Plan
How to build a
changemaking effort
Elizabethton students collaborated with their school board liaison to collaborate on a pathway for gathering student insights. They developed a plan for outreach and how to best share their discovery with the district.
Now that a great team has been built and
you’ve defined a change to pursue, jump in and
use these four steps to define a vision, plan and
build a movement, and prepare to act:
Change is
rooted in
a powerful
vision
for
the future.
Explore these inspiring examples of vision statements drawn from organizations:
A vision is a vivid picture of the future you hope to create—memorable and inspiring. It is a clear destination for your change effort, and all who are involved should know when you have achieved it.
so every student
graduates to
succeed in life.
A world where
everyone has
a decent place
to live.
We envision a world where all people—even in the most remote areas of the globe—hold the power to create opportunity for themselves and others.
Our mission is to provide a free, world class education for anyone, anywhere.
Tip:
A vision statement is a concise and powerful statement of the team’s vision typically in one to two sentences. It communicates the desired future state in an inspiring way without being too wordy.
Share your vision
statement with @XQAmerica using the hashtag #youthvoicekit
Team Exercise
Craft the vision
A clear vision should focus your effort, be easily understood, and most importantly, motivate your team and high school community.
Objectives:
Determine a vision
Turn the vision into
a clear statement
Tip:
A vision statement is a concise and powerful statement of the team’s vision typically in one to two sentences. It communicates the desired future state in an inspiring way without being too wordy.
An effective change plan requires well-planned actions
Key Concept
Action Library
Actions are the steps that help achieve a vision. Use these
actions to serve as inspiration for your team’s change plan
and as the team completes the change plan template. Pull
from the action library and create your own!
Actions that bringpeople together
Actions thateducate others
Actions thatamplify the effort
educate others
amplify the effort
Team Exercise
Build the plan
A plan is a plotted-out sequence of actions, usually in timeline form, that can be taken to make change a reality. A plan is a clear, understandable, and logical roadmap for the process your team will undertake.
Objectives:
Plot out sequenced steps
(actions) across a timeline
Specify the who, how,
where, why, and when
behind each action
Tip:
Actions can be large or small,
depending on the scope of
the change and the scale of
the effort.
For every action, consider why
it drives and builds momentum
toward the vision.
Students at New Harmony
High planned out an effort
that culminated in piloting
a recycling program to model
sustainability practices in their
high school community.
Strong
change plans
are anchored by
strong preparation.
Strong change plans are anchored by strong preparation.
Tip:
Your change plan is only as
strong as the preparation,
you do as a team. The more
prepared the team is, the,
the better it can respond to the
inevitable ups and downs of
the journey ahead!
Team Exercise
Prepare the plan for reality
Now that your team has a clear vision (end goal) and a plan for getting there, critically think about how you will know you’re successful, what might stand in your way (obstacles), and how you’ll work together to achieve change.
Objectives:
Determine what success will look
like during the project
Discuss what might interfere with
the plan while brainstorming how
the team will address any barriers
Prepare to support each other
throughout the journey
Readying a plan for showtime deserves a moment to reflect and celebrate!
The team has made it through the crucial step of planning! As you prepare to turn the plan into action, take some time to celebrate and reflect on the planning stage of this journey and how it felt.
To practice self-reflection on what has been planned up until this point, think about the following:
Reflect on the highs and lows of planning an intense change effort
Determine the support you and the team will need as your plan starts to become a reality
Think about how far you and the team have come to this point and how the team can unlock all its potential
Next section
Grounded in a clear plan, powerful actions, and a motivating vision, it’s time to make your plan real.
