Getting Unstuck: Collaborating to Affect Real Change
“One of the most critical elements of any kind of change process or transformation is to be able to articulate and sustain that sense of urgency over the purpose that you are trying to accomplish.”
Today on Getting Unstuck
Here we welcome Dr. Lynne Pierson, a highly experienced educational professional with successful leadership achievements in urban, rural, suburban and international school organizations. Her expertise includes strategic planning, school reform, personnel and human resources, labor negotiations, school construction and special education.
The Essential Point
In 2007, Dr. Pierson was asked to lead an effort to completely overhaul the education system of the UAE, the United Arab Emirates. Her six year effort was a lesson in patience, understanding, and collaborating. Ultimately, coordinating the comprehensive school reform plan was as much an exercise in leadership as it was in educational development.
Dr. Mugheer Al Khali, Director General of ADEC, and Dr. Pierson welcome students in traditional dress in celebration of UAE National Day.
Listen for:
The difference between an urgency to the purpose of the mission and an urgency to the schedule.
The importance of overcoming cultural differences so as to collaboratively provide a plan that was focused on meeting student needs.
The critical need for leadership to listen to stakeholders, continuously reinforcing the purpose behind the plan, avoiding taking stands of positional power, and addressing human needs as well as academic needs.
Connect with Lynne
Could a book on how to effectively lead change in schools be more timely?
We’re pleased to announce …
…that our book Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change is now available from Corwin Press or Amazon. If you purchase from Amazon, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Thank you!
From our publisher:
In Shifting, educators and leadership experts Kirsten Richert, Jeff Ikler and Margaret Zacchei empower educational change leaders to proactively and coherently navigate complex change in schools to achieve the desired outcomes.
Using a three-part framework—Assess, Ready, Change—this book leads educators to examine a school’s imperatives and readiness for change, identity the tools and abilities required to manifest change, and take action by defining the roles and processes necessary to effectively implement both sweeping change and smaller day-to-day adjustments.