One of the most frequent questions I have been asked over the years is: What are the essential conditions for launching a new initiative? Often what people want to know is whether they should kick off their new program with volunteers or should they mandate total involvement. I typically answer with the following advice. Decide who should be involved at the start. If you don’t have a choice about whether to implement and time is short, then bring everyone on board immediately. Opting out isn’t an option, so don’t sugarcoat it. And be prepared to support everyone on your team through the change process. On the other hand, if you have some control over how quickly to implement a new initiative, then beginning with
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Stephanie Hirsh retired in June 2019 after 31 years with Learning Forward, an international association of more than 13,000 educators committed to increasing student achievement through effective professional learning. Hirsh led the organization as its executive director for the last 13 years where she presented, published, and consulted on Learning Forward’s behalf across North America.
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