Importance
Why do I care about change agents?
Overview
What is a change agent?
Unpacking
How can a leadership team act as a “change agent” for impacting school improvement?
“It is not uncommon for a school to keep certain practices in place and unchallenged for years and even decades simply because of their historical status. In contrast, the responsibility of a change agent refers to a school leader’s disposition to challenge the status quo.” (School Leadership that Works, p. 44.) Embarking upon a new initiative in a school is often a difficult and scary task. Effective leadership teams are instrumental in the successful implementation of any new initiative within a school by considering the following practices:
- Modeling what is important to the rest of the faculty and staff. For example, if teacher teams are asked to collaborate together, effective leadership teams also model collaboration by meeting on a regular basis as a leadership team, attending to and practice specific teaming protocols (having norms, roles, agendas, etc.) and being transparent concerning meeting content by sharing agendas and meeting minutes with the staff as a whole.
- Demonstrating a “can do” attitude about the initiative and championing the work. Teams often formulate agreements or norms about supporting the initiatives, such as “no badmouthing the change.”
- Regularly analyzing the change process to determine implications for different stakeholders and make adjustments as necessary.
- Being willing to lead structured dialogue to ascertain people’s underlying assumptions, beliefs and values.
- Provide data/information that creates sustained tension between what is and what could be.
- Assess the magnitude of a change and identify levels of comfort and discomfort. (School Leadership that Works, p. 109)
In Action
Watch the following video clip as Eric Johnson describes how he, as the building principal, works to set the focus at Columbia Hickman High School which the leadership team then works together to move that focus forward. Then, using the handout provided, create your own “user friendly” definition of what it means to be a change agent and name at least one practice your leadership team may choose to concentrate upon to support this responsibility.
In Practice
As a team, define what it means to be a change agent, and name at least one practice your leadership team may choose to concentrate on to support this responsibility.
