Things That Need To Be Reciprocated in Schools

Things That Need To Be Reciprocated in Schools

January 30, 2013

By George Couros

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Aunt Owwee
A positive school culture is the only way that organizations will move forward, yet there is often a lot of little subtle messages on things that aren’t working that can slowly erode the climate. I believe that I have said it before, but schools will not be “innovative” if they can’t work together. You will only get pockets of teachers/classrooms that will have this in spite of the culture.
As teachers and administrators should be working together to do what is best for kids, in many conversations with schools there seems to be an expectation with some that some traits are the responsibility of either the teacher or the principal, not necessarily both. As I am no longer a school principal or classroom teacher, these are things that I have thought about a long time and wish I saw more in schools, and to be honest, wish I would have done more myself in those positions. Hindsight is 20/20, right?
Here are some things that need to be reciprocal as opposed to coming from one direction:
1. Trust - As a principal, I trusted my staff without them earning it. I expected and trusted they would do great things, and they would only lose that trust if they did something to prove me wrong. It is so much easier to work in that situation, then having the feeling that you have to always prove yourself. Yes you can get burned easier but people tend to live up to your expectations, whether they are good or bad. Principals need to give trust if they are expecting to have it themselves.

“The first job of a leader—at work or at home—is to inspire trust. It’s to bring out the best in people by entrusting them with meaningful stewardships, and to create an environment in which high-trust interaction inspires creativity and possibility.”
― Stephen M.R. Covey

On the other hand, I have seen teachers question whether they could trust their principal or not and it seemed like they had to continuously earn it from staff and community. I always believe that if you are unsure of someone’s intentions, ask them. Ultimately, we might not always agree with the way we do things, but we should always trust that everyone is in a school to do what is best for kids until they show something different.
2. Loyalty – I have heard the discussion by many administrators that teachers need to not “bad mouth” the school when they are away, or throw their principal “under the bus”. As I really believe in that, principals have to make sure that they are loyal to their teachers as well. Parents can come in and say what a teacher is doing wrong, and a principal may agree with them to calm the parent down, which is NOT a good way to build community. If principals expect loyalty from their staff, they better show loyalty in those tough situations as well.
In my first years as a teacher, I remember doing something really stupid and the parent complaining to the principal. The principal at the time did everything to kind of calm down the parent but never said anything bad about me during the conversation. He did tell the parent that we would have a conversation about it later though. As soon as she left, he said to me, “What the heck were you thinking!?!?!!?” Although it was tough to hear, I was so grateful that he didn’t say what he really thought to the parent but knew that it was something that was totally fixable and did not have any detriment to her child. After that, I would do anything for him as I knew that he would always have the tough conversations with me, not behind my back.
3. Praise - This might seem a little sappy, but I think that we do not give each other enough praise in schools as peers. As a principal, the quote, “That is why you get paid the big bucks!”, is one of my biggest pet peeves. Do you think that if your salary doubled (no matter your position), you wouldn’t want to hear that you have done a good job? Praise should go up and down, not one way. If you see someone do something good, tell them. It should always be sincere and heartfelt, but we should still give it out. Don’t just assume people know they have done something well. Your position doesn’t matter. Hearing nice things is welcome from all
I am not saying that these don’t exist in any school. Actually, from what I have seen, this is done in the best schools. That is why I am sharing them!
The easy thing to do after reading these things is to think, “yeah, so-and-so DOESN’T do that enough in my school!” The harder thing is to look at what we (myself included) could do more ourselves to make our school and organizational culture stronger. As I go back to work on Monday, I am going to be thinking of these three things and focus on how I can improve on them in my own work.

Remarkable Employees

From Inc.com

 

8 Qualities of Remarkable Employees

Forget good to great. Here's what makes a great employee remarkable.

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Great employees are reliable, dependable, proactive, diligent, great leaders and great followers... they possess a wide range of easily-defined—but hard to find—qualities.
A few hit the next level. Some employees are remarkable, possessing qualities that may not appear on performance appraisals but nonetheless make a major impact on performance.
Here are eight qualities of remarkable employees:
1. They ignore job descriptions. The smaller the company, the more important it is that employees can think on their feet, adapt quickly to shifting priorities, and do whatever it takes, regardless of role or position, to get things done.
When a key customer's project is in jeopardy, remarkable employees know without being told there's a problem and jump in without being asked—even if it's not their job.
2. They’re eccentric... The best employees are often a little different: quirky, sometimes irreverent, even delighted to be unusual. They seem slightly odd, but in a really good way. Unusual personalities shake things up, make work more fun, and transform a plain-vanilla group into a team with flair and flavor.
People who aren't afraid to be different naturally stretch boundaries and challenge the status quo, and they often come up with the best ideas.
3. But they know when to dial it back. An unusual personality is a lot of fun... until it isn't. When a major challenge pops up or a situation gets stressful, the best employees stop expressing their individuality and fit seamlessly into the team.
Remarkable employees know when to play and when to be serious; when to be irreverent and when to conform; and when to challenge and when to back off. It’s a tough balance to strike, but a rare few can walk that fine line with ease.
4. They publicly praise... Praise from a boss feels good. Praise from a peer feels awesome, especially when you look up to that person.
Remarkable employees recognize the contributions of others, especially in group settings where the impact of their words is even greater.
5. And they privately complain. We all want employees to bring issues forward, but some problems are better handled in private. Great employees often get more latitude to bring up controversial subjects in a group setting because their performance allows greater freedom.
Remarkable employees come to you before or after a meeting to discuss a sensitive issue, knowing that bringing it up in a group setting could set off a firestorm.
6. They speak when others won’t. Some employees are hesitant to speak up in meetings. Some are even hesitant to speak up privately.
An employee once asked me a question about potential layoffs. After the meeting I said to him, “Why did you ask about that? You already know what's going on.” He said, “I do, but a lot of other people don't, and they're afraid to ask. I thought it would help if they heard the answer from you.”
Remarkable employees have an innate feel for the issues and concerns of those around them, and step up to ask questions or raise important issues when others hesitate.
7. They like to prove others wrong. Self-motivation often springs from a desire to show that doubters are wrong. The kid without a college degree or the woman who was told she didn't have leadership potential often possess a burning desire to prove other people wrong.
Education, intelligence, talent, and skill are important, but drive is critical. Remarkable employees are driven by something deeper and more personal than just the desire to do a good job.
8. They’re always fiddling. Some people are rarely satisfied (I mean that in a good way) and are constantly tinkering with something: Reworking a timeline, adjusting a process, tweaking a workflow.
Great employees follow processes. Remarkable employees find ways to make those processes even better, not only because they are expected to… but because they just can't help it.