Module 7: Leading Shifts in Your Institution

PLEASE Respond to My TWO Peer's Post, Below IN RELATION TO THE DISCUSSION TOPIC

PLEASE RESPOND IN A DISCUSSION FORM

response posts (approximately 125-150 words each

Leaders who possess this competency are able to help to shift organizational energy. In order to do this, as a leader you need to encourage dialog among your stakeholders.

As a leader, you also need to make sure that your organization is ready for change. Using the following scale of 1 for not ready for change and 5 for ready for any change, assess your institution’s readiness for change in relation to your focal topic.

Share what the biggest obstacle regarding change and how you would prepare your institution for change. Consider the following in your assessment:

· Institutional forces

· External forces

· Adaptive vs. Technical challenges

· Your assessment of stakeholders’ stages of concern

1ST PEER IS RAQUEL

In assessing National Louis University’s readiness for change I discovered that out of the five factors needed to implement change (Vision, skills, incentive, resources, and action plan), the action plan is a critical missing factor (Ambrose, 1987). According to Ambrose (1987), implementing change without an action plan could lead to a false start delaying results or cause the initiative to be abandoned.  Administrative leaders who are committed to the vision of equity in learning would support the implementation of trauma-informed strategies that address the learning needs of students with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Another internal force is the level of expertise on the impact that ACEs have on learning. Faculty members who have pioneered research around ACEs would be a critical resource for transitioning into a trauma-informed institution. The biggest obstacle for NLU to change into a trauma-informed organization would be a turnover of leadership. According to Jones, “elements encourage, motivate, and reward high-achieving team members who are positive and self-motivated” make up for lack of funding or other resources. When implementing change, an action plan is necessary, but when leadership is continuously turning over, the action plan can be pushed to the side while onboarding takes place. Because priorities often shift when leadership turns over, it is vital to have consistent leaders in critical roles (Jones, 2014).

2ND PEER IS SHUNTAYE

If a school is ready for change to implement anti-bullying policies the phrase, “It takes a village” can create change. As I mention in my last post Ronald A. Heifetz in an interview with Faith & Leadership reported people are part of the problem and individuals ownership becomes part of the solution. In order to create change, starting with cultivating organizational vision and purpose by, beginning with a leader’s demonstrated ability to align individual and team efforts with the organization mission, (Jones, S.C. (2014). If I begin to ask the school their mission, we can create a way of focusing their mission on creating a healthy environment which can imply safety and learning environment. When creating change everyone must be on the same page and have a understanding on how and why their needs to be change. My challenges with implementing change in the school symptoms are that bullying is a sensitive topic to discuss among students, parents, administrations and teachers. Everyone have their own definition of bullying.  By encouraging dialogue to talk and educate about bullying everyone will know and have an idea of the meaning bullying and what it entails. I mention using stages of concern in my last post which I think will be a great tool to use for teachers, administration and parents.