Leading Change: What Will You STOP Doing in the Year Ahead?

CHANGE

The summer professional development season is upon us and I have been enjoying working with several schools as they continue the work of translating their pedagogical and curricular vision into reality. A key part of this work is deciding on the work to be done - all while holding it lightly and with a spirit of iteration. During these conversations, we typically add things to be done - very rarely do we discuss what we might stop doing.

 

A helpful exercise I often facilitate is called KEEP/STOP/ START. Try it with yourself and your team and commit to the changes that emerge :)

 

Individual Level: What will I, as a leader of change, KEEP doing in the year ahead? What will I, as a leader of change, STOP doing in the year ahead? What will I, as a leader of change, START doing in the year ahead?

 

School/District Level: What will we, in support of our vision, KEEP doing in the year ahead? What will we, in support of our vision, STOP doing in the year ahead? What will we, in support of our vision, START doing in the year ahead?

 

At the individual level, this reflection helps reveal your growing edge. At the school or district level, it helps reveal outdated systems, processes and structures that no longer support the work. An added benefit to doing this work in groups is that we learn our colleagues’ growing edge, as well as our own.

 

This helps build trust and supports the behavioral changes necessary when leading change. What will you KEEP/STOP/START doing in the year ahead?

 

Be sure to check out Julie's recent publication 'The Human Side of Changing Education' (Corwin 2018), and associated free downloadable resources at: http://www.the-ifl.org/thehumanside/

About the Author

Julie Jungawala

Julie Jungalwala is a coach and advisor to school leaders, educational institutions, and foundations whose mission is to shape the future of K–12 education. She has over twenty years’ experience building effective learning environments that unlock human potential and enable organizational culture to adapt and grow during times of change.


She is the founder and executive director of Institute for the Future of Learning, a nonprofit
organization dedicated to helping transform the 'one size does not fit all' model of education. The
Institute works with a diverse range of clients including public schools, independent schools, public charter schools, and educational philanthropic organizations.

Julie is also an instructor at Harvard Extension School where she teaches authentic leadership, change management and strengths-based development. She graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a master’s degree in Education, specializing in adult development, learning technology and behavioral change. Her book, The Human Side of Changing Education, was published by Corwin Press in 2018.