Have you ever just sat and watched a fire from birth to finish on a nice cool fall evening?
It's a mesmerizing process and quite relaxing to say the least!
Having said that, I've noticed that there are three stages to the fire process:
Stage 1: The initial spark which includes smaller pieces of wood that slowly spread throughout the fire pit but won't last too long without proper placement and proper air circulation.
Stage 2: The slightly larger pieces of wood that catch flame by being surrounded by many smaller pieces already aflame that will last a while but won't be able to withstand a strong gust of wind.
Stage 3: The largest pieces of wood that then catch fire from the medium sized pieces of wood and burn quite hot and last for quite some time and are easily able to withstand a strong gust of wind.
I couldn't help but notice the similarity of this process to the process of initiating and facilitating change.
All change starts with a spark and a small flame... (stage 1)
All change needs to be carefully constructed and planned out with additional supports to help get the change really off the ground... (stage 2)
All change is sustainable and enduring when the supports and structure become the culture of the organization thus becoming too powerful to be overcome by outside variables and factors... (stage 3)
We all play a certain role on our teams, in our schools, and in our districts.
Which role do you play?
Which part of the flame are you...?