Response to Stella Blog 8.1
Thank you Stella for your discussion on Strategic Competencies. I really enjoyed reading your articulation of course readings and your take-aways from the course.
One thing I enjoy reading in your post is how you have the ability to look at what we are reading and ask in a straight forward and pragmatic way “How will I implement this into my vice principal role?” (Peters, 2018). I like how eager you are to act on what you’re learning and employ it right away in your new position of leadership as you have stated here “One thing I have started to do, as I read through the course literature, is note guiding questions about strategic thinking for the high school. I then add them to our team agendas (collaboration times as well as staff meetings), one question per meeting, to help us to hear the hopes and dreams of our colleagues for our school as well as focus on specific criteria we need to address to move forward” (Peters, 2018). What a great example this is to help spearhead an environment conducive to change and improvement. Hughes, Beatty & Dinwoodie (2014) state “For teams to act strategically, they must foster a climate of learning in the team itself” (p. 215).
You also mentioned some of your struggles as a new administrator “There are dynamics I am not aware of. There is a history behind decisions that pre-date my employment at the school. I ‘step on people’s toes’ because I do not understand the political nature, and while I have been given grace because I am new, I must delve deeper when collaborative and strategic discussions are being had. To do this, I need to ask questions and enter conversations humbly. James 1:19 encourages us to be quick to listen and slow to speak” (Stella, 2018). Thank you for this reminder. I have been in similar shoes for the past few years it seems, as I have been in three different schools within a short period of time and in each setting I need to re-learn the ropes and learn the politics and hierarchy of each new school environment.
This past week for example, one long time union rep teacher (who is new herself to my school) but has taught in the district for over 20 years felt she needed to remind those teachers who are organizing trips about the logistics and proper procedure for organizing educational trips. She called a meeting for all those teachers organizing school trips to enlighten us about who already has claims for certain trips and how frequently they occur. I felt like there were a handful of teachers that are quite territorial about their school trips and do not want any competition from newer teachers who are keen and eager to get something going at the school, like myself. Thankfully, I spoke to my principal, who is also new to the school and has been feeling out the staff. He also noticed the aggression from staff but says he has seen this pattern of behavior amongst senior teachers in other schools he has administered. I think the advice given in the book of James is wise and I need to mindfully always proceed with caution in order to avoid stepping on anyone’s toes. I also pray Psalm 5:12 almost daily “Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”
“The three least important principles from the course resources were from Galbraith (2014). While the book was full of models, figures, and tables, I did not ever feel like it applied to my organizational context. For example, Figure 1.1 (p. 9) illustrates “Types of Interdependence.” While I understand the concept of organizational units affecting one another, the figure is completely Greek to me” (Stella, 2018). This was Greek to me too! I wonder why this book was chosen for the Education stream in the first place?
Stella, I concur with your appraisal of Galbraith (2014) which I likewise found “boring” and “too technically focused on business aspects as opposed to being able to glean ideas for education settings” (Peters, 2018).
You asked a poignant question which I also have for the business stream “I wonder if the business stream cohort found this text helpful?”
“Ungerer et al., (2014) was a good source of information, when I could actually read it!” Once again,. I could not agree more with you on this point as I also found this to be the case in my analysis of the resources. Similarly, as you have stated here, I also put off reading Ungerer et al., (2014) to the very last as it posed more work, “In general, I struggled with this online text and often put it off to the last to read” (Peters, 2018). Thank you Stella for your contributions to the blog posts. I always enjoy reading your thoughts and you have helped me to learn more especially from the Christian School perspective on education. Blessings to you as you persevere to the finish line!
References:
Hughes R., Colarelli-Beatty K. & Dinwoodie, D. (2014). Becoming a strategic leader. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Second Edition.
Peters, S. (2018, November 22). Stella’s strategic competencies || Blog 8.1. Retrieved November 23, 2018, from https://create.twu.ca/stellapetersldrs501/2018/11/22/stellas-strategic-competencies-blog-8-1/
The Holy Bible: New International Version. (2009). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.