This week we tried a new activity in class. It is a change simulation game where we try and influence the administration, principles, parents, and teachers of a school district to adopt new learning techniques. I actually find the game very enjoyable, as it does demonstrate many of the experiences that you will have as you try to make change happen in your own environment. First of all you need to be aware of the phases that people will go through on the way to a change. These phases make up our game board, and as we do certain activities, people will advance through the stages: Awareness, Preparation, Practice, Mastery, and Renewal. Just like in real life, certain people will move through these changes faster than others, and some will resist you every step of the way. We encountered this in our group when we tried to talk to some of the resistors directly, and made no progress on moving them at all. You also need to plan for the communication paths that your audience uses. Find the people who are the social hubs, and get them involved early. They can influence others to come a long way.
Just like in real life, it is important to think about all of these things in advance, and to prepare a strategy for your change. If there was one thing I would have liked to do differently, it would be to get the materials a few days before the game, instead of the day before. Also it would have been nice to have a pre-meeting with our team, so we could plan our activities. Trying to figure out how to work as a new group, while reading and absorbing all of the materials for the game, made it difficult to focus on the change strategy and identify the order that we wanted to do them, and the people we should involve. One idea for next time is to have the cohort divided into their teams at the start of the class. This would get the groups used to working with each other early. Then they could also start reviewing the game materials a week or so in advance.
Overall I think the game is a great exercise, and it certainly will help drive home the strategies that need to be employed to get a change adopted in our jobs.
John
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you that this simulation was frustrating and it makes you just want to force the people to come along and make the changes because you are the boss. However, it is very much real life like. People can not force others to change. I look forward to meeting again this week and see how well we can do now that we have a better plan. I also think that after our group meeting this week we are better planned for the next two years!! :)
John, your post is a great synopsis to the class simulation activity. I concur with the frustrating experience of the game. I share the opinion that it reflects life in that making change does not come easy. What is one major change your school is implementing and what do you see as the greatest resistance to that change? What strategies did you take away from the game that may help?
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