Build change that outlives you
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Think about all the changes your school has successfully implemented in the past five years. Now think about how many of them are still going strong today. If you're like most schools, that second number is massively smaller than the first. And today we're going to explore why that happens and how to change it.
In this final episode of our organisational change series, Shane explores the often overlooked aspect of change management - sustainability. Drawing from the Work Collaborative model for organisational change and his upcoming book "Change Starts Here," he explains why creating sustainable change is about more than just maintaining a specific initiative - it's about building a culture where change becomes part of your school's DNA.
Key Points:
Change is continuous, not finite: The end of one change initiative should prepare your organisation for future transformation
Building change muscles: Each change strengthens your capacity for future change
Honest reflection matters: Use the completion of change initiatives to reflect on what worked, what didn't, and what you'll do differently next time
The human element is critical: People's connection to the change process determines its longevity
Navigating the hurricane: How to stay on course with your change initiatives despite inevitable distractions
Failure as part of the process: Normalising failure and creating a culture of experimentation supports sustainable change
Embedding change in routines: Creating habits, review cycles, and support structures that make change "virtually invisible"
Questions to Consider:
What challenge in your school, if solved sustainably, would make other challenges easier to tackle?
How can you build adaptive capacity in your school community?
Are you starting small but thinking long-term with your change initiatives?
Links Mentioned:
Change Series Podcast - Filter by "Work Collaborative episodes" to follow the full change series
Episode with Sharath Jeevan on inflection moments - Discussing "asteroids and starships" in organisational change
Episode Partners
The University of Warwick's International Programmes | Learn more at warwick.ac.uk
The International Curriculum Association's Global.Learn.Connect Netherlands: Learn more
Thank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on LinkedIn and Bluesky. My website is shaneleaning.com and email address is shane@shaneleaning.com.
