Leading Change MeetUp: Small Steps Create a RippleEd effect
and
supporting schools and
changing the way that they think about things. So today I am talking with Jackie and I will let Jackie introduce herself
We've worked together very closely on a little project that we had but I'm gonna let you talk about some things
Getting started, okay
So, yeah, I'm Jackie Messam and
I've worked in a number of different countries on change projects one is Malaysia
and the United Arab Emirates and in New Zealand, so I'm here to talk to Funmi today about some of my
insights
Yes, so what we're gonna get started with actually is your insights around cultural empathy because that's something that you're really good
At so I want to just kind of start a dialogue about your approach to that and your thinking around it. Okay.
So I've worked across
change projects in terms of education and three countries as I said before and
I've learned three main things and I think the three things are
Spend as much time as possible in the canteen the staff room
and in classrooms and when I say the canteen, I really do mean that because
understandably for teachers if you're in a new environment a new culture a new school
You're the one that's apparently going to make them change and they're not really that comfortable with that
Perhaps they don't know you so getting to know teachers professionally and personally in that way. It's really important
I think another really important thing is make sure that you observe listen and learn as much as possible
It's a it's a little bit of a trick to go in and think oh, I'm the advisor here. So I'll just advise
but
actually, you need to seek to understand how things are done and
ask lots of questions and
find out from a general perspective to a more detailed perspective what's going well and what's not going so well, I mean things like
You know, What do you enjoy about teaching here? You know, what are some of the challenges?
You know even as detailed as you know, you've got some students who aren't going so well in your class
Why do you think that might be?
So it's all about the questions
Know them and I think finally once you've got a letter of information
and it's never a linear thing, but have some kind of plan and that can be as formal or as informal as
It needs to be but I'm thinking about even a simple thing like visiting a teacher's classroom
To check in with that teacher first to say, you know is it
All right, if I if I come in at this time, should I take off my shoes?
Should I introduce myself to the students?
Do you... We would you like me to sit?
Do you want me to work with a student or can I look at something in particular about your teaching?
so
Even though it's cultural empathy. It's actually
Making sure that you know yourself and you know others and figuring out a way for moving forward
So yeah, those are my kind of tips and tricks. I've learned along the way. Yeah, just going back to that canteen thing
I'm one of the things that I found
for myself
early on and I learned this lesson fast was don't plan an 8 o'clock meeting because
no one will show up and you're sitting there like where is everyone?
And then you mosey on down to the canteen and they're all having breakfast together. So it's a totally different
totally different mindset
Around you know how to build back that rapport with people
And yeah, I've really found in Malaysia is everything revolves around
food, so if you're available for that 8 o'clock
You know meal in the morning the 10 o'clock of tea the 12 o'clock lunch and then the 4:30 tea
You're all set. You can get everything you need to accomplish in that time. Definitely for sure. Absolutely
So the next thing I want to kind of talk to you about is your because you've had
experiences and working with change management on different and projects and
just kind of deep dive a little bit about some of the types that you've experienced whether it's small or
larger, whatever
Yeah
so they've been a good point because recently I've had time to reflect on some of the change projects that
I've been involved in and you know understandably some of those ones that we were on and Malaysia were massive there were
huge scale change
programs where you have 80 schools involved
But but some of the changes that I've been involved in in say New Zealand have been quite small
It might just be one or two teams
So there are some commonalities but I think there are some differences as well. And I think it's important to remember that
that often a different context different people involved the outcomes might be different the time available
And of course, you know how much money there is to spend these these are all factors that you have to take into account
But often we think about change on a very large scale and there are there are lots of different change models that can be used
but I think it's important to remember that change can happen on an individual basis and
It can happen in small teams as well and it could be as simple as one teacher
One individual teacher who's looking at their
learners and thinking hey, why are my students getting this and
What can I do differently to help them learn better?
So in that case, it's working with that particular
teacher
coaching them
supporting them to think differently about how they could do things and
Even better - well the best approach is to help them to own this themselves
Rather than to give them all the solutions and the answers. I
don't know anyway, so it helps them to be on tonot
Yes, you probably the same and in your situation - yes, you know
I was just thinking about that project that you and I worked on together where we were creating those videos for
resources and even though you know the teacher that the teachers that we worked with have been
You know on the project for a long time just that little bit of coaching that we did in that moment as well
It was a big deal because I remember
The side conversations that were had about you know, how can we change things? How can we improve things so
It isn't that that small bit that helps but the end result was
Nice quality videos that were able to be used for a variety of teachers
Not just the ones that we were working with, you know be it the primary
I remember showing them to the secondary schools that I was working with and they're like, oh, okay. I get it now. So yeah
Sometimes we don't think about just the little little things that we're doing have a larger impact
And you know what I think it's also for those teachers
Because they had to be in that video. It was all my just
type of project-based learning for them too because they had a reason for changing their teaching for well not changing but
But thinking about their their teaching and their students and how they could make that lesson
Sort of super great so that other teachers could learn from them so
That I know that's cliched, but that teachable moment almost for them
Pat Zigarmi - Leading Change How to Do a Presentation - 5 Steps to a Killer Opener How great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek Leading Change with Humble Audacity: Nancy Giordano at TEDxAustin Funniest Leadership Speech ever! How to Start a Business with No Money Leading Change and Organizational Renewal TEDxStCharles - Marty Linsky - Adaptive Leadership-Leading Change How to get your ideas to spread | Seth Godin How To Write A Business Plan | How To Start A Business
