students and parents support a return to school next year – thereby providing financial stability and sustainability, and the cycle continues.
This would be the opportunity realized: a classical education supported and enhanced by
the technology now available in the 21st
century. It is not something we should shy away or run from; it is something we should embrace.
Factors to Consider When Selling Change
The question then becomes: are there approaches that could facilitate such change? According to the previously cited McKinsey & Co. report, leaders can engage several approaches when communicating change:
1. Prepare Leaders to Anticipate Resistance as a Natural Part of Change
Establish an escalation process and provide them with consistent key messages. This ensures they know what to do and how to respond to negative employee feedback.
2. Use Constructive Criticisms as Opportunities to Adjust
Develop two-way channels to stay attuned to
employees. Win good will by listening to their feedback and incorporate it into how you implement change moving forward.
3. Understand That Complaints Are Often an Indicator of Early Success
Resistant employees are, by definition, aware of
the coming changes. This means they received the message, know how it affects them and believe it’s going to happen.
To sustain such change, the report also recommended moving beyond simply building a rational business case to appealing to the emotions of individuals involved. This recommendation builds upon findings of consulting organizations, academics, and
practitioners within the field of neuroscience.
The consensus around this work suggests that “changing behavior and getting people to commit is less about using logic to influence
their thoughts and more about presenting the
change in a way that influences their feelings.” By consequence, three practical tips are offered for appealing to employees' emotions:
1. Involve Employees in the Change Process
Develop two-way channels or conduct focus groups to collect employee feedback. Listen and respond to their input. The fastest path to acceptance comes when employees feel they contributed to the solution.
2. Create Opportunities to Celebrate Success
Don't just celebrate when you've reached a key
milestone. Identify smaller, short-term goals along the way to sustain feelings of success.
3. Establish Champions and Ambassadors at Every Opportunity
Engage stakeholders and identify early adopters who can serve as champions for the change.55
It may still be that a few administrators – particularly, those involved with student life – will argue a focus on efficiency will destroy both the joy students are expected to receive and the sense of community they are expected to
Education is not ideology, it is a pathway leading to self-realization.
139