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Influencer Strategy

"Leadership is intentional influence."

Joseph Grenny.

One of the leaders' most complex challenges is influencing human behavior in any organization. The book Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change (Grenny et al., 2013) suggests that if we want to innovate the world, we must be able to change hearts, minds, and behavior. In his influencer model, the first step is to set clear, specific, and measurable goals that we want to achieve. Second, identify the influencers in our organization. Then, we must search for the vital behaviors that will drive results by focusing on two or three important actions that produce the most significant change. Finally, we need to combine at least four out of six sources of influence to have 10x more impact than just applying a single source. 

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ORGANIZATIONAL INFLUENCERS

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  • Adopters have the choice  to present and organize their learning pieces of evidence.

  • The facilitator shares the purpose of the innovation (My Why) and invites adopters to find their own Why.

  • Adopters received encouraging messages when assessing their weekly progress with a digital scoreboard system.

  • Provide a growth mindset training (slide presentation).

  • Discuss setbacks and how to overcome them from a growth mindset perspective (message of yet).

  • Facilitate tutorial videos for ePortfolios setup.

  • One-on-one guidance and feedforward during the ePortfolio setup.

  • Invite teachers to share their experiences related to ePortfolios in PD meetings and classrooms.

  • Share exemplary students' ePorfolio as an inspiration to others.

  • Support messages on daily announcements to encourage a growth mindset "learn how to learn."

  • Nurture a growth mindset environment for feedforward.

  • Mentor the use of ePortfolio as a learning tool (COVA principals).

  • Facilitate direct coaching in classrooms.

  • Create a support tech team (teacher/students) to assist adopters in ePortfolio development.

  • Create a reward program to celebrate accomplishments.

  • Share success stories in meetings, school website, and newspaper.

  • Use ePortfolio as a part of the teacher/student assessment.

  • Reliable internet connection.

  • Provide a diversity of apps/ programs to allow creativity.

  • Allow time in daily schedule for ePortfolio development.

  • Allow gatherings for feedforward and                 idea-sharing. 

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RESULTS

By the end of the school year 2023-2024, the 5th-graders participating in the pilot will have developed their ePortfolios.

Check ePortfolio weekly to ensure it contains:

  • 1 piece of learning evidence for reading.

  • 1 piece of learning evidence for writing.

  • 1 reflection post per week.

MEASUREMENTS

Use ePortfolio as a learning tool to create, and reflect (not as storage). 

Teachers/students collaborate to develop technical skills.

Teachers model ePortfolios use.

  • Principal

  • Assistance principal

  • Language Art specialist

  • 5th-grade teachers

  • The facilitator (myself)

When searching for vital behaviors, we must focus on two or three vital actions that produce the most significant change. Successful influencers follow four vital behaviors search strategies:

  • Notice the obvious. 

  • Look for crucial moments. 

  • Spot culture busters

  • Learn from positive deviants.

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COMBINE   AT   LEAST  

  SOURCES   OF   INFLUENCE

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For my Innovation Plan, the desired result is that students participating in the pilot have developed their ePortfolios by the end of the 2023-2024 school year. This goal is clear and specific and can measure adopters' progress. I will ensure that everyone is on track by doing a weekly check-up on the learning pieces of evidence and reflection. 

The influencers in my organization that will help adopters follow these vital behaviors are the principal, assistant principal, language art specialist, fifth-grade teachers, and myself. 

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My innovation plan is the implementation of ePortfolios following the COVA approach; it is obvious that it is a learning tool. If adopters started using it as storage to collect instead of connect, it would defeat its purpose. Collaboration is a critical behavior when technical skills are lacking. Students and teachers can learn from each other (reversing the culture busters). My positive deviants will model using ePortfolio to inspire the adopters when facing challenges.

I connected the vital behaviors to deliberate practices to complete the influencer strategy. 

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At a personal level, I am helping them love what they hate. Most people don't like changes because these imply challenges, and they want to stay in their comfort zone. ePortfolio adopters will be motivated if they have the choice to present and organize their learning pieces of evidence. I will appeal to their hearts when sharing the purpose of the innovation (My Why). Encouraging messages for their weekly performance will be available in a digital scoreboard system. It will show where adopters are and where they need to be. I am giving them the ability through training and coaching. A Growth Mindset Plan will prepare adopters to overcome challenges they may face during ePortfolio development. When setbacks occur, the message of yet will be significant.

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At the social level, no source of influence is more powerful and accessible than the persuasive power of our social networks. When vital behaviors are questionable, we must demonstrate a willingness to sacrifice old values for new ones. The modeling and experiences sharing of the influencers will encourage the ePortfolio adopters.

By creating a growth mindset environment, adopters will collaborate and won't hesitate to seek help when they need coaching or mentoring. Teachers will not feel embarrassed if students coach them. They will assist each other.

 

At the structural level, it is necessary to change the economy and status of the adopters. A reward program is essential to motivate change as well as recognition. Providing the time and tools (internet, apps/ programs) for the ePortfolio adopters is essential for the innovation plan's success.

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Experts recommend combining at least four sources of influence to make the change ten times more effective. As I want my Innovation plan to be successful, I have combined all six.

Grenny, J., Patterson, K., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2013). Influencer:       The new science of leading change. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

 

Grenny, J., Maxfield, D., Shimberg, A. (2013). “How to 10X Your Influence.” VitalSmarts, Retrieved from:  https://www.vitalsmarts.com/resource/10x-your-influence/.

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