As a program leader, you know that managing change is a large part of your work. Change can be small or significant; it can be gradual or come swiftly. How much time do you spend intentionally thinking about the best way to navigate change? Much like a classroom teacher plans for transitions during the day, program leaders need to plan intentional strategies to support staff to understand, embrace, and work through change—daily and throughout the year. The following are seven ways that leaders can support change in their programs.

1. Name the change

The first step in managing change is to acknowledge it. Often, a leader’s initial reaction is to minimize change by avoiding talking about it or waiting to see if the issue resolves on its own. Instead, the more transparent you can be about a change—unexpected or planned—the more prepared your team will be when the actual change arrives.

2. Recognize that change is an emotional process

Not everyone deals with change in the same way, but everyone has a response. Thinking about some possible reactions will help you better prepare yourself to support staff members when emotions arise. Often, a person’s first reaction to change is to say no. The reason could be due to fear, confusion, or negative past experiences involving change. However, by being prepared for resistance and staying consistent with the message, most staff members can get to a place of acceptance.

3. Consider temperaments and personalities, and individualize your approach

Once you understand some common responses to change, it’s important to think about your specific team members. How might each person respond? This will allow you to connect with them intentionally. Remember that everyone deserves to have an opinion, even if you do not agree with it.

Just as you create an individualized curriculum for young children, you can also individualize your approach with adults. Offering support may be as simple as devoting extra time to help them understand the why. You might also give them room to share what they are afraid of and walk through some possible solutions together. Giving them space to have their feelings while providing a safe, nonjudgmental attitude is a gentle way to move them forward and will help you create buy-in.

4. Start in the middle

Invest your energy in getting the majority of your staff on board. Except for non-negotiable changes, such as cleaning regimens and licensing requirements, the goal is not necessarily 100 percent buy-in. What you need is a critical mass, or a group that agrees with you and is strong in both numbers and influence. With a critical mass, you can move forward—even if not everyone is on board with the change.

Some staff will give little pushback and will be ready to move forward when you introduce a change; others will live firmly in the space of no; everyone else will fall in the middle. Each of these groups will need a different level of support from you as the leader to move to yes. It may help to create a chart to see where individuals fall on a continuum. Once you know where everyone lands, you can create a plan to assist staff at each level and even leverage early adopters to connect with those who are still unsure.

5. Create an atmosphere that incentivizes the change

Incentives can look like money, but they can also look like attention and support. As an early childhood educator, you know that what you give attention to grows. Staff will notice when your attention and assistance go to those helping to move forward with change. Eventually, those who are reluctant will come on board.

As a director, I did this by creating voluntary communities of practice where educators could come together to learn and grow. I framed this as an invitation to “play.” Playing in this sense was about engaging with ideas and concepts that would move our work forward in exciting and innovative ways.

6. Don’t expect everyone to agree

Not everyone will come along on this journey with you. While this can be hard to accept, it will be harder to continue to push change on someone who is not willing or interested in it. When staff members make it clear that they are not coming with you on the road to change, it is important to continue to honor and celebrate what they have contributed while also being clear that the program is moving forward. If they are not willing to be a part of the change, you might need to help them find opportunities that better align with their values and desires.

7. Remember that the process of change is ongoing

The more practice you get managing this process, the easier it will be. When I began my career, I failed often. I did not always understand how to both support educators and help them move forward. But after 17 years of supporting and leading change, it has become easier because I have taken the lessons I learned and applied them. Be gentle with yourself and your team. Change is hard, but it can be done joyfully.

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