Culture Change by David Runge

Culture Change by David Runge.

Our observations about school transformation is that much of the learning required for a school to evolve is of an adaptive nature, that is it requires mental models, world-views and ways of working to be reimagined alongside other complex changes.  One of the key challenges we see is that many schools will pay attention to technical problems and therefore overlay technical solutions, ignoring the complexity that exists within the system, thus ignoring the adaptive challenges. Being deliberate about the cultural interventions required to build an innovative school and focussed on the levers that support cultural shift is imperative to realisation of any future state.

It is necessary to build awareness about the need to evolve, as experience has shown us that without this intervention-resistance forms, and energy is lost.

The following enablers and inhibitors are worth considering as you lean into cultural change initiatives and begin to build awareness about the need fo for cultural evolution.

Building Awareness:

Two things that hold organisations from evolving:

• Organisational norms (mindsets, world views, perspectives, ways of working).
• Lack of clarity about the type of culture that will support the realisation of the strategic intent.

Two things that can support organisations to evolve:

• Make it personal and be deeply reflective inside a safe space.
• Everyone contributing to the vision and purpose.