One of the questions that is hardest for me to answer about the path we’ve walked at SLA is, "Yes, but what about those of us who don’t get to start from scratch?"

It’s a fair question, and while I believe it is possible — in fact necessary — for existing schools to change to become more humane, forward thinking institutions, there’s no question that those schools have a disadvantage that we don’t have. Although I do always point out that starting a school from scratch, while having many advantages, also means you have to start a school from scratch — re-inventing every process from curriculum design to the ways by which faculty place orders for classroom supplies when we run out.

But, the more I talked to people about the ways we established norms at SLA, the ways we got everyone to pull in the same direction on curriculum and assessment, the more I have come to believe that the thing that is our greatest strength is the necessary first step for schools and leaders who aren’t starting from the beginning.

I really think the key is consensus-driven decision making. I think the only way to really reform existing schools is to be willing to take a broad vision and then let that vision be changed and embodied by all stakeholders… and not just on the big ideas, but on any of the important implementation pieces as well.

So what does consensus-driven decision making look like? First, it’s important to understand that it does not mean that everyone agrees with every decision. That’s just about impossible, I’d think. What it means is that everyone agrees to live with and abide by decisions, and that everyone trusts the process enough to know that everyone has moments when they give up their sacred cow, and everyone has moments when their idea forms the backbone of what we decide.

Perhaps most importantly, consensus-driven decision making means that when there are disagreements and concerns, those concerns are aired and attempts must be made to both address and ameliorate them. People have to commit to the idea that we’ll all sit around the table until everyone feels comfortable moving forward. And people have to commit themselves to being willing to listen and move forward.

This isn’t the kind of thing that people learn and trust overnight. It’s not something that you can just decide, "O.k., now we’re going to do this. Everyone, get on board." I think it requires taking a ton of time. I think it’s summer work to get started. And I think it’s the kind of thing that can make some people decide to leave when an organization is obviously pulling away from their core beliefs. But I also think it can be something that can make schools healthy, strong places. The upfront work of building consensus can lead to all kinds of amazing leaps forward when it comes time for implementation. It can build trust, and it can build community.

One of the things that people have to realize in this kind of process — and where it can go horribly wrong — is that it does require a willingness to build true synthesis of ideas. Where this can go horribly awry is when what comes out of the process is some sort of fifteen-headed monster where to appease everyone, everyone’s idea gets stuck onto the main idea until what you have is some sort of completely unimplementable idea that bears no resemblance to the original. For consensus to work, people have to be willing to change. People have to be willing to listen to opposing ideas and find the places of common ground and work from there. It doesn’t work any other way.

And the find thing is that in time, folks can trust the process enough that the meetings do get shorter. Our recent discussions about capstone have been amazing in that one person comes to the table with a general framework, many ideas are tossed around, and then, folks do come to a point where they trust the process enough to either say, "Hey, I’m going to put some time in on the committee to revise what we’ve got and represent it," or they say, "I was heard, now, let’s see where we go."

It’s hard work, and I won’t lie, as a leader, I’ve had plenty of moments where I thought that it would be easier if everyone just did it the way I wanted it done. But I’ve always been pleased with the outcome of this process… not always right away… but in the end. It means that everyone — me included — has to have a strong enough ego to let their ego out of the process. It means that everyone has really be willing to listen. But it means that, in the end, you can get to a point where everyone does indeed agree on how to move forward. And that’s how change can start.