Rich Jones, after describing some major governmental structural changes in
Toronto, asked some questions.
========quote====
1. experiences you have had in a business context with effective
implementation of change initiatives
2. suggestions of current literature on how to institute change
effectively within organizations
3. psychological reference material related to human reactions to
forced change, and how to mitigate those
4. examples of effective leadership in bringing about change
5. anything else you think may apply and be helpful
=====end-of quote=====
Rich, I can understand the complexities of converting six governmental
units into one. I served as chair of county charter commission that
proposed a defeated ballot issue that would restructure our county
government and create a mechanism for the 17 municipalities within the
county to discuss joint provision of services, including transferring the
responsibilties for services to the county. Emotions did run high.
>From our work in efforts to improve education, we have come across several
authors and books on change. One of the foremost researhers and writers
is located in Toronto. Dr. Michael Fullan is Dean of the Faculty of
Education at the University of Toronto and works with several boards in
the province as well as speaking throughout North America, and perhaps
further. His book "Change Forces" is very succinct and powerful. The
title and publisher are:
Change Forces: Probing the depths of Educational Reform, Falmer Press,
1993
Another interesting book is The Human Side of Change
A Practical Guide to Organizational Redesign
Timothy J. Galpin
1996 Jossey-Bass Publishers
Good luck!
David Wilkinson
School Improvement Specialist
Des Moines Public Schools (IA)
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