Changing responses over time

Fullan (2007) reports general agreement that change is a process that takes place in three broad phases: initiation, implementation, and institutionalisation (see page 167). Throughout, the leaders of the change process need to choose ways of working, relating, and communicating that suit the changing strengths, needs, and concerns of both the community at large and specific individuals. For example, at the initiation stage, they need to try to build a sense of ownership for the change process. When a community has actively sought an ISTE’s help, much of this commitment may already be present and the ISTE can focus more on offering guidance and sustaining momentum. When the ISTE is an external agent, this objective may be complicated by the need to overcome scepticism about “‘outside experts’ who may not have knowledge of particular school needs, clients and systems” (Limbrick and Ladbrook, 2002, page 34). In some instances, school communities may reject potentially effective innovations and require assertive leadership to get them started.

The criterion here is eventual motivation to put energy into the reform direction – ownership, if you like. But note that ownership is something that develops over time if the ideas are good and if people have the capacity and opportunity to make informed judgments, which they may not be able to do early on.

Fullan, 2007, page 82

Regardless of how the process is initiated, implementation requires ISTEs to identify when they should apply pressure and when they should lend support. Stoll et al. (2003) suggest that this is the time when they move to a greater focus on the “critical” aspect of the critical friend role while retaining their sensitivity to the community’s comfort level and readiness for change.

Respect for individual confidentiality continues to be important …, as is the ability to: help others to self-evaluate; present examples from elsewhere in such a way that teachers can reflect on the relative merits of each; challenge people to broaden and extend their self-perception; "referee" discussions; encourage, praise, clarify and revisit issues to help people maintain momentum; and, where necessary, play the role of confidant(e).

page 182

Fullan (2001a) reminds leaders that “Ultimately, your leadership in a culture of change will be judged as effective or ineffective not by who you are as a leader but by what leadership you produce in others” (page 137). When communities reach the institutionalisation phase, it may be time for external consultants to withdraw. Increasingly, though, it seems that schools and teachers are asking that they maintain a “watching brief”. Bearing in mind that the change process is cyclic and dynamic, they want to have somebody who they know and who knows them that they can turn to when they encounter difficult problems of practice that need another lens. Fullan and Hargreaves (1996) suggest that external consultants might be more effective if they worked with small groups of schools on a continuing basis: “More time needs to be spent developing ongoing relationships and support for particular groups of schools they get to know exceptionally well” (page 103).

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