Change Forces - The Sequel

If you are looking for answers to overcome change or the steps needed to implement change, this is not the book for you. It will not tell you how to incorporate a new innovation into your organization, it will not make your organization immune to change and it will not provide a blueprint for change. Fullan freely admits that there is no blueprint for change, but the book does provide an understanding of the forces at work and some rationales for the tension present in organizations as they face change. The information is applicable to any organization, but schools are highlighted within the examples and research, and provide a basis for understanding some of the reasons change is so difficult. Because we are constantly facing change within our schools I would recommend this book for all school personnel. It will give some insight to the politics of change and even reveal why people act, or react, the way they do when faced with change. It is a quick and easy read, for the most part, and will stir some possible discussion topics and things to think about within each school. Some of the information, even the lessons of change, is carried over from Fullan's first book although they are modified and updated to include current research and methodology. His third book on change, Change Forces With a Vengeance, is currently out so it will be interesting to see what changes Fullan has included in his third installment.

"Change Forces: The Sequel" takes an in depth look at how making a difference in the lives of students is essential to successful school reform. The reader is re-introduced to the concept of collaboration and the positive implications that it can have upon the change process. The book reinforces the belief that resistance and conflict are actually positive traits in helping to attain and sustain effective change. The text does an excellent job of leading the reader to a better understanding of how the change process, both internally and externally, must be understood and routinely modified. This, in turn, will allow the entire change process to become practice. The book further discusses Fullan's eight lessons, which help the reader better understand the complexity of change.The common bond that each of these lessons has is that one is only as effective as the other is, when used in combination. Within these lessons, Fullan describes "inside collaboration" and "outside collaboration". He reiterates the importance of working collaboratively within the organization and within the community. He stresses the importance of "reflective evaluation"(an ongoing process that should involve all members and aspects of the community affected by the change). Establishing trust, a strong accountability system, and innovativeness are all essential factors in helping an organization successfully embark upon change. Those involved in the change process must first be educated, then allowed to proceed. The premise of this book is that if true change/reform is to evolve into practice, then all the forces, externally and internally, must employ one another collaboratively. It does an exemplary job of building upon Fullan's theory of change, and allowing any facet of any organization, the capability to use the principles and theories he proposes.

This book is an excellent resource for school districts about to embark on major reform initiatives. It is very easy to read and conversational in style. The illustrations and case studies were excellent. Concepts such as 'groupthink' and its pros and cons proved interesting. There were good comparisons as to how the business world thinks compared to what occurs in public education efforts to implement ideas, theories and lessons. Eight lessons from previous materials by the author were reviewed and I found this to be helpful. The emphasis on the importance of collaborative efforts in schools with parents,community and business leaders as partners is more timely than ever. The emphasis on the role of parents and the community in collaboration is necessary for the survival and success of any school district and its reform efforts. The three forces, intellectual, political, and spiritual fusion were well-defined and illustrated nicely for comprehension. It might have been useful to include student accountability and the orle it plays in collaboration. Accountability and responsibility are key to any successful learning taking place in the mind of today's students. This book could also be used as a resource when working with educators to understand change and apply it to what they do daily. The emphasis on moral purpose serving as the vehicle for making a difference in our work as educators serves as a constant reminder as to why most of us chose to enter this profession in the first place.

Michael Fullan continues to build for us a revolutionary new intellectual base for building management systems for complex human and social organizations. The development of chaos theory and methods of modeling complex non-linear systems is clearly moving way beyond the realm of fractals, imaging and mathematical theories, and into the very practical world where we desperately need a useful understanding of how management models and complex organizations interact. The mathematics of chaos brought us the realization that complex systems can be modeled and has emboldened people like Michael Fullan to attempt it in the field of education--with spectacular results. This latest book--perhaps easier to read than its predecessor, but still demanding of the intellect--brings us up to date with some of the latest thinking in the field of "change management" and how it can help lead us toward truly lasting and powerful educational reform.