Challenges of change for improvement

Fullan (2001b) identifies three fundamental issues for those attempting to initiate and implement change:

• the tendency to oversimplify the application of a good idea

• a set of factors that worked well in one context often require different processes to be successful in another situation

• the need to harness people’s passion and commitment.

These issues interact with the following four related problems:

• Active initiation and participation: These are necessary to move change in the right direction, but they may not be activated until the change process has begun.

• Pressure and support: Pressure is necessary to activate change, but support gets people on board.

• Changes in behaviour and beliefs: There is a reciprocal relationship between the two. People may need to try things out before they believe they will work. In addition, as Elmore (2003) points out, things can get worse as people grapple with the change. Fullan calls this the “implementation dip”.

• The problem of ownership: Ownership, in the sense of clarity, skill, and commitment to the change, takes time to grow and may not emerge till the end of the change process.

While sustainable improvement requires a focus on long-term outcomes based on a vision of what is possible, ongoing feedback against smaller indicators of success helps provide both pressure and support for change (Guskey, 1995). According to Earl and Katz (2002), data can help to generate a sense of urgency for the change effort. Guskey (2006) adds that it is particularly important for participants in professional development to see some indication of success early in a change effort. This can help to generate commitment and build relationships between the members of the different communities of practice collaborating on the change process.

Return to top