Step 7 of 8
Keeping momentum
The change is fading from view, or problems are becoming reasons to stop.
What this step is about
Many changes fade after the launch. This step is about keeping the change on the agenda, and treating problems as things to solve rather than proof it was never going to work.
Momentum comes from attention: what leaders keep asking about is what people believe matters.
The questions for this step
- The change is still discussed in meetings and conversations weeks after it started.
- When problems come up, they get fixed rather than used as a reason to drop it.
What it looks like when it’s missing
- The marking policy was the priority in September. By February it has disappeared from meeting agendas.
- The first problem with the homework platform becomes the reason several teachers stop using it.
- A new initiative arrives mid-year, and the timetable change quietly stops being mentioned.
- The behaviour system is reviewed once, then left to run on its own.
What to do
- Keep the change as a standing item in team meetings, even if it’s only five minutes.
- Review progress against your picture of success each half-term.
- Log problems as they come up and fix them visibly.
- Protect the change from being crowded out by the next new thing.
- Use early wins as credibility to tackle the harder parts.
Common mistakes
- Moving on to the next priority too soon.
- Letting one setback become the story.
- Launching new initiatives that compete for the same time.
Templates
Quick wins tracker
Record early wins, the evidence, who made them happen, and how they were shared and credited.
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