Pillar #3: Paint a picture of what the future condition would look like when the problem is solved
HOW TO BUILD URGENCY AND JUMPSTART CHANGE
Are you leading a change initiative that has stalled because it has reached a mechanical level of implementation?
Are the people you have asked to change only implementing their new skills a couple of times before going back to their old behaviors?
Last week we learned to convincingly articulate the value of a proposed change, but without clearly defining the desired outcome of the change, your Urgency Message won't last long enough to see results.
Welcome to the third of this series titled, Four Pillars of Urgency.
3. Paint a picture of what the future condition would look like when the problem is solved
Why should teachers spend extra energy and effort on changing their current practice?
If people can’t see a clear and rewarding return on the investment of their time, most won’t invest.
Organizational leaders need to paint a picture – in words, with stories and illustrations – of what will look better as a result of the change. If they fail to do this, the end goal remains a mystery.
Let’s look at this pillar in action through two very different ways a principal could open an after-school professional development session.
Notice the shift in urgency regarding the content that is going to be covered. In the first statement, success is achieved when the new techniques are tried and observed. In the second statement, success is achieved when teacher behaviors change, which in turn improve student outcomes.