Tag: leading change

Successful Change – Unit 2, Activity 2

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Organizational Change – A Success Story

The Canadian military is constantly evolving to meet new challenges and adapt to social changes (Mcknight, 2017; Storring, 2009).  Within the last several years, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has changed their fitness evaluation standard test dramatically including changing the core tasks required of all CAF members (PSP, 2017).  From my perspective as a member of the organization, this change process was accomplished successfully.  The process began by identifying the requirement to change the standard (PSP, 2017), studying the problem (Canadian Army, 2012) and using the results of the study to determine the required change.  There are two things that I believe made this change a success, the willingness to adapt timelines when it was deemed required and the strong communication that was maintained with members of the military throughout the process.  Timelines initially called for an implementation of an incentive program in fiscal year 2017/2018.  It was determined that there was insufficient data to begin the program that year, so it was delayed one year for additional data collection.  Although Al-Haddad and Kotnour (2015) deem that a project is successful only if it is completed within the budget, schedule and requirements, for most change we embody, the most important factor is the requirements.  Deciding to alter the schedule to ensure a successful implementation takes strong leadership.  Additionally, during the study and the change itself there was significant communication regarding the change itself, the timelines and the change milestones.  Communication with members was completed through e-mail, internal journal articles, videos (Canadian Army, 2012) and a website (PSP, 2017).  Additionally, fitness staff were very involved in the process and provided additional communication and support. 

Organizational Change – A Less Successful Story

I was the Aircraft Maintenance Officer in 407 (Maritime Patrol) Squadron when the Electro-Optical Infrared (EOIR) surveillance capability was introduced on the CP-140 aircraft (“Lockheed Martin will design electro-optical sensors for CP-140,” 2004).  Although the change was embodied successfully in the end, due to aggressive timelines there were quite a few bumps in the road.  Command was eager to bring the new surveillance capability online as soon as possible, so logistical issues were not sorted out prior to installing the equipment on the first aircraft.  Unfortunately, the impact of this was that when a component in the EOIR system became unserviceable, there was a significant delay in fixing it as parts had not yet been entered into the supply system.  We have a thorough and effective process for modifying our aircraft.  When this change process is not followed, likely the steps that are skipped will cause issues during the implementation.  The same is true for any change management process – skip steps at your peril.  

Success Stories from my Colleagues

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to interview three of my colleagues who played different roles during successful change management related to digital learning. 

My current boss previously lead the Air Force Technical Training team and among other things, he managed the procurement and introduction of digital training and performance support solutions with a budget of approximately $3.8 M annually.  His leadership was instrumental in ensuring people understood the vision and possibilities associated with digital technologies as well as ensuring that funding was properly prioritized and projects were implemented.  He spoke about several successfully implemented projects in detail including the creation of an interactive training support system with courseware and an electronic performance support tool to develop knowledge and skills required to perform maintenance of the Emergency Breathing System as well as the development of a virtual reality aircraft marshalling serious game. 

Another one of my colleagues was involved as a consultant during the creation of learning support centers within the CAF.  He specifically emphasized the strong overall vision that was present from the beginning of the project and the challenges associated with refining the details of the change as well as getting senior leadership to commit resources to the change. 

Another colleague was involved as faculty (a user of the system changing) in the implementation of a new digital learning management system (LMS) at a civilian college.  Her feedback was interesting as from her perspective, there was limited communication throughout the project and almost no faculty consultation (although there was a website and surveys and focus groups were conducted).  Despite this, the change was implemented successfully as the old LMS was constantly going offline and causing so many issues that any upgrade/new system would have been welcomed.  In this example although the change was deemed successful as it accomplished its objectives, it could have potentially achieved secondary objectives concurrently (such as increasing faculty use of the LMS) if the approach was more participatory. 

These three consultations along with my own self reflections have helped me to better understand the role that leadership can and should play in change in the digital environment. 

References

Al-Haddad, S., & Kotnour, T. (2015). Integrating the organizational change literature: a model for successful change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 28(2), 234–262. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-11-2013-0215

Canadian Army. (2012). Project FORCE raises bar for Canadian Forces fitness. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luKtMcT4xno

Lockheed Martin will design electro-optical sensors for CP-140. (2004, November). Military & Aerospace Electronics. Retrieved from http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/2004/11/lockheed-martin-will-design-electro-optical-sensors-for-cp-140.html

Mcknight, Z. (2017, August). Being transgender in the Canadian military. Macleans. Retrieved from http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/being-transgender-in-the-canadian-military/

PSP. (2017). FORCE – FAQs. Retrieved from https://www.cfmws.com/en/AboutUs/PSP/DFIT/Fitness/FORCEprogram/Pages/FAQs.aspx

Storring, R. D. (2009, December 18). 10 years of change in the Canadian Armed Forces. CBC News. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/10-years-of-change-in-the-canadian-armed-forces-1.833663

Leading Change – Unit 2 Activity 1

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How have the theories/models for change adapted to take into consideration our current technological, economic and societal contexts?

Based on Al-Haddad and Kotnour’s (2015) descriptions of change methods and Biech’s (2007) History of Change Design, theories and models have generally adapted to include more emphasis on involvement of all stakeholders early in the change process.  More specifically, using facilitation strategies has become more common.  An example of this is shown in Hamel’s Insurrection method in the “create a coalition” stage (Al-Haddad & Kotnour, 2015). 

Which theories/models do you think best align with your own approach to leadership? Do these approaches align with your organizational context?

The change model that really resonates with me at the present time is Kotter’s Leading Change method (Kotter, 2012).  The method is straight forward and logical, but highlights things that I think are important functions of leadership: creating a team to develop and lead the change, facilitating the development and communication of a vision and enabling people by removing obstacles (Kotter, 2012).  I also do focus on creating small or quick wins early in the change process as my experience has shown this is inspirational and creates motivation to fully implement or continue the change.  This method is actually one that I currently employ in change management.  Recently we introduced our new Instructor Professional Development Program.  I created a sense of urgency by expressing using literature and quotes from instructors why implementing the program was so necessary.  I hired two Masters of Education students to form part of the program development team (along with my existing staff).  Together the team refined the vision of how the program would work and specifically developed the introductory session.  I focused on removing barriers for the Instructors within the program and ensuring it would be a positive, beneficial experience which we started by focusing energy on developing an engaging introductory session that involved learning and self reflection.  Feedback from this session was excellent, so it was a short term win.  We ensured that we followed this session up with an e-mail summarizing their learning and providing them guidance on their next step.  It works well within my current organizational context because I work with a lot of specialists with knowledge, skills and experience to contribute to the vision and leading change itself. 

What role does leadership play in managing change?

Weiner (2009) states that the consistent messaging and actions of a leader makes team members more confident that they can succeed in change as well as more committed to the change itself.  Kouzes and Posner (1999) actually outline five practices essential to exemplary leadership and these items coincide with many of the change models (Al-Haddad & Kotnour, 2015).  So with respect to change, leaders do in fact “challenge the process, inspire a shared vision, enable others to act, model the way and encourage” (Kouzes & Posner, 1999, p. xiii). 

What are the unique challenges in managing change for learning in digital environments? Weller & Anderson (2013) offer a model based on resilience. What attributes do you think would work well within your own context?

I believe communication and collaboration are two of the biggest challenges in managing change for learning in the digital environment as often face-to-face communication with all stakeholders is not possible.  The organization that I currently work in supports airworthiness.  The Air Force has several different systems in place to manage change related to airworthiness (Sharpe & Leversedge, 2014).  There is the flight safety system which responds to accidents or incidents by ensuring the route cause is discovered, tracked and actioned.  Additionally AF9000, the Air Force quality management system promotes continuous improvement related to technical procedures.  The DND Airworthiness program as well as procurement processes supports change management related to air assets.  These systems are all designed to enable change within the system itself as well as change within knowledge, procedure or physical assets, that is they have a high degree of latitude (Weller & Anderson, 2013).  They are also designed to make change as straightforward and simple as possible while maintaining safety of flight, so they are reasonably resistant (Weller & Anderson, 2013).  To maximize operational capability, systems are designed to operate close to the threshold of the acceptable level of safety, so they are precarious (Weller & Anderson, 2013); however, they are also very resistant to any external factors (Weller & Anderson, 2013) as the programs are very strong.  In addition to these systems, the Air Force has recently Operation Innovation focused on enabling innovation and change (Thatcher, 2017).  Among other things, the program enables pitches and suggestions from all levels to be heard by the decision makers (Thatcher, 2017).  Some of these pitches have already been successfully embodied.  

References:

Al-Haddad, S., & Kotnour, T. (2015). Integrating the organizational change literature: a model for successful change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 28(2), 234–262. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-11-2013-0215

Biech, E. (2007). Thriving Through Change: A Leader’s Practical Guide to Change Mastery. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=cFJ3iwaE7MwC&pgis=1

Kotter, J. P. et. al. (2012). Leading Change : Why Transformation Efforts Fail. Harvard Business Review, (June).

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (1999). Encouraging the heart: a leader’s guide to rewarding and recognizing others. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Sharpe, E., & Leversedge, T. F. J. (2014). A Knowledge-Management Proposal for the RCAF. The Royal Canadian Air Force Journal, 3(2), 39–50.

Thatcher, C. (2017). Operation Innovation. Skies, January/February, 24–35. Retrieved from https://assets.skiesmag.com/digital/2017/CSV7I1/html5/index.html?page=1&noflash

Weiner, B. J. (2009). A theory of organizational readiness for change. Implementation Science, 4(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-4-67

Personal Leadership – Assignment 1 LRNT525

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In my leadership experience, digital technologies have been an enabler.  It is important not simply to use technology, but to leverage it for a purpose:  to improve efficiency or effectiveness or provide new capability or capacity (Bates, 2015; Hartsell & Wang, 2013).  Leaders are responsible for ensuring success when implementing new technology, but they also play a large role in determining to “what extent technology is integrated” into the workplace or classroom (Mahoney & Khwaja, 2016). 

Since joining the military almost 19 years ago, I have taken on a variety of leadership roles, each requiring a different approach.  The leadership style that I have used has changed as I gained more experience, became more comfortable as a leader (Spencer, 2018) and reflected on how I could improve my leadership (Castelli, 2016).  Despite these changes, I have consistently relied on the twelve principles of leadership (CFLI, 2007) taught in Basic Training and continually reinforced throughout my career.  Regardless of the leadership approach taken, principles of leadership remain the constant foundation.   

My leadership approach

Relatively early in my career, I lead an organization of 120 people as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer.  Leading in this role was relatively simple as the mission (ensure aircraft were available to meet the flying schedule) and my position and role in the organization were all very clear.  My leadership at that time was supported by my position and rank, what O’Toole (2008) calls power, as despite my technical knowledge, I had very little experience leading people.  Luckily, this was a developmental position and I had several very knowledgeable senior non-commissioned officers to support me.  So although I was technically their boss, we approached leadership challenges as a team, what O’Toole (2008) denotes as shared leadership.  This command team approach which encourages a form of shared leadership is present throughout the military (Guy, 2010).  In addition to a shared leadership approach reinforced by position and rank, I conveyed my support for suggestions from technicians relating to more efficient or effective ways to achieve the mission.  I then ensured that good suggestions were embodied.   My support and actions were the beginnings of a transformational approach to leadership (Vermeulen, Kreijns, Van Buuren & Van Acker, 2017).  This approached encouraged one of the maintenance technicians to bring forward the idea to purchase large SMART boards that could be used to display detailed schematics for trouble-shooting faults and teaching more junior technicians about the systems.  I coordinated the purchase and associated training and the organization immediately saw success as groups congregated around the boards troubleshooting, teaching and learning. 

Almost 15 years later, I now lead a smaller team of just four full-time employees and three part-time students as the Airworthiness Training Team Lead.  However, my current role requires far more leadership ability as most of my work requires influencing people outside of my team including contracted resources, personnel within other organizations, course instructors, other team leads and section heads.  I approach each situation slightly differently, modifying my approach based on the individuals involved, the goal or objective and other situational factors which denotes a situational style (O’Toole, 2008).  However, to the greatest extent possible, I leverage a combination of distributed leadership (Huggins, 2017) and transformational leadership (Vermeulen et al., 2017) both within my team and outside of my team.  By ensuring that I share with others a clear vision and support innovative execution including risk taking, I am able to leverage resources outside of my team to participate in and lead projects (Hartsell & Wang, 2013). 

I have leveraged technology in this role to enable communication between team members spread out across the country, meaning we can hire very specific resources with particular specialty knowledge.  Without leveraging digital communication methods, completing course design using these specialists would not be possible.  Additionally, I have leveraged available online courses to provide specific training to my part-time students.  Using these in combination with mentorship and a training package that I developed has allowed them to become effective very quickly.  We have also used sharepoint surveys to implement Kohn’s 2+2+2 booster method (2014), combining the use of technology with the test effect (Larsson Sundqvist, 2017) to ensure our students retain course material long after the course is completed.    

Leading change in a digital learning environment

The literature identifies empowerment of others and support of risk taking as key leadership characteristics in leading change in digital learning (Huggins, 2017; Hartsell & Wang, 2013).  Despite this, I trial or pilot new technology in a specific context first before applying it to every course.  This allows us to focus on ensuring that the pilot is successful and allows the opportunity to capture lessons learned before a wider role-out.  Supporting risk, but also managing and mitigating risk is important to successfully leading change and is supported by the leadership principles, “motivate by…sharing risks and…learn from experience” (CFLI, 2007, p. 10). 

It is also important for leaders in a digital learning environment to model the use of technology (Creighton, 2003; Hartsell & Wang, 2013; Mahoney & Khwaja, 2016).  Although I don’t have all the new gadgets, I never pass up the opportunity to try out a new learning application or tool and I enjoy reading new research.  The leadership principles “achieve professional competence and pursue self-improvement…and…lead by example” (CFLI, 2007, p. 10) support the practice of modeling the use of technology. 

Based on my experience, it is also very important to ensure that technology is leveraged to create an advantage that maintains or improves communication (Sheninger, 2014).  A leader can not be effective without a good understanding of the requirements of their follower and a way to communicate their vision (CFLI, 2007). 

Conclusion

The technology leader should “manage, plan, implement, and evaluate the technology’s effectiveness in serving various purposes” (Hartsell & Wang, 2013, p. 1).  A leader working in a digital learning environment must empower others, support risk taking, model the use of technology and ensure communication is maintained or improved. 

References:

Bates, A. W. (2015). Teaching in a digital age. BC Campus.

Canadian Forces Leadership Institute (CFLI).  (2007).  Leadership in the Canadian Forces.  Retrieved from http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2013/dn-nd/D2-313-3-2007-eng.pdf

Castelli, P. (2016). Reflective leadership review: a framework for improving organisational performance. Journal of Management Development, 35(2), 217-236.

Creighton, T. (2003). The principal as technology leader. Corwin Press.

Guy, S.  (2010, November 3).  The command team:  a key enabler.  Canadian Military Journal.  Retrieved from http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/vo11/no1/12-guy-eng.asp

Hartsell, T., & Wang, S. (2013). Introduction to Technology Integration and Leadership. In S. Wang, & T. Hartsell (Eds.), Technology Integration and Foundations for Effective Leadership (pp. 1-17). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. doi:10.4018/978-1-4666-2656-0.ch001

Huggins, K. S. (2017). Developing Leadership Capacity in Others: An Examination of High School Principals’ Personal Capacities for Fostering Leadership. International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership, 12(1).

Kohn, A.  (2014, May 15).  Brain Science: Enable Your Brain to Remember Almost Everything.  Retrieved from https://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1423/brain-science-enable-your-brain-to-remember-almost-everything

Larsson Sundqvist, M. (2017). Effects of retrieval and articulation on memory (Doctoral dissertation, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University).

Mahoney, K. R., & Khwaja, T. (2016). Living and Leading in a Digital Age: A Narrative Study of the Attitudes and Perceptions of School Leaders about Media Literacy. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 8(2), 77-98.

O’Toole, J. (2008). Notes toward a definition of values-based leadership. The Journal of Values-based leadership, 1(1), 10.

Sheninger, E. (2014). Pillars of digital leadership. International Centre for Leadership in Education.

Spencer, C.  (2018, February 5).  Activity 1 FlipGrid Summary.  [Blog post].  Retrieved from https://moodle.royalroads.ca/moodle/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=454125

Vermeulen, M., Kreijns, K., Van Buuren, H., & Van Acker, F. (2017). The role of transformative leadership, ICT‐infrastructure and learning climate in teachers’ use of digital learning materials during their classes. British Journal of Educational Technology, 48(6), 1427-1440.