Becoming a master of quick change

AS LEADERS , we’re being asked to adapt and change at a pace I’ve never experienced before – and I’m betting you haven’t either. From making rapid-fire decisions and reacting to the latest threats in our education system, to being flexible and collaborative, we’re all finding ways to “get the job done” more efficiently than ever.

Mastery of the art of quick change is now a critical new skill.

Our districts are increasingly engaged in multiple simultaneous change initiatives, often involving many people across numerous departments and geographies.

So how do we best manage this rapid-change environment for ourselves as well as that of our staff? We must:

1. Examine our feedback processes. The best processes offer the right information at the moment the recipient can act on it. Think just-in-time feedback –allowing the opportunity to adjust behavior and performance, and more immediately see the effects of those adjustments.

2. Look for more direct connections across the organization. How can staff more directly and instantly connect to share important information, get help and advice, and find answers quickly?

Examine processes and protocols for the opportunity to shorten the time and steps it takes to get things done. Perhaps your HR process could be a shared experience, showing all vested parties an end-to-end view of the process using dashboards to identify vacancies; hiring requisitions status; candidates identified, tested, and interviewed; offers made and accepted; and hire letters issued.

3. Identify digital training and development opportunities to facilitate the change at hand! While traditional workshops have their place, they can be slow-moving and not at scale.

This openness and transparency create a shared commitment to getting results, and a greater willingness to deliver on one’s own step in the process and support others beyond functional boundaries. And they help us continue to do the important work of leading California’s schools effectively, efficiently and with an eye toward the future. z z z

Diane Deshler President