Let’s Get Started!
At the beginning of creating my innovation plan, it began with the simple idea of using blended learning in the classroom environment. While it was a basic idea, the actual execution and implementation of such a plan proves to be much more challenging and require effective planning. In the past few weeks, we have researched, strategized and learned how to successfully implement change. The take-aways from this research will certainly impact the way I will want to implement change in the future as a leader.
Start with the “Why?”
Why should we have to work so hard to make this change? What are we missing out on if we say “no”? To begin the change-making process, we must have a good reason “why”. Teachers and administrators must know what our “Why?” is for implementing the change that is blended learning. With the blended learning innovation, we will be able to give students choice, ownership and the opportunity to do something that they can connect to and remember, so they care and see the “why” behind learning.
Next Stop: The Influencer Strategy
The book, Influencer, does an excellent job teaching leaders to identify a desired change and determine vital behaviors that are necessary for success. The process of making organizational change requires hard work. Changing behavior at the very core of an organization is absolutely not a quick and easy fix. Identifying vital behaviors and using the 6 sources of influence is an effective way to begin the implementation of an innovative plan. Using this influencer strategy, will support our goal as we work towards developing vital behaviors in teachers and as we work toward supporting our goal with the six sources of influence. The more influences we can harness, the more effective we will be with the implementation of the innovation.
Utilizing the 4 Disciplines of Execution
Next, we move on to utilizing the 4 disciplines of execution. To combat the Law of Diminishing Returns, we have to cautiously ensure that we take on no more than 2-3 Wildly Important Goals (WIGs). Otherwise, we risk getting lost in the whirlwind of the day-to-day demands that are put on us by our work and lives. The first WIG we needed to accomplish is: Utilize strategies (software or lesson) that allow for blended learning in lessons throughout the week from 0% to 60% by December of 2021. We must know what to expect and recognize the stages of installing 4DX in order to successfully Install 4DX into my organization.
I really enjoyed using 4DX because the book did an excellent job explaining specific stages implementing the 4DX process. It also provided ways to know how to address the stages as we worked to install the four disciplines. So as we created a WIG, acted on lead measures, kept a compelling scoreboard, and worked to create a cadence of accountability, we knew what it looked like to enact the process.
Self-differentiated Leadership
Being a leader and a teacher requires self-differentiation. From personal experience, it is the most enjoyable to work with leaders that have control over their anxiety. In order to do so, leaders must practice regular self-analysis of their own thoughts behaviors, and actions. Naturally, this self-differentiation is especially necessary during crucial conversations.
We must analyze our own thoughts and actions, reflect and determine how to maintain connections to others. When we have Crucial Conversations, whether its in the workplace or our personal lives, self-differentiation is necessary. Having a crucial conversation can be intimidating, but the book Crucial Conversations, does an excellent job leading us in the right direction. Previously, I have reflected on how Crucial conversations and leadership go hand-in-hand. Throughout the entire process of implementing change, I will need to be ready for those crucial conversations as they present themselves.
Bringing it All Together
Knowing how to have a crucial conversation will prove very valuable as I continue implementing my innovation plan. I believe crucial conversations will happening throughout the entire process of implementing change. I plan to start with my “Why?” so I know what I stand for throughout the crucial conversations. Then leading up to those initial crucial conversations, I have already established my Influencer Strategy so that I can work on promoting vital behaviors within my organization while using the 6 sources of influence.
Next, my school and I will need to have more crucial conversations as we determine underlying Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) that require everyone to be involved in implementing the innovation plan. Crucial conversations do an excellent job of leading the conversation towards a plan with follow-through and accountability.
Carrying out this initial WIG will be done through the plan I have for Installing 4DX within my Organization. As it outlines the process of creating WIGs, acting on lead measures, keeping a compelling scoreboard, and creating a cadence of accountability. It is valuable to have those crucial conversations along the way and get everyone’s buy-in.
The three readings for this course all did an excellent job of leading leaders through the process of developing a plan to implement their innovation plans through research-based practices. I look forward to working with others at my school in order to see this innovation plan come to fruition.
Resources
Camp, J. (2010, November 10). Friedman’s Theory of Differentiated Leadership Made Simple. [YouTubeVideo]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgdcljNV-Ew&feature=youtu.be
Grenny, J., Maxfield, D., Shimberg, A. (2013). How to 10X your influence. Vital Smarts
Grenny, J., Patterson, K., Maxfield, D., McMillian, R., & Switzler, A. (2013). Influencer: The newscience of leading change (2nd ed.). 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.
VitalSmarts Speakers (2012). Influencer: Cricket Buchler [Video]. YouTube https://youtu.be/wu7UBY5euBg
Education with Meaning 