ldrs501

Response to Stella’s “If Only I had a Chance…” Blog Post 4.1

health and education, ldrs501, Post 4.1, response post
\

You may read Stella’s original 4.1 post here: https://create.twu.ca/ldrs501/author/lana-makimytwu-ca/

Thank you for providing such a richly detailed post, Stella!  I have often wondered what a school could really be like if items like all those you mentioned were truly in evidence, able to be applied as necessary without restriction.  It seems, however, that any development begins as a simple group structure and inevitably gets more complex as it grows (Galbraith, 2014, p. 93).  Our colleague Marcelo can speak more aptly about the natural development since the school of which he is principal is only five years into its growth cycle (Warkentin, 2019, para. 1).

Just Like Me

Many of the protocols you have touched on in your post mirror my experiences in the public system.  Have you always worked in an independent school?  One of the reasons I began taking courses through TWU was a preparation step for the possibility of transitioning to the private education system which seemed to require the Worldview course.  Nearly four years and eight courses later and I am still ministering in a public school.  The light needs to be everywhere, right?

This Little Light of Mine

I am curious about your perspective about “being engulfed by the public sector” around you as a private institution (Peters, 2018, para. 3). When I first begin teaching, one of my principals lamented about how the Christian families removed their children from public schools to attend the various private schools started through many church organizations.  He said, “They remove the light and then point at the darkness in our schools. What do they expect when they take away the light?”  That has stayed with me my entire career as I tried to reconcile the ‘light in the world’ dilemma: “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, NIV).  Do you collaborate with other schools in your community through various classes or school clubs? Does your school have service clubs who assist others in the community?

‘The Four Actions Framework’ illustrated in Ungerer, Ungerer, and Herholdt (2016, p. 296) does appear to be a useful methodology for making more actionable decisions and providing consistent direction for increasing your school’s light in your community.  More personally, the framework provides structure for purposeful actions in my setting as well.  In Measure What Matters (2011) Paine states, “By finding out what the market thinks are your competition’s strengths you can spot ways to improve your own products.  By learning what the market sees as competition’s weaknesses, you can identify the best opportunities to gain an advantage” (pp.102-103).  Is this business comparison relevant to your educational model and vision?

Mix It Up!

Your suggestion for “challenging teachers to try out another grade level or a new subject” (Peters, 2018, para. 2) would certainly provide a broader perspective for everyone regarding child development and an appreciation for the responsibilities each teacher carries.  This may be more challenging at the secondary level where subject matter proficiency is important for quality of education.  Can there be job shadowing at each level for deeper understanding of the investment at every level?  As teachers we often become myopic due to intense focus on our own immediate grade/class/subject.  Understanding where our students come from and where they are going fosters a more comprehensive understanding of our actual role in their development.  Isn’t this how we make next-step decisions in our educational organizations?

Managing Changes as a Leader

Since I do not hold a formal position of leadership, my influence in my organization is more lateral and supportive rather than directive.  At times, I experience a great disruptive dissonance between my role as an employee and my developing awareness of strategic leadership.  Patience and focus on assisting others in the moment enable me to mitigate my discomfort.  Since you are in a newly-appointed position of educational leadership, Stella, could you please address the following questions in light of your most recent experiences?

  1. How do you control your enthusiasm and energetic approach to instituting necessary changes to focus on selecting the most appropriate steps at them moment?
  2. What priority system is your team using to enhance what is already a strong educational structure in your community?
  3. What measures do you use to identify areas of change in your organization?
  4. Who is your main focus: staff, students, parents or board members? How do all these customers benefit from changes or do you need to focus more specifically on one domain at a time?

Thank you, Stella, for taking time to read my response and consider some of my questions.

References

Galbraith, J. R. (2014). Designing organizations: Strategy, structure, and process at the business unit and enterprise levels (3rd ed.).  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Holy Bible. (1983). New International Version. Indianapolis, IN: Kirkbride Bible Co.

Paine, K. D. (2011). Measure what matters: Online tools for understanding customers, social media, engagement, and key relationships.  Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Peters, S. (October 23,2018).  If only I had the chance…(Blog 4.1).  [Blog Post] Retrieved from https://create.twu.ca/ldrs501/author/lana-makimytwu-ca/

Ungerer, M., Ungerer, G., and Herholdt, J. (2016). Navigating strategic possibilities: Strategy formulation and execution practices to flourish. Randburg: KR Publishing.  Retrieved from http://ezproxy.student.twu.ca:2956/eds/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzE0MjcwMjhfX0FO0?sid=5fbd51a5-30a9-4409-a951-e9e184d6d557@pdc-v-sessmgr02&vid=1&format=EB

Warkentin, M. (October 25, 2018). Barriers and hope – 4.1.  [Blog Post] Retrieved from https://create.twu.ca/marcelowarkentin/2018/10/25/barriers-and-hope-4-1/

The Three Questions (Blog Post 4.1)

health and education, ldrs501, Post 4.1
\

The Three Questions

It is always about the little things.  When work gets complicated and confusion replaces collaboration, it is time to take away the complexity by remembering what is truly important—the people.  Strategic teams need people to work together through strategic plans developed according to commonly shared understandings in line with an organizations mission, vision, and values (MVV).  Building up the people who are part of any and every organization will ensure that the whole organization is working efficiently and effectively to achieve the goals of the company.  Zeeman (2017) states in his presentation of Senge’s Five Disciplines of Learning Organizations, people expand the capacity to create desired results (para. 2).

The three questions strategic leaders should always consider in decision-making are presented quite aptly in a picture book based on a story written by Leo Tolstoy (Muth, 2002):

1) Who is the most important one?         

2) What is the right thing to do?

3) When is the right time to do things?

If you wish to listen to the story, follow this link, The Three Questions, and someone will kindly read it to you.  Since most of my leadership skills are practiced within the classroom for now, a story with a transformative lesson is more relatable to my followers.

From the Inside Out – Developing Best Practices

Who is the most important one?

You never really know an organization’s true practices until you are on the inside.  One of the organizations in which I have been employed had an excellent initial interview process which was engaging and supportive while also objective.  Two former administrators conducted the interviews and made recommendations to the Human Resource (HR) department.  I was thrilled to work for an organization similar to the one I had to leave behind when I moved.  Galbraith (2014) states that organizations will often hire people of like mind-sets and skill sets that enhance the company (p. 53).  “Human resource policies are some of the most powerful culture builders” (Galbraith, 2014, p. 144), so choose wisely.

When is the right time to do things?

The identity of any educational institution is automatically public due to the service it provides to the surrounding community.  Integrity keeps the company in a positive light while inconsistent practice and forgetting our need to serve people well can create cracks in the veneer. Developing stability with flexibility is an intentional process with a need to stay consistent with the organizations own mission statement, vision, and values.

The past eight years has seen monumental shift in educational pedagogy attempting to prepare students for this digital age (BC New Curriculum).  Ungerer, Ungerer, and Herholdt (2016) mention that there are tectonic shifts happening in education due to digital transitions and which is creating immense disruptions (p. 277). Even educational organizations need to make timely changes to stay current as well as competitive; there are many diverse opportunities for education these days and customers are lost when reactions are too slow and cumbersome.  Public persona of the whole organization can also impact hiring practices when there is little to draw new staff to a district.

What is the right thing to do?

Creating an organizational culture requires intentional decision-making at every turn.  The power structure is weakened without diversity.  Since it is impossible to know everything with just the same people in the same positions for long periods of time, it is necessary to go outside the organization and gather new ideas (Ungerer et al., 2016, p. 286).  Galbraith (2014) says, “If growth creates complex strategies, it is diversity or variety, interdependence, and change that shape organizations” (p. 14).  Rotating leaders to share their strengths in different locations and facilitating best practice training for those who wish to innovate their practice is a wise investment of resources.  Investing in people is always the right thing to do.

Negatively Impacting Practices

One of the biggest negative impacts for my previous organization was the practice of hiring only “local” people to create a more unified front.  While Lepsinger (2010) supports developing the people you need internally, it is also critical to break the cycle of low expectations and low performance (Lepsinger, 2010, p. 56).  Since HR policies play such an enormous part of creating the behaviours and mind-sets that support the necessary changes, hiring practices must support the organization’s MVV (Galbraith, 2014, p. 144).

Working toward a common vision requires supporting and hiring people with divergent thinking to reinforce problem solving without creating bottle necks in the changes.  The Four Actions framework found in Navigating Strategic Possibilities is a good pattern for change-making decisions in a focused and purposeful manner (Ungerer et al., 2016, p. 296).  Trying to maintain the status quo through limited hiring caused slow adjustments to changing trends in that district.  Four suggestions to remediate some of the negative impacts are as follows:

1) Visible leaders who are encouraging and supportive.

  • assume value in the people
  • focus on what they do well
  • make the unconscious good practice conscious (Lepsinger, 2010, pp.56-59).

2) Open access to real data.

  • Make decisions based on real numbers
  • Intentional use of metrics and measurements tied to the organizations MVV
  • Increase accountability through SMART goals (Lepsinger, 2010, pp. 62-63).

3)  Equal and appropriate access to resources.

  • Reduces competition
  • Reinforces risk-taking for best practice
  • Encourages collaboration and working in teams (Galbraith, 2014, p. 145).

4) Balance between autonomy and internal integrity

  • Decisions on a common foundation to increase best practice
  • Positive interactions for signs of growth and early corrective measures (Lepsinger, 2010, p. 61).

“Synergy is the interaction of multiple elements in a system to produce an effect different from or greater than the sum of the individual effects (Galbraith, 2014, p. 225).

Three Personal Responses to the Three Questions

Being one person who can affect change by investing in changing little practices and ways of conducting business may not seem powerful but the power of one is demonstrated very well (and mathematically proven!) through the story, Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed, by Emily Pearson.  This link should take you to a read-aloud of this book:  Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed 

 

What is the right thing to do?

  • Share my knowledge, understandings and pedagogical practices with my colleagues when it can expedite their practice.
  • Provide constructive feedback that is descriptive rather than evaluative, collaborative for solutions and balanced (Lepsinger, 2010, p. 65).
  • Seek better methods to achieve success for more people.
    • This is tricky because we are all on our developmental journey as teachers
    • A balanced response which can build up my colleagues and encourage problem solving (Lepsinger, 2010, p. 57).

When is the right time to do things?

  • In every conversation
    • Build others up, including my leader
    • Lead the Transformational Servant Leadership (TSL) way
    • Consider the effect on others.
  • Learn to prioritize for efficacy
    • Have a plan and set goals (Lepsinger, 2010, p. 6)
    • Always focus on strengths and alignment with my personal MVV
    • SMART goals to use time well
  • Only participate in confrontational matters when considering the other person’s growth
    • Avoid conflict on small matters
    • “How can I help?” thinking
    • Use time at work for work

Who is the most important one?

Practicing personal self-care for more effective work practices is important.  To make myself important at times, I need to:

  • Take care of myself by limiting the extras I agree to help with in the never-ending work environment of helping people.
  • Use mental health strategies to reduce the effects of caring and stay aligned with good practice.
  • Focus on spiritual growth through scriptural principles which provides the strongest guidance, most consistent walk, and life-long growth.

“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

– 1 Corinthians 10:31

References

Galbraith, J. R. (2014). Designing organizations: Strategy, structure, and process at the business unit and enterprise levels (3rd ed.).  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Lepsinger, R. (2010). Closing the execution gap: How great leaders and their companies get results. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

Muth, J. (2002). The three questions.  New York, NY: Scholastic.  Retrieved from [October 22, 2018] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70m4KL3hYyc&t=40s

Pearson, E. (2002). Ordinary Mary’s extraordinary deed.  Retrieved from [October 22, 2018] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVSrz-5ps7g&t=73s

Ungerer, M., Ungerer, G., and Herholdt, J. (2016). Navigating strategic possibilities: Strategy formulation and execution practices to flourish. Randburg: KR Publishing.  Retrieved from http://ezproxy.student.twu.ca:2956/eds/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzE0MjcwMjhfX0FO0?sid=5fbd51a5-30a9-4409-a951-e9e184d6d557@pdc-v-sessmgr02&vid=1&format=EB

Zeeman, A. (2017). Senge’s Five Disciplines of Learning Organizations. Retrieved [October 13, 2018] from ToolsHero: https://www.toolshero.com/management/five-disciplines-learning-organizations/

Response to Pierre’s Post 3.1 on Strategic Leadership Teams in Health Care

health and education, ldrs501, post 3.1
\

The original post of HC1 Post 3.1 – Strategic Leadership Teams by Pierre Florendo can be read in its entirety at this link:  https://create.twu.ca/pierreflorendo/2018/10/16/strategic-leadership-teams-hc1/

Thank you for directing our attention to integrity at the beginning of your post, Pierre.  In so many interactions the past few years, I have observed people make in-the-moment decisions and responses that are incongruous with good practice.  When I have inquired about the reason for not remaining true to previous protocols or commonly agreed upon processes, the explanation centers on decisions in the moment or as an immediate contextual necessity.  The ensuing result creates confusion about direction, mistrust among colleagues, and inconsistent leadership.

Open Communication and Information Sharing

You mentioned fiscal responsibilities and the various ways a department would meet the requirements for spending, Pierre, which is similar to how budgets worked in schools.  “The mindset of spending, even if superfluous, chowed a lack of stewardship and by extension a lack of integrity” (Florendo, 2018, para. 2).  Although unspent money is not clawed back anymore in my immediate organization, there is very little accountability to the staff on the actual allocation of our budget.  The administrator informs us each month at staff meetings about money spent on certain things for our school, but we have little involvement in the real decisions nor do we ever see the budget data for a school year.  Lack of openness is creating mistrust and disengaged employee interactions which frustrates our administrator.  A strategic team’s foundation must be on of trust and transparency in all areas. “All teams must have access to the information they need to understand the competitive environment, and the information they use must be valid and timely (Hughes et al., 2014, p. 207).

Consistency in Words and Deed

Applying your influence as a team leader in your current role as Director of Care is a noble goal, Pierre: “I want a team that enjoys their work now and looks forward to making a positive impact” (Florendo, 2018, para. 6).  Investing in others extends your influence to more potential team leaders and engaged employees.  Lepsinger (2010) says that “if your employees can’t have a sense of ownership, nothing truly great can occur” (p. 14).  Your commitment to reverse the disillusionment of the suppression and disenfranchisement they have experienced under the leadership of other administrators will take time and consistent, vigilance of self-evaluation.  “No company should ever have two sets of values and expectations: one for the leader(s) and one for the employees” (Lepsinger, 2010, p. 17).

Empowering Others

I agree with your final statement that “empowering others will solve many of the struggles and challenges any team faces” (Florendo, 2018, para. 11).  Do you have a timeline in your plan to reach this goal?  Leaders who are successful in their current position often receive other promotions to lead in larger or more critical venues.  Employees will need to see your leadership as more than a stepping stone to another position.  How can you convince them to change their current approaches and investing in both short-term and long-term changes for improving the care facility?  What are two necessary changes (SMART goals) you will institute to create a climate of learning for your whole team (Hughes et al., 2014, p. 215)?

References

Florendo, P. (October 16, 2018). Strategic leadership teams – HC1 (post 3.1) (Health Care).  Retrieved from

Hughes, R., Beatty, K. & Dinwoodie, D. (2014). Becoming a strategic leader: Your role in your organization’s enduring success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Lepsinger, R. (2010). Closing the execution gap: How great leaders and their companies get results.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Response to Stella’s Strategic Leadership Teams Post 3.1 (ET2)

health and education, ldrs501, post 3.1
\

Response to Stella’s ET2-Change Makers Post 3.1 – Strategic Leadership Teams whose original post can be read here: https://create.twu.ca/stellapetersldrs501/2018/10/15/49/

Thank you for providing a detailed look into the workings of the leadership team in your organization, Stella!  Your post is thorough and informative and aligned with many of the principles we have studied in Results-Based Leadership this past summer as well as the few weeks of Strategic Leadership in which we have been immersed.  It reminds me of the longing I had when I chose to study at TWU to be fed from this learning journey and not just put out energy and effort into another venue of work without return.

As I compare your work and leadership experience with my own, I am really wondering if strategic teams and effective systems thinking is even possible without a transformational servant leader mindset?  You mentioned that you were able to safely inquire about your AP’s questionable actions in a particular situation and the team was able to pull “out the policy to work through the issue and then to determine now not to repeat the action in question” (Peters, 2018, para. 10).   Your courage to inquire led your team to a shared understanding and fostered a new level of trust!  Investing in maintaining consistency in the mission, vision, and values of your organization will create opportunities of growth for everyone.  Lepsinger says, “No company should ever have two sets of values and expectations; one for leader(s) and one for the employees” (2010, p. 17).  Integrity.

You described the multi-faceted diversity of your leadership team.  While this can be a real strength and provide “passionate discussions that spur each other to learn from each other and make the best decisions for our staff and students” (Peters, 2018, para. 2).  While a strategic leadership team’s effectiveness is determined by its diverse strategic perspectives (Hughes et al., 2014, p. 213), our strengths can also be our weaknesses.  How does your team ensure that the inherent diversity will not be a stumbling block or bottleneck to maintaining high standards for your educational institution?  You obviously have a shared vision as a leadership team knowing you are not only educating students but instilling a faith-based spiritual foundation as well.  Have you all been able to work consistently in your new roles and avoid the easy comfortable patterns of communication you had in your previous roles?  How do your new roles and old relationships challenge your interactions, if at all?

Your leadership team is making decisions for a wide range of clientele in a K-12 school as well as the many teaching staff who work at every level.  It seems like quite a complex task.  How do you provide the release time for your Professional Learning Communities in order to increase their capacity?  How do you ensure that time to work together is not simply one more thing you are asking of your staff when their schedules are already full?  In our District, we have after school collaboration time which requires us, should we choose to participate, commit to five two-hour after-school sessions on current school needs (i.e. reframing new reporting processes).  The pay-off is that we have two of our mandatory five professional development days off in lieu of time served.  Is there assistance for your staff to maintain a healthy work-life balance as your leadership team institutes changes that will bring your whole organization closer to the long-term goals (Hughes et al., 2014, p. 215).

References

Hughes, R., Beatty, K., and Dinwoodie, D. (2014). Becoming a strategic leader: Your role in your organization’s enduring success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Lepsinger, R. (2010).  Closing the execution gap: How great leaders and their companies get results. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Peters, S. (October 15, 2018). “Strategic leadership teams” by Change Makers-ET2. Retrieved from https://create.twu.ca/stellapetersldrs501/2018/10/15/49/

Response to Kamal’s Systems Post

ET1-MSSL, health and education, ldrs501, post 3.1
\

You can find Kamal’s original post here: https://create.twu.ca/ldrs501/2018/10/15/organization-and-systems-thinking-week-3-dq-post/

In your discussion of the managerial practices in Fraser Health, Kamal, you referred to the need for communication about performance to be done with consideration for how it will impact the employee.  “While this is necessary, I believe the manager has to be careful how it is communicated to the employee without coming across as minimizing their effort and belittling them.  Communication is one of the barriers at times and which leads to a negative outcome” (Badesha, 2018, para. 1).  Maintaining high standards is necessary for continued growth of any organization though it seems particularly vital in healthcare! Providing feedback in a manner that facilitates the understanding and subsequent changes in practice or behaviour can be a delicate matter even when people know it is part of good practice.  “The starting point of breaking the cycle of low expectations is to assume and listen for the positives” (Lepsinger, 2010, p. 57).  In the pressures of the work environment we can often be so focused on results that we fail to do what we know will increase productivity–build up the people!  The most powerful effect of behaviour modification is the change it will produce on the leader who is practicing the principles to create change in others.  If high expectations deliver higher performances, then leaders should focus on their own need to demonstrate the five leadership competencies mentioned in Lepsinger (2010, p. 59):

  1. Enhance the other person’s feelings of importance and self-worth.
  2.  Encouraging people to step out of their comfort zones.
  3.  Creating a supportive environment that is safe for risk taking.
  4.  Reinforcing positive behaviours and clarifying what ‘good looks like.’
  5.   Providing feedback that is balanced and constructive.

Even when working with recalcitrant children or children who are not progressing academically, our assessment always begins by listing their strengths.  This turns our focus on what they “can do” instead of the deficits.  Students perform better when there is something to work toward instead of a list of things to avoid; adults respond similarly, in my experience.  There are many times when a kind word, a positive interaction, and a brief respite can empower employees to continue striving for increased results.

Atha mentions the power of the tongue, as addressed in James 3:3-6, which “can introduce small changes to personal or organizational perspectives that can affect/effect the entire outcome of corporate or personal relations; positively or negatively” (Atha, 2018, p. 5).  With this kind of power comes great responsibility to use this little but mighty God-given tool for good.  Do you find that your positive interactions empower the people you manage, Kamal?  Can your comments and conversations send more powerful messages that override the less-than-complimentary conversations that some leaders in your organization have with the employees they are trying to bring to a higher standard?  I appreciate your focus on the words we so so often use flippantly, forgetting their long-lasting impact on others.  Organizational systems are so interrelated that when one part is negatively impacted, the other parts are also going to feel the effects (Zeeman, 2017, para. 13).  I Corinthians 12:12-27 speaks to the importance of all parts of the body working together even though each part has its own place and function.  “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.”  This is how systems should work.

References

Atha, D. (2018).  A systems thinking primer: Seeing organizations in action. [Course Notes]. Retrieved from https://create.twu.ca/ldrs501/unit-3-learning-activities/

Lepsinger, R. (2010).  Closing the execution gap: How great leaders and their companies get results. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Zeeman, A. (2017). Senge’s Five Disciplines of Learning Organizations. Retrieved [insert date] from ToolsHero: https://www.toolshero.com/management/five-disciplines-learning-organizations/

Badesha, K. (October 2018). Organization and systems thinking: Week 3 DQ post. Retrieved from https://create.twu.ca/ldrs501/2018/10/15/organization-and-systems-thinking-week-3-dq-post/

Senge’s Sightlines for Systems in Schools

health and education, ldrs501, Senge
\

Schools can no longer function efficiently without a systems-thinking approach to the many complexities of the daily responsibility for educating future citizens.  As the educational demands have increased, so has the need for more effective and diversified leadership approaches.  Mental health issues in our classrooms, new wholesale curricular changes without structure, and transitioning leadership bring about a high degree of stress and disengagement from followers.

The Current Situation

My present work environment lacks a developed team approach in many areas and operates with weak systems.  I hesitate to say it has no systems and is without any teams since some teachers continue to work together as they did before my arrival four years ago.  Our current leader has a micro-managing top-down approach and seems particularly antagonistic this year which is causing people to limit involvement in the broader school-wide activities; isolation in classrooms is becoming very common again. Trust is needed so that each team—grade group, primary/intermediate, teachers and educational assistants (EAs), leader/follower—can control its own destiny and operate with the most freedom and the best speed of execution for that team (Galbraith, 2014, p. 97).

Zeeman’s presentation of “Senge’s Five Disciplines of Learning Organizations” (2017) reveal many missing elements in my current work environment.  Shared Vision and Team Learning are two that seem particularly lacking and impactful at every level of our organization.  If systems thinking is interrelated, we need to focus on long-term growth for our school community; since everything in a systems-thinking model is interconnected, it does not really matter where we begin to make those changes (Zeeman, 2017, para. 9).

Shared Vision

Our leader’s personal vision for our school is impeding the development of a shared vision.  Since principals in our district are reassigned every five years, they seem to want to make a statement about their leadership in each school they govern.  What the staff feel are necessary changes to make or what will most effectively meet the needs of the students can often take a suburban-sized back seat to the dictates of the principal.  When people are not consulted, invited in, considered, or at times even ridiculed for their personal approaches, there is politeness but little buy-in to the leader’s initiatives.  Work is challenging, and relationships are crumbling.  If we could focus on pertinent data, we could devise more immediate plans to achieve our long-term goals (Hughes, Beatty, & Dinwoodie, 2014, p. 207).

Related image

SMART goal setting includes everyone in the process (Haughney, 2014)

Inconsistent visioning is a bottle-neck to our school growth.  We have such a range of staff with various years of experience all willing to work together, but we must fit into one model which isn’t working.  We need to mentor one another and learn from one another to tie together all the wisdom for effective functioning. As Atha reiterates, “The smallest changes can produce large results; to the positive or negative” (2018, p. 5).  “If your employees don’t have a sense of ownership, nothing truly great can occur” (Lepsinger, 2010, p. 14).

Team Learning

If we are to develop stronger team dynamics, our school will need to focus on authentic team learning (Zeeman, 2017, para. 7).  This will provide the platform for the discipline of personal mastery to move toward our shared vision.  Team members need to set aside some of their individualism to become a more fully integrated team member.  My current organization has a large gap between the vision for our school and the current reality.  We need to change how we are doing our work (Lepsinger, 2010, p. 37) so that we can create a balance between our short-term and long-term goals and develop a better team climate (Hughes et al., 2014, p. 215).

Image result for balanced team image

A balanced school team (Hastings, 2014)

 

 

 

 

A Better Vision

Some years ago my current school district brought in the Dufours to educate us on Professional Learning Communities (PLC).  They inspired and made school teams seems possible and necessary for student success and for teachers to strengthen each other through team planning.  “As educators develop their capacity to function as a PLC, they create a culture that stretches the hopes, aspirations, and performance of students and adults alike” (DuFour et al., 2004, p. 179).  Schools of every level are under intense scrutiny and enormous accountability to educate future citizens and decision-makers.  “Schools do not operate in a vacuum—they must serve the public” (DuFour & Eaker, 1998, p. 158).  DuFour and Eaker promoted the development of mission, vision, and value so that each school can function as a team (DuFour & Eaker, 1998, p. 25).  Creating a professional learning community within each school began to take shape, and then the logistics of releasing teachers to work together became too complicated, and there was no money to put towards team development.  Just another great opportunity to make changes in a tired and work out system set aside for something more comfortable.

How can changes become necessary enough to maintain and nurture through the painful growing process?  Growth necessitates change and is a sign of life.  Atha encourages us not to lose hope when the system needs changing but is unable to handle the pressure of change (2018, p. 7).  Finding the right options can happen through perseverance while keeping our focus on the long-term goals.  Run the race that is before us. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

References

Atha, D. (2018).  A systems-thinking primer: Seeing organizations in action. [Course learning activity 3.1]. Retrieved from https://create.twu.ca/ldrs501/unit-3-learning-activities/

DuFour, R., and Eaker, R. (1998). Professional learning communities: Best practices for enhancing student achievement. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., and Karhanek, G. (2004). Whatever it takes: How professional learning communities respond when kids don’t learn.  Bloomington, IN: solution Tree.

Hastings, W. (2014).  Image retrieved from http://waynehastings.blogs.com/.a/6a00d83451b74169e201156f930ac6970b-pi

Haughey, D. (2014). Smart goals.  Retrieved from [October 17, 2018] https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/smart-goals.php

Hughes, R., Beatty, K., and Dinwoodie, D. (2014). Becoming a strategic leader: Your role in your organization’s enduring success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Lepsinger, R. (2010). Closing the execution gap: How great leaders and their companies get results. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

Ungerer, M., Ungerer, G., and Herholdt, J. (2016). Navigating strategic possibilities: Strategy formulation and execution practices to flourish. Randburg: KR Publishing.  Retrieved from

No Other Way

health and education, ldrs501, Post 2.1
\

No Other Way

The very nature of an educational setting requires the inherent practice of Transformational Servant Leadership (TSL) tenets delineated in Imbenzi, Page, and Willaume’s (2013) leadership monograph (paras. 20-32).  Since education requires a people-centered focus and TSL focuses on being “committed to helping each person grow personally and professionally” (Northouse, 2013, p. 222), it seems there is no alternative to educational leadership than the TSL way.  The top four features of TSL leader critical to empowering everyone in an educational organization (Northouse, pp. 221-223):

1) Listening

2) Empathy

3) Commitment to the growth of the people

4) Building community.

TSL Meets the Education Demands

Students

In a TSL led school, both the leader and the follower will be transformed through the practice of decision making that adheres to serving others.  Practicing TSL in the classroom changes the traditional structure of authority to one where the teacher focuses on instilling life-long skills, attitudes, and understandings that transcend the classroom (Imbenzi et al., 2013, para. 43).  TSL is a timely and necessary element in our BC classrooms since the provincial mandate includes the requirement to prepare students to be successful in a future that is “different from the one we envisioned even 10 or 15 years ago” (BC Curriculum, 2018).  This need transcends the system of education in any country and can only be truly filled through the TSL path which prepares people to face challenges, develop consistent flexibility, and continually build strong relationships through mutual trust, respect, and reliability.

Staff

An educational setting must also meet the needs of the staff who work there to equip them to build up the students.  The staff – teachers, EAs, custodians, itinerant support staff, administration – cannot adequately meet the current diverse demands of the student population without feeling supported and cared for themselves.

1) TSL leaders ensure there is adequate self-care measures and reminders to mitigate the constant outpouring of energy: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.  Without restoration through a caring work environment, people succumb to the stress and discouragement, disillusionment, and burnout (Northouse, 2013, p. 222).

2) TSL leaders focus on caring for their staff and are aware of individual personal needs. They pay specific attention to how people are valued and empowered (Imbenzi et al., 2013, para. 2).

3)  TSL leaders assist their followers to develop their own skills and abilities for more effective participation in the organization’s purpose of educating students.

4) TSL leaders find ways to access appropriate resources to enhance their followers’ ability to meet the mission, vision, and values (MVV) of any school site (Northouse, 2013, p. 228).

STRATEGIC SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Consistent decision-making which maintains the focus on the learning institution’s MVV allows for the TSL leader to consider individuality for the followers within the commonly understood context of the school’s mandate.  A servant leader is not someone who is weak and unable to lead others in a common direction.  To the contrary, a servant leader must be so strong in character and purposeful in vision that they are able to consistently and reliably lead others through changing circumstances, fostering trust and respect among all the followers.

Personal Leadership Considerations

Ephesians 4 speaks to the task of leaders—more specifically teachers—in preparing people to serve so that everyone is built up.  The leaders cannot be “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men” (Eph. 4:14, NIV).  TSL leaders act in the full knowledge of their strengths as well as their limitations to develop other people first (Northouse, 2013, p. 219).

Visioning

This strategic competency (Hughes, Beatty, & Dinwoodie, 2014, p. 75) is necessary to lead the school or district to where it needs to go for the successful enhancement of all its participants.  Parents, students, staff, administrators, school boards, and trustees need to know that leadership is heading in the right direction and is doing so on budget.  Servant leaders make all decisions in congruency with the MVV and to empower others to also see their place in the vision (Hughes et al., 2014, p. 77).  “Crafting a realistic vision and gaining employee buy-in” (Lepsinger, 2010, p. 6) is a necessary part to close the gap between what the followers know they should do and what they are able to do.

Reframing

Using the ability to see things differently, servant leaders can reframe decisions to include the diversity of ideas among their staff rather than exclude individual perspectives (Hughes et al., 2014, p. 83).  When there are so many educated people in varying stages of professional development with personal pedagogical mindsets, framing the potential of situations and necessary decisions as positive possibilities has a powerful effect on staff cohesiveness.

CRITICAL THINKING AS A TSL LEADER

If critical thinking involves data collection, analysis, reasoned arguments, and relevant application (Atha, 2018, para. 2) then a TSL leader must use critical analysis in their key decisions.  Critical thinking must be clear and devoid of personal influence to ensure decisions are collectively beneficial.  Is it even possible to be a transformational leader without critical analysis?

Jesus presented a clear example of servant leadership that transformed lives through clear rational, open-minded thought that was also fully in line with His God-assigned mission here on earth (John 6:38).  He did not veer from this mission but maintained a consistent delivery in word and in deed regardless of who he was interacting with as he travelled with and taught his disciples. He knew his purpose and served others with humility, caring, and singular focus.

TSL leaders must bring a similar mindset to their workplace. Singular focus while maintaining both the soft side and the hard side of strategic, critical thinking (Hughes et al., 2014, p. 62).  The traits of critical thinking which include humility, perseverance, and responsibility provide the TSL school leader with the stability required to lead well.  There are so many changes that occur each day when serving others in a school.  Knowing that leadership has clarity of vision and consistently applies the rigour of critical thinking to important decisions creates an environment of trust and reduces anxiety.

The transformational servant leadership model is necessary in our schools and in all levels of educational administration.  We are in the business of building people up to reach their own personal potential and we need consistent focus on well-reasoned and data-supported goals that have enduring qualities.  There is no other way to fully meet our educational mandate for producing students who can face the increasing demands of the 21st century world that is changing faster than we can react.  Serving others through leadership builds capacity in everyone.

References

Atha, D. (2018). Learning activity 0.2: Critical thinking.  Course Learning Notes. Retrieved from https://create.twu.ca/ldrs501/activity-0-2/

BC Curriculum. (2018).  Path to Graduation. Retrieved from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/graduation

Hughes, R. L., Beatty, K., & Dinwoodie, D. L. (2014). Becoming a strategic leader: Your role in your organization’s enduring success.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Imbenzi, G., Page, D., & Williaume, D. (2013). Transformational servant leadership. Unpublished manuscript, Master of Arts in Leadership. Trinity Western University: Langley, Canada.

Lepsinger, R. (2010). Closing the execution gap: How great leaders and their companies get results. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Northhouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice. (6th ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Introductory Post

health and education, Hi, Introductory Post, ldrs501
\

Working as an elementary teacher in the public school system for the past 27 years has taught me about flexibility, accommodation, adaptation, and leadership with diversity.  I do not aspire for a formal leadership position but am constantly involved in leading small groups and helping other teachers adjust their practice to the needs of today’s students and the constantly changing curriculum.  People do not want to follow me; they want me to assist them in solving problems.  Teaching is not a complacent career.

Straight rows. The illusion of organization.

My daughter and I moved down to the Fraser valley thirteen years ago after marrying into a new family.  While my daughter is off at university, I am enjoying the embrace of 9 grandchildren.  Whew!  Quite a change from being a single parent of one.  My step-daughter and son-in-law recently took their family—four of the grandchildren – to Malawi to spend three years in missional living through SIM.  Change is always part of life, professional or personal.

I can do many things and can make myself learn to do things that are required.  My favourite things to do by choice include running, hiking, reading, writing, and exploring.  While the pace of life is ever increasing, the list of personal activities gets shorter due to time constraints.  I have completed most of the coursework for the TWU Masters of Educational Leadership but am only able to do coursework intermittently. Patience is a virtue, right?  As always, my strategy is to continue putting one foot in front of the other to complete what is before me in the present moment.  I am purposeful in my choices, committed to my responsibilities, and strong in my faith.