Like most other organisations, schools have traditionally been most adept at managing the rational aspects of change. These are the structural and organisational elements, rather than the ways human beings view, react, adapt to and cope with change.  To achieve deep-seated and sustainable change and embed a culture that fosters continual progress, schools must also work with and manage these emotional and political aspects of change.

When their feelings, preferences and 'political' sensitivities are understood and respected, people feel valued and included and become enthusiastic co-creators and facilitators of positive change. When these factors are not respected, people can feel undervalued and excluded and they can become barriers to change.

Change teams therefore need to give equal prominence to emotional, political and rational factors when discussing, forming and implementing change. They need to be acutely aware of how the political and emotional aspects of a change programme can potentially hinder or encourage success.

This includes an awareness of the importance and relevance of the emotional curve that teams experience during the remodelling process.

There is, for example, a downward movement in the curve during the discover stage of the remodelling process (after the initial enthusiastic mobilise stage), when it may emerge that the challenges facing the school are greater than they first appeared.

The deepen stage of the remodelling process, where schools and change teams are getting to the root causes of issues, is also a time when emotional and political barriers can come to the forefront.

It is critical that those involved in the change process feel well supported during this time.

Remodelling and its tools help schools and change teams to support and engage with staff in a way that takes account of emotional, political and rational factors throughout the change programme, and achieve and embed positive long-term change.