Break free to make real change for yourself and others.
Have you ever felt like your progress was being blocked, not just by your own circumstances, but by the presence and actions of others? Do you constantly tell yourself that you would be more successful at teaching, leading or contributing to an organization if only others did not stand in your way? Bestselling author Michael Fullan’s new book, Freedom to Change: Four Strategies to Put Your Inner Drive into Overdrive explores the two kinds of freedom in our daily lives: freedom from obstacles versus freedom to take initiative and act.
Fullan prescribes four dynamically interrelated actions we can take:
- Consciously seeking a balance between our own autonomy and cooperation with others
- Improving the feedback exchange—giving more valuable responses, as well as eliciting, hearing and accepting feedback more effectively
- Building accountability to others into the fabric of our working lives
- Finding ways to influence others with the changes we’ve made and want to spread
Fullan invites readers to ask themselves what change they would like to bring about for themselves and those around them. Illustrated and enriched with examples from education, business and nonprofit sectors, Freedom to Change offers recommendations for both individuals and organizations seeking to enhance connectedness and independence.
This book will be available for purchase online and at retailers nationwide in both print and all e-book formats. For a full list of retailers, visit http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1119024366.html .
Love your work Michael.
Too often, when we propose an alternative solution, the leadership cannot see the path between where you want to go, and where we currently are. Many times, in both business and education, I have found the best proposal is one which uses the same components, but in a different order. In ICT for example, we talk about systems comprising of hardware, software, procedures and people – and we create systems in that order. We buy the hardware, select the software, create a solution – then we train the teachers how to use it. It has worked that way for years. However, it does not make sense in terms of efficiency or economics. We all understand the components, but never challenge the order. Now – reorder it. Look at your staff – the people. Look at their current skills – they have lots already. Select or create a solution (software) which most easily relates to what they know. Purchase the hardware (which is usually much less expensive because it isn’t trying to be all things to all people). This solution means considerable savings in efficiency, time and effectiveness – and very little training. The freedom to change sometimes comes through changing order – which everyone understands.
Hope that makes sense to someone other than me! 🙂
I often find myself in my current school confronted with my moral purpose is not aligned with my colleagues and administration. My internal accountability drives my commitment of learning of all students; however, not all my colleagues believe in inclusive education. I am struggling with finding ways to influence others in the practice of inclusive education, but there is a roadblock through the resistance of their belief system. How do you lead the accountability of all educators in teaching all students?