IBM Reinventing Education
Change Toolkit
Sasha Dichter and Irv Richardson
IBM Corporate Community Relations
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
October 2003
Table of contents
IBM Reinventing Education program background and introduction
The Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
History and partnerships
Web site content
Fundamental Principals of Organizational Change
Understanding and overcoming resistance to change
Four guiding principles
Conclusion
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
IBM Reinventing Education grant program
 IBM’s primary philanthropic focus is on education for children
aged 5-18
 Program goal is to support school reform efforts and higher
student achievement through the innovative use of
technology.
 Grant history:
– Awarded to 25 locations in the U.S. (either school districts or
state Departments of Education) and 9 countries internationally
– Provided $70 million in grants since 1994
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Reinventing Education 3
 IBM’s third series of Reinventing Education Grants
 Three components:
– Change Toolkit – our focus today
– Teacher training: collaborations of school districts, colleges of
education
– Data to improve instruction
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Table of contents
IBM Reinventing Education program background and introduction
The Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
History and partnerships
Web site content
Fundamental Principals of Organizational Change
Understanding and overcoming resistance to change
Four guiding principles
Conclusion
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
The IBM Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
 The IBM Reinventing Education Change Toolkit is a Web site
created by IBM to help education professionals be more
effective at leading and implementing change.
 Site access is free, but limited to individuals working in
education for children aged 5-18.
 The site homepage is: http://www.reinventingeducation.org
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
The partnership behind the Change Toolkit
 The Change Toolkit was created through a collaborative effort
involving:
– IBM Reinventing Education project
– Harvard Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter
– Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)
– National Association of Elementary and Secondary School
Principals (NAESP and NASSP)
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Harvard Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter
 Internationally renowned expert on organizations,
change and strategy
 Arbuckle Professor, Harvard Business School
 Recipient of many honors
– 21 honorary doctoral degrees, 12 national
leadership awards
– Named one of world’s 50 most powerful
women by The Times (London)
Rosabeth Moss Kanter
– Author of 15 books and more than 300 articles
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Table of contents
IBM Reinventing Education program background and introduction
The Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
History and partnerships
Web site content
Fundamental Principals of Organizational Change
Understanding and overcoming resistance to change
Four guiding principles
Conclusion
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Change Toolkit homepage
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Content of the Change Toolkit
 Focuses on effective structural change and good process.
 Content on change management does not focus on specific
educational practices.
 The school improvement section of the Change Toolkit Web
site focuses on school improvement issues, such as:
– Alignment
– Quality teaching
– Data-driven decision-making
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Some sample projects
 Creating a district improvement plan
 Moving a district to a standards-based education system
 Leadership development in the context of Baldrige standards
 Expanding site-based management across a district
 Data analysis for student performance
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Change Wheel: how to get systemic change rolling
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Example of Background tool Web page
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Example of a diagnostic tool Web page
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Example of an action tool Web page
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Change Masters: seven skills exhibited by
successful change agents
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Change Fundamentals: building blocks
for change initiatives
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
School Improvement Web page
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Project discussion Web page
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Planning tools
 The Change Toolkit contains planning tools for your projects.
 These are basic tools – not intended for full-scale project
management.
 The tools are:
– Meeting minutes
– To-Do list
– Communication plan
– Glossary
– Lessons learned
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Table of contents
IBM Reinventing Education program background and introduction
The Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
History and partnerships
Web site content
Fundamental Principals of Organizational Change
Understanding and overcoming resistance to change
Four guiding principles
Conclusion
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
The challenge of educational improvement
 The turbulent social and economic environment and new
education standards are forcing schools to change.
 This requires:
– Immediate and effective action and adjustment
– Schools designed to be inherently adaptive
– More empowered people, with new leadership skills at every level
– Ongoing innovation and change, not one-off change efforts
– A rich culture of creativity and initiative
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
The challenge of educational improvement
 No Child Left Behind
 ESEA
 Shortage of Special Education educators
– 1999-2000 12,000 unfilled openings or openings filled with
substitutes
 Placement of students with disabilities in regular classroom
- 75% of all students with disabilities spend 40% or more of their
school day in general education
- General educators have an average of 3.5 special education
students assigned to their classes
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Reasons for change fatigue
 Details matter: General principles are not enough to guide
effective action.
 Balancing alignment (common direction) and autonomy
(local flexibility) is necessary and difficult.
 Organizations typically do as little as they must to change,
rather than as much as they should.
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Reasons for change fatigue (cont’d)
 Leaders typically act by bold strokes (strategic moves)
instead of long marches (broad implementation)
– Success takes time: initiatives are dropped too soon
 Too much focus is on content, too little on process
 Too little effort is devoted to the school’s or system’s design
and structure
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Reasons for change fatigue:examples
 Different parts of the process of teacher preparation,
certification, and staff development are controlled by
different institutions. Coordination is difficult.
 Few incentives to collaborate on the overall process of
educating teachers
 Only 29% of general educators feel successful “to a great
extent” in teaching student with disabilities
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Understanding resistance to change
 Myths about change:
– Change always meets with resistance.
– It is hard to change people’s behavior.
 Truths about change:
– Change that inspires fear often also inspires resistance.
– Steps are rarely taken that make it easier for people to behave
in new, more productive ways.”
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Why resistance to change is often rational
 It is often rational to resist change because:
– Too much is “done to” people instead of “done by” them.
– People don’t know the purpose or goal of the change.
– People are concerned about future competence.
– Extra work and time are required.
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Understanding resistance to change:examples
 Current structures separate responsibilities
 Change will require extra work and additional resources
– Special education teachers – 53 hrs a week
– General educators – 55 hrs a week
– Starting pay ranges from $15,000 – $36,000
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
People do the right thing when they:
See something helpful to do
Know how to do it
Have the tools and resources
Are empowered to do it
Know why it would be helpful
Believe in doing it
Want to do it
Are rewarded for it
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit







Action
Skills
Power
Legitimacy
Impact
Mission
Motivation
 Recognition
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
How new practices become a way of life
 First, something works.
 As a result, the new practices…
– Become known and defined
– Are seen to lead to positive results
– Are learned by more people in the organization
 Structures then change to encourage, enable and support
these practices.
 Leaders begin to push for them more.
 Rewards change to support them.
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
How new practices become a way of life (cont’d)
 Then, use of these practices shifts beyond being
"experimental."
 Momentum builds as more people use them.
– Everyone is routinely educated in them .
– They become contractual and expected.
– People who know and can use them are recognized.
– It becomes "out-of-sync" not to use them.
 New practices become "the way we do things around here.”
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Table of contents
IBM Reinventing Education program background and introduction
The Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
History and partnerships
Web site content
Fundamental Principals of Organizational Change
Understanding and overcoming resistance to change
Four guiding principles
Conclusion
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Principles underlying the Change Toolkit
 Focus more on changing organizational structure
 Establish good processes
 Balance “bold strokes” and “long marches”
 Master the “difficult middles”
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Principle: Focus more on changing
organizational structure
 Leaders working on organizational change are interested in making
people in their organizations more effective, innovative and
productive.
 The Change Toolkit contains a lot of advice about how to reach
these goals.
 The fastest, most effective way to get this done is to focus first on
changing organizational structure.
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
How people and structures are seen
in the Change Toolkit
 Definition: “Structure” is everything in an organization besides
people, including:
– Things of economic value
– Policies and procedures
– Roles, responsibilities and relationships
– History
 Structures and people affect each other powerfully
– People act purposefully and can take initiative
– Structures capture, align and coordinate actions
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Focusing on “changing people” is not enough
 Leaders often focus their efforts on “changing people.”
 Senior leaders should spend more time working to modify
structures:
– Structures profoundly impact attitudes, behavior, even selfimage.
– For example, people routinely change their behavior when they
get a new job.
 Many change efforts fail to have lasting impact because
leaders do not work to affect structures.
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Two models of changing people
 The mainstream model works through people
– Education, training, awareness and observation lead to
changed attitudes.
– Changed attitudes result it appropriate behavior.
 The “newstream” model works through structure
– Standards, position, power and opportunity lead to appropriate
behavior.
– These new behaviors result it attitudinal change.
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Two models of changing people (cont’d)
 Both the “mainstream” (working first with people) and the
“newstream” (working first with structure) models can work
 But the “newstream” model should be used first, because it
is:
– Cheaper
– Faster
– More likely to result in lasting change
 “Mainstream” model tends to fail in the long run without
appropriate supporting structural changes
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
The range of contribution in an organization
Median
Percent
Contribution
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
The range of contribution: effect of structural change
Original
Median
New
Median
Increase
Percent
Contribution
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Implications for changing organizational culture
 Culture is not a thing apart; it emerges from the interaction between:
– Structure and people
– The organization and the environment
 The Change Toolkit talks about changing culture by modifying
structures
 Through use of the Change Toolkit, cultural change occurs as the
result of:
– Intentional structural changes
– The ways that structure and people interact
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
To get effective, lasting change, leaders must
work with both structures and people
Act on the organization’s structure
Yes
No
Yes
Effective and
intended change
that lasts
Bursts of change that
turn into fragments
No
Conflicting changes
that lead
to deep frustration
Change that is
unguided, unintended,
and unhelpful
Work with
and prepare
the people
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Principle: Focus more on changing the structure
 What knowledge, skills, and dispositions do educators need
to effectively teach students with disabilities?
 How can we be persistent and consistent about developing
these in teachers?
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Principle: Establish good processes
 In any issue, both content and process are involved.
– Content is about ideas and things; what happened.
– Process is about sequence and paths; how things happened.
 Content is most familiar, and usually gets more attention.
 Process is less familiar, and generally gets less attention.
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
The importance of good process
 Both process and content are critical, but process is more
fundamental.
– If content is lacking, an effective process can fix it.
– If process is weak, even the best content won’t help.
 A good rule: Start by making sure the process is OK.
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Content is more familiar,
but process has a more lasting effect
 It is often easier to focus on content:
– More familiar
– Easier to discuss and to measure
 Good process has a more lasting effect:
– Impacts people’s behavior and thought processes
– Has effects throughout the organization
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Principle: Establish good processes (examples)
 Quality teacher preparation programs make a difference
– Highly rated programs….
• Had more weeks of student teaching than programs with lower
ratings
• Had candidates working with culturally and linguistically
different students during field experiences
 In-service professional development makes a difference
– Level of confidence associated with types of support.
• 92% with specific procedures felt moderate or great success
compared with 73% with no procedures.
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Principle: Combine bold strokes and long marches
 Bold strokes: using leadership authority to define
strategic direction
 Long marches: project implementation and
removing barriers to project success
 They must be combined for success
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Combining bold strokes and long marches
Bold Strokes
Long Marches
Fast
Slow
Locus of Action
Decisions at top
Initiatives throughout
Leader Control
High: can force
outcomes
Low: cannot force
outcomes
Initial Results
Clear and visible
Unclear and vague
Later Results
Erratic and confused
Dependable and
developing
Culture Effect
Largely unchanged
Significantly changed
Time Frame
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Principle: Combine bold strokes
and long marches (examples)
 Leadership needs to define strategic direction
 Project implementation means removing barriers
to successful alignment.
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Principle: Master the difficult middles
 Many things tend to look like a failure in the middle
 In a “difficult middle”
– Excitement has waned
– New ideas begin to meet with resistance
– You are still trying to succeed
 Knowing about “difficult middles” can help you to
persevere
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
The progress fallacy
Goal
Expected
Progress
Actual
Progress
Halfway Point
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
Target
Date
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
To make lasting change happen,
leaders need to “master the difficult middles”
 It is often a mistake for leaders to “launch and leave” a
project.
 Leaders need to:
– Help overcome hurdles
– Make appropriate adjustments
 If given up too soon, a change initiative will be a failure by
definition.
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Principle: Master the difficult middles (examples)
 We will not accomplish this overnight
– Excitement has waned
– New ideas meet resistance
– “Sober selling” is required.
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Table of contents
IBM Reinventing Education program background and introduction
The Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
History and partnerships
Web site content
Fundamental Principals of Organizational Change
Understanding and overcoming resistance to change
Four guiding principles
Conclusion
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Uses of the Change Toolkit
The Change Toolkit can be used to:

Diagnose your environment for change

Access quick, relevant advice

Poll members of your change team

Read real-life vignettes from education colleagues

Plan your change initiative

Collaborate and get feedback from team

Connect with educators worldwide
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Leadership and the Change Toolkit
The Change Toolkit can help school leaders:
 Think systematically
 Use and reflect on their experience
 Understand how culture, hierarchy, and roles and responsibilities are
helping or hindering change
 Send the right signals
 Discover new ways to empower people
 Address the needs of all constituents
 Create an environment that encourages risk-taking and innovation
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Using the Change Toolkit
 New users of the Change Toolkit need to register to use the
Web site at www.reinventingeducation.org
– Registration is free.
– Access is limited to individuals working in education for
children aged 5-18.
 You can use the Change Toolkit as an individual or for a
project
– Leaders can learn more about change management and
leadership effectiveness.
– Teams can use the site to manage change projects in a school
or district.
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
Conclusion
 This presentation has given you an overview of the Change
Toolkit project and Web site.
 The Change Toolkit Web site provides more detail on the
concepts described in this presentation and practical,
actionable advice for achieving success with change projects.
Reinventing Education Change Toolkit
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
IBM Reinventing Education
Change Toolkit
Sasha Dichter and Irv Richardson
IBM Corporate Community Relations
© 2003 IBM Corporation and Goodmeasure, Inc.
October 2003