it to have more impact? 3. Management I seem to be spending all my time getting materials ready. 2. Personal How will using it affect me? 1. Informational  I would like to know more about it. 0. Awareness I am not concerned about it. Similarly, the extent to which the teacher is comfort­able with the innovation will affect his or her behaviors. By observing deeply the behaviors of colleagues one can begin to determine the levels of use and the concerns, and address them accordingly. Levels of Use of the Innovation: Typical Behaviors (Hord et al. 1987) Levels of Use Behavioral Indicators of Level VI. Renewal The user is seeking more effective alternatives to the established use of the innovation. V. Integration The user is making deliberate efforts to coordinate with others in using the innovation. IVB. Refinement The user is making changes to increase outcomes. IVA. Routine The user is making few or no changes and has an established pattern of use. III. Mechanical The user is making changes to better organize use of the innovation. II. Preparation The user has definite plans to begin using the innovation. I. Orientation The user is taking the initiative to learn more about the innovation. 0. Non-Use The user has no interest, is taking no action. CREATING MA JOR CHANGE: THE EIGHT-STAGE PROCESS John Kotter, a leading researcher at Harvard, has observed hundreds of change efforts and articulated eight steps re­quired in any process (Kotter 1996) and the reasons for their failure (Kotter 2007). They are linear in the sense that one cannot miss a step, but many times a previous step will need to be revisited. ▶1. Establishing a Sense of Urgency. Need to change? Are our test scores weak for our student population? Do we wonder if we are making the best use of limited resources and staff? Do we see better opportunities from other schools? This is where the role of the principal becomes important. Without a sense of urgency, com­placency sets in. ▶2. Creating the guiding Coalition. Put together a group with enough power to lead the change. Get the group to work together like a team. Who are the key players? Who will train the group in how to work ef­fectively as a team? If the major players are not involved, the effort will be derailed. ▶3. Developing a Vision and Strategy. Create a vision to help direct the change effort. Develop strategies for achieving that vision. What are we doing? Why? Will there be training? What will be the desired effect? The bigger picture needs to be understood. ▶4. Communicating the Change Vision. Use every vehicle possible to communicate the new vi­sion and strategies. Have the guiding coalition model the behavior ex­pected of colleagues. Send emails, hold informal meetings, communicate more than you think is necessary, and then do it again. Commitment to change will be easier when there is a culture of identifying and analyzing problems with widespread participation. ▶5. Empowering Broad-Based Action. Get rid of obstacles. Change systems or structures that undermine the change vision. Encourage risk taking and nontra­ditional ideas, activities, and action. The principal may need to provide support for visiting other schools, for release time for planning, or for new resources. What will be done with those who don’t get with the pro­gram? The principal is a key component. ▶6. generating Short-Term Wins. Plan for visible improvements in performance, or “wins.” Create those wins. Recognize and reward people who made the wins possible. It could be an integrated library-based unit highlighted at a faculty meeting, a learning center ap­proach demonstrated at a parents’ night, or an effective use of a newer technology showcased at an informal SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTHLY | VOLUME 28 | NUMBER 4 | jANUARY 2012 33         brown-bag lunch. These wins should be celebrated and shared by all. When it is working, show the evidence. This keeps the momentum going. ▶7. Consolidating gains and Producing More Change. Use increased credibility to change systems, structures, and policies that don’t fit together, and don’t fit the transformation vision. Hire and develop people who can implement the change vision. Reinvigorate the process with new projects, themes, and change agents. If there is a not a deep seriousness and commitment to the change by senior administrators there is much less chance of success. Declaring victory too early may mean that it won’t last. Remember, it is likely going to be a five-year process. ▶8. Anchoring New Approaches in the Culture.Create better performance through learner-oriented In any change behavior, more and better leadership, and more effec­effort, school tive management. Articulate the connections between new librarians should behaviors and school success. assess the cultural 	 Institutionalize revitalization through formal policies, sys­landscape to tems, and structures (Kotter 2007).determine There are, of course, many readiness to ways of approaching these steps.change and Commitment to changedefine factors will be easier when there is a culture of identifying and that can influence analyzing problems with widespread participation. sources of Allowing participation in leadership and the development of a shared diagnosis of what is notresistance—the working and what needs im­provement leads to the initial core values, commitment necessary to beliefs, begin the change process. Developing competence behaviors, and for implementing change perceptions that requires both pressure and support. Pressure from peers must be taken and administrators need not be negative (on-site coach-into account for ing, for example), but nosuccessful change pressure leads to squandered resources; of course, pressure to occur. alone leads to alienation. Support, again from peers and administrators, is not seen as solely positive either, e.g., providing release time during a change effort is positive, but can also be seen as pressure to use it effectively for the intended change. ADDRESS ALL ASPECTS In any change effort, school librarians should assess the cultural landscape to determine readiness to change and define factors that can influence sources of leadership and resistance. They can identify the core values, beliefs, behav­iors, and perceptions that must be taken into account for successful change to occur. ▶Start at the top. Make the case and ensure support. Change efforts without principal support are “fraught,” to say the least. Observe your principal. Understand deeply his or her beliefs and values, the stated and unstated agenda for “their” school, and connect to these core areas. ▶Prepare for the unexpected. Change is messy, but keep your eye on the end result. If you have administra­tive support, you have engagement in the process. ▶Create ownership. It can be reinforced by incentives and rewards. Some of these are within your control (your commitment of time and expertise), but many are within the control of the school administration. ▶Involve every layer of staff and community, as appropriate. Communicate the message. And again, speak to individuals. Concerns are often individual and idiosyncratic. No single approach fits every school, but there is a set of practices, tools, and techniques that can be adapted to a variety of situations. Using a research-based model to initi­ate change and identify the necessary scaffolding can help problems to be handled more readily and momentum to be maintained. Change is not easy, but it is the lifeblood of successful school library programs. REFERENCES: Hord, Shirley, William Rutherford, Leslie Huling-Austin, and Gene Hall. Taking Charge of Change. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1987. Kotter, John. Leading Change. Harvard Business School Press, 1996. Kotter, John. “Leading Change; Why Transformations Efforts Fail.” Harvard Business Review 85 (2007): 96-103.◀ Ken Haycock coordinates the Center for Information Research and Innovation at the School of Library and Informa­tion Science at San Jose State University where he conducts research in gover­nance and leadership. He also offers a weekly blog on Leadership ( http://www.kenhaycock.com/ kens-blog.html). Email: ken@kenhaycock.com 34 SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTHLY | VOLUME 28 | NUMBER 4 | jANUARY 2012 Copyright of School Library Monthly is the property of ABC-Clio - Greenwood Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. 

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Leading change

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