Change in education is heavily influenced by the individuals involved in the change process but there are other factors that will influence change. The message containing the change idea needs consideration. As Gladwell writes, the message that will ultimately get passed on must be one that is memorable. He refers to it as the "stickiness factor". He highlights a number of considerations regarding the stickiness factor that I will interpret through the lens of educational change. The idea needs to be one that is embedded within the narrative of the school. Leaders for change will need to provide the space for the individuals within the building to wrestle with the implications of the change and allow them the time to personalize it for themselves. The information that is packaged for change must be scrutinized thoroughly, allowing for small adjustments that ultimately will lead to the best fit for the context wherein the change must live. Change is not only a function of the messenger but is coupled to the message itself.
Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate. Taking the time and providing the resources to scrutinize new ideas is a key component to creating a successful message for change. The idea that you present must by all accounts be supported by research. This could be research that is from academia, or site based action style research. Through the research that is compiled, your message will need to be molded and evaluated. This evaluation should lead to small but important changes to your message. It is these subtle adjustments that will help to ensure that you have a solid message for change. Finally, running your message by other trusted individuals, ones that are from other organizations or schools, will provide you with any additional insights that will strengthen your message. The fine tuned message will be one that you can feel confident in. Change will not happen unless you have taken the time to forge a solid idea grounded in ideals that are supported by others within your field.
Gladwell describes the role of the narrative in creating a message the is sticky through a comparison of the television shows, Sesame Street and Blue's Clues. These are two very powerful educational programs designed and heavily scrutinized for literacy learning with preschoolers. When comparing the two programs he brings to light the greatest difference between the two shows. Sesame Street, a product of the early 1960's, is based on a commercial style, fun and flashy format. Learners are exposed to 60 second segments that contain information on the fundamentals of literacy. The hour long show is disconnected in the sense that there is no story that is told throughout the program. Sesame Street was highly successful in increasing literacy but there was room for improvement. Enter Blue's Clues, a half an hour show that had two main characters, a twenty something narrator and a blue dog. There was a very literal feel to the show, based on the idea of creating a narrative for which preschoolers are given a context to learn. Through the story it was found that the program had greater success in having their message of literacy stick for their learners when compared to Sesame Street. A classic modern, post modern tension and the post modern narrative wins out.
How does this idea connect with change and the understanding of change for educational leaders? When faced with aligning a staff towards a change that is going to improve learning, the staff needs to buy in. To achieve buy in the message will need to be more than a collection of disconnected facts. Although the facts may be true they will need to be assembled into a narrative, a story that allows the individuals who hear it to become engaged, particularly one that true and set in the building where the change must happen. Listeners will be have an opportunity to see how the idea directly connects to themselves and the students with whom they work. Asking yourself the question, "How does this fit into the narrative of our setting?" will allow for an evaluation of a change message and subsequently will make it more sticky for those that hear it.
Other lessons from these two television shows relate to something the Children's Television Workshop referred to as the James Earl Jones effect. Gladwell recounts the story of James Earl Jones, with his engaging voice, reading the alphabet and leaving a long pause between each of the letters. The writers of Sesame Street had intended on filling this space with other elements, but upon testing with groups of preschoolers there was an extra level of engagement (Gladwell, 2002, p. 124-125). The kids would shout out the letter during the pauses. Blue's Clues writers incorporated this idea of leaving pauses throughout their shows and currently you can see evidence of this in numerous children programs providing the space and time for engagement.
In addition to placing your message within a narrative, it is important to allow space and time for them to sit with the idea. Participation on the part of the individuals that are going to be the front line change agents is something that must not be underestimated. Giving time and space for the staff to respond to the message provides an even greater opportunity for alignment. There will be people that have a difficult time faced with the idea that you are presenting. This is okay, as no new information can be fully understood the first time that it is delivered. Providing the time and space for sharing will help in transitioning your greatest opposition to the change.
Finding the best way to promote change within an educational setting involves a number of factors. In my previous post we talked about the individuals involved in the process, focusing on connectors, mavens and salesmen. This particular post highlights the need to establish a great message for change. From a post modern perspective, we can see the role that creating a narrative, and the relational trust of leader to the school staff can to a greater possibility of change. Change is not only connected to the message and the messengers but is set in a particular context. This will be the essence of my next post.
Reference
Gladwell, M. (2002). The Tipping Point- How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. New York, NY: Back Bay Books.
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