The brilliant businessman Peter Drucker said that in business “ culture eats strategy for lunch .” In other words , the mission and purpose of your organization should be closely aligned to both culture and strategy .
We should make sure this is reflected in all strategic planning documents . Within the walls of your school , how closely aligned is your plan for organizational change to the culture of your school ?
Think about preparing a new meal for your family and the thought process that goes into meal prep . You consider allergies , taste preferences , costs , and finally the time required for meal preparation . You want to make sure you ’ re presenting a meal that will be pleasing to your family , even for the pickiest eater in the bunch .
Now consider your change initiative in the same manner . Have you considered how this new program or process will be received , even by the pickiest one in the bunch ? Is it cost effective ? Does it align with the tastes of the group ? How will you present it to those that may have a hard time swallowing this change ? Demonstrating how the change
Effective Change Requires
• Ongoing and clear communication
• Rules for each person ’ s involvement
• Aligning the change with the culture
• Remaining true to the mission and purpose
will positively impact the culture of your school will directly impact the successful implementation of your efforts .
Keep Your Mission and Purpose Front and Center
Those working within your organization are there because of their commitment to your mission and purpose . They already have a vested interest in the success of your organization . They just want to be engaged during the process for change and school improvement . And isn ’ t that what we also want of our students – to be engaged in learning and their own success ? A strong leader will comfortably navigate organizational change by remaining true to the mission and purpose of their organization and employing good communication strategies throughout the process .
Remember to use a variety of communication pathways .
Some organizations make the mistake of using only one communication vehicle . They use just e-mail or the website . Redundancy and repetition are helpful in creating an effective communication program . But using various ways to communicate will make sure everyone gets the message and remembers it .
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