HOW TO OVERCOME RESISTANCE TO CHANGE AT YOUR SCHOOL

Ever had an idea you thought was so great, only to be met with grumbles of protest once you have proposed it to your staff? Wondering if there was a way to get everyone on board and enthusiastic the next time you want to initiate change within in your school? Here’s how!
 
The first thing you need to able to do is remove the notion in your head that from the get-go people are going to be excited about change – the majority won’t be, no matter how good your proposals are – and each person has their own reasons why. If you are willing to accept this, then the rest is easy - shifting everyone’s mindset from a negative to a positive one can be done within 3 simple steps!

Step 1: Share Your Problem and Proposed Solution

The initial meeting is for presenting the problem you wish to solve along with your proposed solution. Once presented, you will ask staff members to write their reactions using a form like the one below, giving each person a way to vocalize any objections they may have to the problem you have highlighted and/or your suggested solution. At this point in time you may opt to have staff do this individually or in groups.

When everyone has noted their concerns along with ways to remedy them, simply gather the forms and end this portion of your meeting. In doing so, you will give both your staff and yourself time to process the information presented in the meeting.

Step 2: Categorize Feedback

Between the initial meeting and the subsequent one is when you will have the time to review your staff’s thoughts on the problem/solution you proposed and categorize the information you received based on what makes sense to you. Perhaps you would like to group common concerns together, perhaps you would like to list concerns by grade level or teams of teachers, etc. Let’s say you have decided to go by grade levels, and you have chosen to note feedback provided using a table like the one below.

When completing the above table, you would simply copy concerns and solutions collected from staff into the appropriate boxes and leave the “Staff Solution” and “Resolution” areas blank, as these will be completed during the follow-up meeting. As you are noting areas of concern, you can be looking for patterns that emerge – for example, perhaps you will notice that the grade 1 and 2 teachers have common issues they would like addressed, and these issues may not even be something you yourself had thought of when you came up with your proposed solution. After completing your table, you can decide if you would like to make copies for everyone or if you would like to share an online version on a whiteboard during your next meeting.

Step 3: Resolve and Move Forward

With your table at hand, you are now prepared to lead your staff in a productive meeting that will assist you in refining the wording of your initial problem and in modifying your proposed solution into something that is workable for all staff. You can start your meeting by addressing the wording of your initial problem so that it makes sense to all, and from there you can begin resolving concerns from grade level to grade level (or however you have chosen to categorize information) by having staff come up with agreed solutions for each box. Finally, you can complete the “Resolution” section at the bottom of the template with your newly worded problem, reworked solution, and plan for moving forward.

Not everyone is going to agree with ideas you present to them from the beginning; however, in working through this 3-step process you allow your staff a means of voicing their opinions, and a way to come to a common consensus when moving forward. And if you can succeed in getting your staff on board and excited about the changes you are proposing, amazing things can be accomplished!

Further Reading

The Power of Planners
Planners for Personal Growth
8 Steps to Setting Up a Classroom
How to Run a Successful Brainstorming Session