Leading Change in a Time of
Uncertainty
July 2014
Kristen Ehlman
kehlman@newleaders.org
Session Outcomes
In this series of sessions, New York school leaders will:
• Use a systems approach to analyze the current state of
implementing the CCSS in their local districts and schools
• Identify the technical challenges and adaptive shifts that must
be addressed in order to lead the CCSS change
• Conduct a stakeholder analysis and identify the political
factions that can either be leveraged or mitigated to smooth the
implementation process
• Develop a political map that allows leaders to manage the
messages around this change
• Gain insight into leadership dilemmas by participating in
consultancies with peers
• Develop roadmaps to move their schools from where they are
to where they ought to be
2
July 8/10 Agenda
Time
Topic and Process
Morning
9:15 am – 12:30 pm
Opening
(15 minute break)
Analyzing Your Current State
• The Iceberg Systems Model
Digging Deeper into the Adaptive Work
• Adaptive challenges, technical problems
• Informal, formal authorities; faction identification
• Stakeholder analysis; identify wins
• Political map development & grocery store speech
Lunch
12:30-1:30
Afternoon
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
(15 minute break)
Leadership Consultancies
• Demo protocol with whole group
• Small group consultancies
Roadmap for 2014
Closing
3
On Leading Change
“Your voice matters… and when your voices are
aligned, the world stops and watches what you
do. What you do matters. And how you lead
matters. Each of us leads in a unique and
special way. When you are aligned as leaders,
that’s when the magic happens.”
Chris Chadwick
President and CEO of Defense, Space & Security at Boeing
4
Table Talk
Think first:
When have you seen change done well?
What was it?
What about that change process enables you to say
it was “done well?”
Discuss with peers. Look for commonalities and
characteristics of “change done well.”
5
Your Leadership Challenge
Pre-session reflection questions:
• How would you describe the situation as you are currently
experiencing it? Are there any recent events or activities that
have occurred regarding this challenge?
• How would you describe the ideal for this challenge and the
reality as it exists now? How wide is that gap and in what
ways?
• What successes have you experienced that could be
leveraged?
• Who are some of the major players involved? What would they
say about this challenge?
6
A Parable
7
The Iceberg Systems Model
Events Orientation looks for
immediate cause and effect;
actions tend to be reactive.
Systems Thinking looks
below the surface at the
patterns, trends, structures
and systems at work;
actions focus on
anticipating patterns and
planning for them;
designing structures; and
transforming mental models
and values.
Events
What happened?
Patterns and Trends
What’s been happening?
Underlying Structures
What sort of structures or processes might explain
what’s been happening?
Mental Models
What is the thinking that creates or allows these
structures, patterns and events to occur?
Cultural and Institutional Values
What are the values that are instilled in the
organization or community that are shaping this
behavior?
Adapted from work by Peter Senge, World Bridge and
Interaction Institute for Social Change.
8
The Event
9
Unpacking the System
Paired Exercise – 20 min. each
1. Presenter identifies a critical Event that
shows something important about the
challenge you are trying to understand. The
event must be observable and something that
actually happened. Describe it in some detail
(5 minutes max).
2. Partner asks probing questions to help
presenter uncover Patterns and Trends,
Structures, Mental Models and Cultural &
Institutional Values.
10
Reflection
What does this mean for you as a leader?
• What have you said about this in the past? Do
those messages have to change?
• What have you done? Do those actions have
to shift?
• What do you now think about the way you
have been leading this work?
11
Break Time!
12
Leading Change
“Successful adaptive changes
build on the past rather than jettison it…
The first step in any adaptive challenge is
to take a step back to see how your system
is responding to it. ”
Heifetz, Grashow and Linsky.
The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World .
13
Adaptive Challenge? Technical
Problem? Or Both?
“An adaptive challenge is one which the team may have
no idea how to solve.” Adaptive challenges can only be addressed
though shifts in people’s values, beliefs, behaviors, priorities,
habits and loyalties. Adaptive challenges require learning.
“Technical problems have known solutions” that can be
implemented by someone, somewhere. Not easy or unimportant; but
the problem is well-defined. Technical problems require resources
and expertise.
“Problems do not always come neatly packaged as either adaptive or
technical. Most problems come mixed, with the technical and
adaptive aspects intertwined.”
Heifetz, et.al.
14
10 min. Paired Quick Talk
Which parts of your
challenge are adaptive?
Which are technical?
Have you been applying
technical fixes to the
adaptive work?
What have you done to
get adaptive shifts so far?
An adaptive challenge is one which the team
may have no idea how to solve.” Adaptive
challenges can only be addressed though
shifts in people’s values, beliefs, behaviors,
priorities, habits and loyalties. Adaptive
challenges require learning.
“Technical problems have known solutions”
that can be implemented by someone,
somewhere. Not easy or unimportant; but
the problem is well-defined. Technical
problems require resources and expertise.
“Problems do not always come neatly
packaged as either adaptive or technical.
Most problems come mixed, with the
technical and adaptive aspects intertwined.”
15
Authority, Power and Leadership
Authority provides protection direction and
order. It is given to someone, and is a must in
every social organization.
Formal Power and Authority
The power comes with the position.
Informal Power and Authority
The power comes from personal attributes;
required to attain formal power and
authority.
16
Who are your stakeholders?
What are their wins?
ISSUE
17
Developing a Political Map
20 min. Paired Exercise
Ms. D
Arts Content Specialist
“keeper of the arts”
Jon H.
Board Chair
Ken W.
Board member, Chair
of Finance Comm.
Ms. E., Office
Manager
Knows ALL of the
school’s families
Principal
Jeanine B.,
PTO President, Board
member
Parent of students in
grades 2 and 6
Terry W.,
Board member,
Educational Program
Chair
Ms. Mc.
Mr. S.
Mr. B.,
Senior Leadership
Team
Some external powerbrokers might be
considered to be:
•Ward 7 Councilmember
•ANC Chairperson
•Pastor S-H Presbyterian Church
Mr. L., IA
Founding teacher
Strong member of the
community
Ms. D.,
Grade 3 teacher
9 years
Other identified as powerbrokers, but not to the
extent as those indicated in the spheres above:
•Ms. N., In-School Suspension Specialist
•Ms. H, Head of Security
•Ms. E, Grade 2 teacher
18
“What you say matters.”
You ran to the grocery store to
pick up a couple of items. While
there, you run into one of the key
stakeholders in your political
map. After a couple of
pleasantries, they ask you about
this issue.
What do they ask?
What is your “grocery store”
response?
Anticipate and Plan
Think and write.
Rehearse.
Practice with
feedback.
Plus – what went well
Delta – “even better if”
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Lunch Time!
12:30 – 1:30
20
Find a Partner
Think about your day so far and the challenge
you brought with you…
What did you learn?
What is resonating with you?
What are the implications for you as a leader?
21
Leadership Consultancies
Who would like to volunteer to have this
entire community help them think
differently about a challenge?
22
45 Minute Consultancies
3’ Presenter provides a brief overview of the situation, including relevant background information.
5’ Clarifying Questions (fact-based, usually have yes/no answers).
8’ Probing Questions (require interpretation, judgment, opinions).
10’ Hypothesizing
•
What’s happening here? (draw the “issue-in-the-center plus the stakeholders around it” diagram)

Think about the iceberg and systems
•
Who are the stakeholders involved in the adaptive challenge and what does each faction believe and
value? (Try on their voices)
•
Who needs to learn what? (Including the Case Presenter)
•
What losses will be experienced and by whom?
10’ Propose possibilities
•
Brainstorm possible interventions
•
Consider “wins” for the stakeholders or the factions
•
Suggest possible action steps and/or technical solutions
4’ Presenter states what he/she heard
5’ Transition time
23
Break
24
45 Minute Consultancies
3’ Presenter provides a brief overview of the situation, including relevant background information.
5’ Clarifying Questions (fact-based, usually have yes/no answers).
8’ Probing Questions (require interpretation, judgment, opinions).
10’ Hypothesizing
•
What’s happening here? (draw the “issue-in-the-center plus the stakeholders around it” diagram)

Think about the iceberg and systems
•
Who are the stakeholders involved in the adaptive challenge and what does each faction believe and
value? (Try on their voices)
•
Who needs to learn what? (Including the Case Presenter)
•
What losses will be experienced and by whom?
10’ Propose possibilities
•
Brainstorm possible interventions
•
Consider “wins” for the stakeholders or the factions
•
Suggest possible action steps and/or technical solutions
4’ Presenter states what he/she heard
5’ transition time
25
Reflection and Planning
First, Reflect
What does this mean for you
as a leader?
• What have you said about
this in the past? Do those
messages have to change?
• What have you done? Do
those actions have to shift?
• What do you now think about
the way you have been
leading this work?
Then, Build a Roadmap
For this issue this year, I want to…
In order to do that, by Thanksgiving I
will…
So that in the Spring, I will….
My Priority Actions
What?
By When?
26
The Series
Summer
Initial analysis and identification of systems and
challenges; knowledge sharing; goals and plans
developed to manage stakeholders and factions
Fall
Progress check; deepen learning; problem-solving &
course-correcting; knowledge sharing; celebrate
progress and wins
Spring
Progress check; deepen learning; problem-solving &
course-correcting; knowledge-sharing; celebrate
progress and wins
27
On Leading Change
“Your voice matters… and when your voices are
aligned, the world stops and watches what you
do. What you do matters. And how you lead
matters. Each of us leads in a unique and
special way. When you are aligned as leaders,
that’s when the magic happens.”
Chris Chadwick
President and CEO of Defense, Space & Security at Boeing
28