How My Theory of Change Travels
In his book, The Six Secrets of Change, Michael Fullan describes how “Good theories travel across sectors of public and private organizations, and they apply to geographically and culturally diverse situations” (Fullan, 2008, p. 14). My theory of change does in fact, travel across all types of organizations, across all boundaries and to all types of leaders.
My theory, as you can read on the prior tabs, includes several elements:
My theory, as you can read on the prior tabs, includes several elements:
Each of these elements can be implemented separately, however it would be very unlikely that the desired change would take place and be long lasting. Leaders who want to initiate change can use my theory of change in any organization anywhere in the world.
Evidence of a changing world surrounds us and it is not limited to one organization or one region of the world—change is everywhere. It is Inevitable and Ongoing. Leaders who want to continue to be leaders must anticipate the changing world and be proactive in changing with it.
To accomplish this they must first see The Big Picture. Effective leaders in any organization must be able to step outside the daily interactions of their organization and view it from afar; taking into account the internal and external environments while identifying how both are impacting their organization. This must be accomplished all while engaging the entire system, or Top Down, Bottom Up, impacting the change from both directions, or centrally.
The concept of communication is universal. My theory simply states Tell Everyone! Instilling a shared vision throughout your organization creates an environment in which all stakeholders are working toward the same goal. Leaders must understand that every communication the organization initiates, intentional or otherwise, will have an effect on the eventual outcome. Immediate and consistent evaluation of the results of each signal the leader or organization transmits is an opportunity for Continuous Learning.
Learning occurs constantly in every environment. What makes this continuous learning impactful and effective is the ability for a leader to identify what is being learned, and use it to impact the next desired change. Remember, change is Inevitable and Ongoing.
As you can see, my theory of change is that it is cyclical in nature and never ending. Each element of change is reliant on the former and latter element; and when applied in the manner described, can be used by any leader in any organization anywhere in the world.
Evidence of a changing world surrounds us and it is not limited to one organization or one region of the world—change is everywhere. It is Inevitable and Ongoing. Leaders who want to continue to be leaders must anticipate the changing world and be proactive in changing with it.
To accomplish this they must first see The Big Picture. Effective leaders in any organization must be able to step outside the daily interactions of their organization and view it from afar; taking into account the internal and external environments while identifying how both are impacting their organization. This must be accomplished all while engaging the entire system, or Top Down, Bottom Up, impacting the change from both directions, or centrally.
The concept of communication is universal. My theory simply states Tell Everyone! Instilling a shared vision throughout your organization creates an environment in which all stakeholders are working toward the same goal. Leaders must understand that every communication the organization initiates, intentional or otherwise, will have an effect on the eventual outcome. Immediate and consistent evaluation of the results of each signal the leader or organization transmits is an opportunity for Continuous Learning.
Learning occurs constantly in every environment. What makes this continuous learning impactful and effective is the ability for a leader to identify what is being learned, and use it to impact the next desired change. Remember, change is Inevitable and Ongoing.
As you can see, my theory of change is that it is cyclical in nature and never ending. Each element of change is reliant on the former and latter element; and when applied in the manner described, can be used by any leader in any organization anywhere in the world.