Change is necessary and it is hard to get going, but once the momentum kicks in there is little stopping the energy for change. The key for any leader is to be able to keep going in the early stages until leading change becomes energising. You will know because: The desired culture is evident andContinueContinue reading “Making Change Stick: Three ways a leader builds momentum”
Category Archives: Leadership
The principles of Making Change Stick: Its more ‘mud map’ than ‘blueprint’
One of the things I love to do is work with groups, speak about change and present ways of navigating a path that will transform schools and engage this generation. Because my role at Sydney Centre for Innovation in Learning (SCIL) is embedded in Northern Beaches Christian School (NBCS), I use the school’s experience asContinueContinue reading “The principles of Making Change Stick: Its more ‘mud map’ than ‘blueprint’”
Back to basics? Time to redefine ‘basics’ for the 21st century
The headline in the newspaper cries: ‘Tests show NSW [Australia] students behind in everything except spelling’ …followed by: the state’s new education chief promised she will order schools to get “back to basics” – as tests showed NSW is behind other states in everything except spelling This is the reaction in my state and myContinueContinue reading “Back to basics? Time to redefine ‘basics’ for the 21st century”
Making Change Stick: Bicycle Wheels and Spider Webs
The senior leadership or executive team is probably one of the most important groups in any organisation. They carry the vision, establish culture and represent the leader. The quality of the relationships within this group is a role model to all staff. It is essential that the leader and this team spend time investing inContinueContinue reading “Making Change Stick: Bicycle Wheels and Spider Webs”
Making change stick: The important ‘unseen’ in a culture of innovation
Highly innovative and creative contexts can be challenging in the day-to-day, so success for the long haul depends on a strong foundation of policies and practices that provide the scaffolding for change, innovation and creativity occur. We all sit somewhere along the innovation and change continuum. At one end, some thrive in a free-fall andContinueContinue reading “Making change stick: The important ‘unseen’ in a culture of innovation”
Making Change Stick: The Power of Language
Can you impact culture through adopting new terminology and ditching the old? Does the language of your school point to the future of school education or the reinforce times past? What do these words have in common? Headmaster/Headmistress, Teachers/Masters, Period, Subject Head/Master, Classroom, Timetable, Homework, Year/Grade, Bells, Detention. These are the highly recognisable words ofContinueContinue reading “Making Change Stick: The Power of Language”
Changing a culture is hard work
This headline caught my attention “Jennings could hardly talk at 4.30pm”. The story is about a wellknown Sydney rugby league player who was under the influence of alcohol when he came to afternoon training and when it was 24 hours to their next game. The club, in their defence, took strong action against the player,ContinueContinue reading “Changing a culture is hard work”
My top 10: Building a Culture of Teams
I presented a workshop today about building a culture of teams at a workshop at the CSA National Leaders Conference. We put the ‘work’ into workshop. We talk about the 21stC skills that our students need to navigate the future, yet who are they going to learn them from? If schools expect to prepareContinueContinue reading “My top 10: Building a Culture of Teams”
My Top 10: Making change stick
Implementing and then maintaining lasting change in your school occurs by design, not by default. We want to transform our education system into one that can effectively prepare young people for the many opportunities that await them. To do this change and innovation must become an integral part of the corporate DNA. Transforming schools isContinueContinue reading “My Top 10: Making change stick”
Horse first, then the cart: Vision before programs
It is very easy to come up with the good ideas, someone says “we should do [insert idea here]”. Unless ideas flow from a bold compelling vision, we are merely making the existing paradigm a little shinier. Programs are great, but only when they are part of the strategy to achieve the overall vision AContinueContinue reading “Horse first, then the cart: Vision before programs”
culture | learning | design 