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It’s Back-to-School time. Are you Ready for Change? Every school year begins with...  New staff.  New initiatives.  New priorities.  New curriculum.  New expectations. New opportunities. Change is coming. And people experience change differently. Some are eager to jump in. Some need time. Some ask questions. Some quietly resist. Successful change is about understanding where people are, meeting them there, and helping them move Read ▸ about Back to School. Are you Ready for Change?

Why We Created Two Different Systems Simulations "What's the difference between Making Change™ and Systems Thinking, Systems Changing™?" This month, we're pulling back the curtain on each simulation so you can decide which simulation you’d like to facilitate and which Training of Trainers is right for you. Check out what our Director has to say: Check out the table below for more distinctions between the games. Which Simulation Will You Facilitate? Every organization Read ▸ about Choose your Simulation. Become the Facilitator.

We've communicated the vision.  We've explained the why.  We've provided the training.  So why aren't people on board? That question - why aren’t people on board? - is a common question by educational leaders. When a new initiative struggles to gain traction, it's easy to assume people are resistant to change. But in our experience, resistance is often something else entirely. Check out what the Director of Cairn Guidance has to say about Resistance. More Read ▸ about When Good People Resist Good Ideas

Ready to Lead Systems Simulations? The school year is wrapping up, but not without two cities experiencing the Systems Simulation experience from Cairn Guidance! This month, we had the opportunity to facilitate Systems Simulations with educators and teams navigating real-world change in both Bechertown, Massachusetts and Las Vegas, Nevada.  Watching participants play the game affirmed that no matter the district, charter, city (or timezone)... People don’t just need Read ▸ about Join the Interest List for Our October Training of Trainers

Author: Jess Lawrence, Director I’ll be the first to admit it: numbers, math, and anything remotely “financial” have never been my strength. I’m not naturally analytical, I’m not spatial, and without GPS, I’d likely still be circling the same block. So when I transitioned out of teaching and into running my own consulting business, it became very clear, very quickly that I couldn’t do it alone. I needed real expertise around finances: managing expenses, setting goals, projecting Read ▸ about Twenty Years of Support & Guidance – Rebecca Rhodes of Rebecca Rhodes Consulting LLC

Author: Jess Lawrence, Director I am proud of myself, but more so of those who have helped me build this national consulting business. Without the advice of colleagues, mentors, and advisors, we wouldn’t be here. Without the staff I have hired, both consultants and employees, I wouldn’t have the capacity (or skills) to do what we do!  Over the course of the next few months, you will see those experts, supporters, and advisors highlighted in social media posts, on our blog, and Read ▸ about Twenty Years of Support & Guidance –  Paige Gott of Tidewater Consulting LLC

The first of a four-part systems simulation webinar series was very successful! Michelle Thornton from Berea College in Kentucky shared how she uses the Systems Thinking, Systems  Changing™ simulation with her college students. She shared stories about how effective the simulation is when teaching pre-service educators how to navigate or even lead change in school settings.  Michelle shared, “I really like using it [Systems Thinking, Systems Changing™] with my Foundations class Read ▸ about Webinar Reflection: Testimonials from the Field; Why Use the Systems Simulations

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary, Director Jess Lawrence will be highlighting key partners, clients, projects, and resources throughout her twenty years in leadership of Cairn Guidance. As we celebrate 20 years of Cairn Guidance, I’ll be highlighting key partners, projects, and pivotal moments that shaped my leadership journey. One of those moments happened long before Cairn Guidance officially began. In 2003, I was hired at the Oregon Department of Education as the Health Read ▸ about 20 Years of Cairn Guidance: A Moment That Changed My Trajectory