There are two parallel processes involved in school construction: Educational development and school construction. Both processes can stimulate each other – and both processes require specific experience, expertise, competencies and organizational forms.
School leaders must become familiar with both processes when building a new school. To ensure that the process runs smoothly, it is important to be aware of the differences between “change management” and “project management”.
A building task is a positive and necessary occasion for teachers and school leaders to reflect on the future of their own educational vision. The school is moving. There are many different ideas and beliefs. It is valuable to use this diversity of opinion; after all, the end result should also serve a variety of people and ways of working.
It is a process of change that requires change management and transformational leadership. For teachers, personal experience is very important. This can be different for each person. John Kotter’s credo “See, Feel, Change” applies here. It is important for school leaders to be in the middle of this process and to realize the school’s vision, make connections, and encourage people to join the conversation and learn from each other.
In construction, building professionals work together in a system of agreements with clear responsibilities, boundaries and contracts. This also requires project management and a transactional leadership style. Deming’s credo of “Plan, Do, Check, Act” applies here. In a construction process, you work in a hierarchical structure. The role of school leadership is more of a customer/client with appropriate distance to implement and review results.