Creating a Sense of Urgency & Building a Powerful Guiding ...

Creating a Sense of Urgency &Building a Powerful Guiding Coalition
Charlotte Coffman February 2017
Texas Title 1 Priority Schools Grant
Create a Sense of UrgencyBuild the Powerful Guiding TeamGet the Vision RightCommunicate for Buy-InEmpower ActionCreate Short-Term WinsDon’t Let UpMake Change Stick
Kotter’s 8 Step Processfor Change

Objective
Create a plan to create a sense of urgency
Understand the role of a guiding coalition
Describe what is meant by a sense of urgency- understand its role in improving student achievement
Pre-Implementation Grant Timeline
Pre-Implementation Calendar Due March 29
Spring Break
STAAR Testing
Final Pre-Implementation Portfolio Due June 30
Beginning of Year 1 (Woo-Hoo!)
Develop Foundational Activities for SUCCESS
School Team Roles

Recorder
Time Keeper
Team Member
Reporter
Facilitator
School Team
Team Member
Sense of UrgencyWhy you want it - How you can create it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRDNLTMaZqo
What Is a Sense of Urgency?
“An atmosphere ofurgencycreates an atmosphere ofachievement.”
Urgency Is NOT Complacency or False Urgency
Complacency - Urgency - False Urgency
Lack of activityLook at past failuresBlame others for problemsHappy talkDefense of status quoContentmentSelf-satisfaction
Frantic, frenzied activityAnger or fearWorry about their jobsFrustrationStressInternal focus on work to be done - believing one is always pushed to the limit.
What Is a Sense of Urgency?
Important toAct - Win - Now!
How to Create a Sense of Urgency
How to Create a Sense of Urgency
Appeal to the Head
Engage the Head - Facts & ConsequencesGather information on course demand, research trends, best practicesBenchmark performanceObtain powerful testimonialsNote relevant trends in education
Appeal to the HeartEngage the Heart - Speak to People’s Emotions
Make it real - use demonstrations, stories or visits to ensure people SEE the problem, solution and progress in a compelling wayPaint an inspiring picture of what the future could look likeNote the outcomes (rewards and benefits) at a personal levelEngage people’s sense of identity - change is about who and what we want to be in the future
So What Is a Leader to Do?
Recognize the importanceof establishing a sense of urgency.Select thecausesof complacency or false urgency.Identify thestrategiesfor creating true urgency.Discusswith all parties concerned and create buy-in.Takeactionand stayfocused on the prize.Monitorprogress and adjust where and when necessary.Repeat, reinforce and remind yourself and others of theimportance of acting now.
Visionary Strategist
How to Create a Sense of Urgency
Tactic 1: Bring the Outside In
Bring the “outside in”Send people outShare troubling dataBring data and stories in
Use video - material that is emotionally and intellectually honestRedecorate - visuals make a difference
Tactic 2: Behave with Urgency Every Day
Purge and delegateMove with speedSpeak with passionMatch words and deedsLet them all see it
Urgent Patience- a feeling and set of actionsActing with urgency but having a realistic view of time
Table Talk
Based on the needs of your campus, decide the first step that needs to be taken around creating a sense of urgency.
How can you use the matrix to decide what is important and urgent?
Tactic 3: Find Opportunity in Crisis
Tactic 4: Deal with NoNos
Skeptics
Have not seen issue as a danger before or dealt with well beforeWant enough information to convince - not willing to take a leap of faith - wants lots of informationUsually risk averseCan be active, but usually passiveShow me attitude can slow down movement
NoNos
Use past as ammunition to shoot down the need for any changeKeeps demanding more data or proof that action is neededSelectively chooses information that supports need for no actionNot open minded - won’t accept a majority decisionVery active in open or behind the scenes
How to Deal with NoNos!
Never: Include in core group or ignore NoNosStrategies to use:DistractPush them outExpose their behavior
Pre-Implementation Grant Timeline
Pre-Implementation Calendar Due March 29
STAAR Testing
Final Pre-Implementation Portfolio Due June 30
Beginning of Year 1 (Woo-Hoo!)
Develop Foundational Activities for SUCCESS
Build a Sense of UrgencyStep 1 – Bring the Outside InMIND & HEARTStep 2 – Act with UrgencyStep 3 – Find Opportunity(Step 4 as part of Guiding Coalition)
Kotter’s 8 Step Process for SUCCESSFUL Change
Create a Sense of UrgencyBuild the Powerful Guiding TeamGet the Vision RightCommunicate for Buy-InEmpower ActionCreate Short-Term WinsDon’t Let UpMake Change Stick
Optimistic Change Agents
Step 2: Create a Powerful Guiding Team
Create Buy-In for the Change VisionCreate Positive Energy Toward ChangeMinimize Resistance toward Change
POWERFUL & DIVERSE
Position Power
Credibility
Expertise
Leadership
Trust Is Essential
Mistakes to Avoid
Not staying actively engaged with the guiding teamAppointing the wrong people to the team
Questions to Ask
Do we have the people with strong positional power, broad expertise, and high credibility?Do we have people with leadership skills?Is there a broad based representation?Is the size and composition of the coalition equal to the issue/opportunity faced?
“Never doubt thata small group of thoughtful citizens canchange the world. Indeed,it is theonlything that ever has.”Margaret Mead
One Last Word of Caution
Urgency UP = Success Urgency DOWN = Mess
Drive a Sense of UrgencyInto Your School Culture
Anticipatethe ProblemPlanfor a solution andas soon as Urgency starts to drop…Use the Right Tacticwithin theHeart - Head strategy
Do you have a plan to create aSense of Urgency?
Words areNotthe test…ACTIONis the test!
“Without sustained commitment and dramatically different strategies, the future will look like the past.”Mass Insight, 2015

http://youtu.be/07T1eyKA3OA
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”C. Darwin
“Alertness, movement, leadership NOW...and from many people, not a few...are the signs of true urgency”J. Kotter p. 194 A Sense of UrgencyCharlotte Coffman February 2017Charlotte.coffman@esc13.txed.net512-463-9353https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FscIgtDJFXg