Author Archives: Sandy Wozniak

3 Ways Leaders Demonstrate Resilience

September 29, 2017

As educators, we understand well the value of resilience for learners. Resilience is the capacity to persist even when faced with overwhelming obstacles – the kinds that might fell an average person. Resilience ensures growth and progress despite significant challenges or circumstances.

But what about resilience as leaders? How are we demonstrating resilience on the most critical problems we face?   Each district has its own unique set of persistent, complicated problems, e.g.: lackluster student achievement by sub-groups, lower than desired graduation rates, inequities in discipline, chronic teacher absenteeism.

These types of problems may prevent achievement of key strategic or operational goals.  They typically have no quick and easy solutions and may incite frustration and division within communities.   These problems can feel like a millstone around the necks of district leaders.  Significantly, resolving these problems almost always takes sustained focus, patience and courage to persist.

Success requires us to “dig in” to important problems, to never lose sight of what is within our control and what we can do. Do we blame factors “out of our control,” get absorbed by lesser issues, or hope the problem goes away?  If so, we are letting ourselves get derailed or sidetracked – we are not demonstrating our resilience as leaders.   Instead, how can we demonstrate resilience when faced with insurmountable or overwhelming odds?  Some ways include:

  • Call out and expose critical problems – it’s a first step to action
  • Fearlessly gather data – unafraid to learn exactly how big a problem is, how long it’s been around, etc. – “knowledge is power”
  • Maintain focus on resolving critical problems.  “We fail more often because we solve the wrong problem than because we get the wrong solution to the right problem.” (Russell Ackoff – organizational theorist)

How do you or other leaders demonstrate resilience?

Shared Learning Experiences Builds Strong Teams

September 1, 2017

By now you are back from summer road trips, travels or staycations.  Memories of flight delays, flat tires, whining young ones and unimpressed adolescents are rapidly fading.   These travel hassles can be all-consuming.  But once handled, they are soon forgotten.  We are left with the good memories,  breathtaking scenery, crackling campfires, and shared experience.   The shared experience- both the good and the bad- leaves us with a sense of connection.  Such is also true of professional development. It can have its “hassles”: significant investment, logistical challenges, long hours away from other work.  However, it turns out that this experience, too, builds camaraderie and bonding.  Participating together in shared learning helps build strong teams.  Not only do people learn valuable skills, they learn about district norms, each other – and how to be more effective as a team.  Working together through relevant, challenging exercises and experiences creates purpose and pressure – 2 ingredients necessary for meaningful learning experiences.

Albert Einstein once said “There are some things that count which can’t be counted.”  Sadly, we can’t easily measure the true and full impact of quality professional development.  However, if you’d like to build a high-performing team, high-quality shared learning experiences are one of the fastest ways to jumpstart the process.  What hidden benefits is your professional development providing?

Simple Steps provide Decision Protection Insurance

August 18, 2017

 

I saw a tweet the other day, a photo of a new administrative dream team out celebrating their first round of administrative decisions (with the best hot dogs they could find).  I wondered whether they had taken out any Decision Protection Insurance, so that their first set of decisions would not be met with suspicion, resistance, or second guessing by colleagues and/or constituents.  Whether decisions be made around hiring, curriculum, student placement, teaching assignments, technology, facilities or anything in between, there are always a number of ripples that that emanate from them – whether or not they rock the boat depends on who made them and how.  Following a few simple proven practices could help ensure that decisions (whether agreed upon or not) are transparent, better understood, and trusted.  These simple steps can help ensure (insure?) that your decisions are met with open minds, understanding and confidence:

  1. Use a process:  Using a systematic process to make your decision, like Decision Analysis, can help others understand the approach, considerations, and resulting conclusions.
  2. Make it visible: Recording your approach and rationale, as you go along, helps you explain your reasoning and conclusions.
  3. Include stakeholders: Allowing stakeholders to participate in the process allows people to provide their points of view and makes them more likely to have confidence and commitment in their successful implementation.
  4. Take the time to do it right: Time spent on a good process, is time saved from putting out fires.

These steps provide administrators with real “Decision Protection Insurance” – the confidence that they have made the right decision and the support of the people who it will ultimately effect.  Making decisions is a large part of any administrative teams’ responsibilities, how do you ensure that their implementation will be smooth and successful?

Side Effects of the Principal Pipeline

July 13, 2017

Don’t you love the pharmaceutical commercials these days, the drug relieves pain, but there is a long, long list of dreadful side effects that goes by in a flash.  Not all side effects, however, are bad.  I cannot imagine that the side effects of sharing leadership skills with anyone can be anything but positive.  The benefits of creating a principal pipeline goes well beyond hiring, retaining and supporting effective leaders, all of those trained, whether promoted to leadership positions or not, now have the skills to approach any problems they face in their current positions. Now that is a side-effect that everyone should strive for!

Leaders will be able to….

Good leadership training should provide leaders with the skills to work collaboratively to address the common tasks that leaders must be able to do:

  • Make transparent and data-driven decisions
  • Address complex problems
  • Identify root cause and solve problems
  • Implement programs successfully

Side Effects

Given a step-by-step process or strategy allows you to approach the problems that you face with a clear and transparent approach.  The benefits of providing principals and school leaders with these strategies, has been documented by the Wallace Foundation, “School leadership is second only to teaching among school influences on student success.”  The investment, according to the RAND Corporation, is cost effective because principals “can be powerful multipliers of effective teaching and leadership practices in schools.”   While the goal of the principal’s pipeline may be to ensure a continuous supply of effective leaders, the side effects of creating a systematic way of problem solving and decision making in a district are invaluable:

  • Higher-quality solutions and outcomes
  • Better handling of conflict and involvement of others
  • Greater commitment and buy-in from stakeholders
  • More effective use of money, time and other resources
  • Increased team leadership capacity
  • Improved climate with greater transparency and trust
  • Provides a visible record of thinking
  • Increased Board and community confidence in result

ESSA is giving states and districts the opportunity to bring these skills to their districts by providing funds for professional learning separate from funds for teachers.  States are now permitted to use three percent of Title II Part A funds to “develop better systems of support and a pipeline of principals who are prepared for the profession.”

Research supports it and funds are available – what other positive side effects could a principal pipeline create in your district?

 

 

Six Lessons on Leadership from the Playing Field

June 12, 2017

Chances are that you, like me, have spent countless hours playing and/or observing youth sports.  Undoubtedly you have seen a wide range of coaching styles – and noticed their effect on outcomes on and off the field.  A lot of what is true for coaching pint-sized players can be applied not only to older players, but also to leaders within districts or organizations.  Successful coaches on and off the field, know the following:

Shame is not a motivator – while some coaches seem to think that yelling and public humiliation is the antidote to lackluster performance, it is not a long-term motivator.  It only builds resentment and fear – not true motivation.

Different players are motivated by different things – some players are motivated by individual achievement, others by public recognition, or by their love of the game.  Some players just want to be with their friends.  Coaches miss opportunities when they assume all players are motivated by the same things – or by the same things they are.

Team climate matters – creating a positive team climate may not be why someone becomes a coach – but the great ones know how to do this. They recognize that a coach sends powerful signals all the time about what they value and expect – and what they will and won’t tolerate.  When persistent interpersonal problems or a negative dynamic is not addressed, it brings everyone (and their performance) down.  A positive team climate lifts all to be better together than any individual can be by themselves.

Individuals are so much more than their stats – Great coaches never forget they are coaching people – not just players. Each individual has interests and skills that extend beyond the playing field.  People respond to being seen as a whole person – not just for their utility or batting average, goal count or field goal percentage.

People are a work in progress- what we see today may not be the same tomorrow.  Great coaches help people grow into better players – and people. But ultimately we cannot force or control growth and success – we can only create conditions that allow them to happen.

This is by no means a complete list – but it provides some things to think about. What lessons from the playing field do you incorporate into your leadership life?

5 Step Road Map to Foster Real Community Engagement

May 30, 2017

We talk a lot about collaboration these days… it is even identified as one of the 5 C’s required for all kids to succeed.  We know it is important, we’ve been saying “two heads are better than one” for decades, but are we practicing what we preach?  I bet that there are some fine examples going on in many districts:  PLC’s, Administrative team problem solving, etc.  More and more, teachers are included in the process…but the public?  Although we ask for input- surveys, board hearings, etc. rarely do we bring the community into our actual problem-solving or decision-making sessions. After all, that seems like it would be rife with pitfalls, potholes, and problems.

Are we willing to let them see our vulnerabilities?  How do we handle it if things don’t go their way? How do we handle emotional factors?  Could the benefits of community engagement possibly outweigh the potential pitfalls?

Do you have the courage?

You don’t need courage if you have clear-cut process that you can trust.  With a transparent road map participants know what their part is, what happens to their input and how it will be used, so you can get the best from their good thinking and avoid any potential pitfalls.

Recently, leaders at Ann Arbor Public Schools, with the support and guidance of Superintendent Jeanice Swift, invited community members in to help them determine exactly how best to spend the money received through a bond referendum.  Bond Advisory Teams comprised of school personnel and community stakeholders examined specific spending areas –Classroom Environment, Athletic Fields, Security Entrance Upgrades, Busses, Performing Arts Auditoriums, Performing Arts Instruments.  With a common clear-cut roadmap in hand, these committees were able to harness the good thinking of those involved and make the best recommendations for how the money should be spent.

Ann Arbor’s roadmap for each committee included these steps:

  1. Enlist and establish advisory committee – groups Established goals and expectations upfront
  2. Widen Community Engagement – Collected preference data from wide range of stakeholders
  3. Look at exemplars: Examined “lighthouse” schools and projects in other districts.  Research standards and best practices.
  4. Use a common decision-making process- They used TregoED Decision Analysis Tool to evaluate options
  5. Make Recommendations – Shared a proposed, prioritized plan

Using this transparent process, Ann Arbor Schools were not only able to get the best thinking of members of the community, they built a culture of transparency, mutual trust and understanding that will benefit the district for years to come.

Soft Skills: Evidence shows: Spend a Little, Gain a Lot!

March 28, 2017

There’s something about the term “soft” skills that sounds “less than” – something less important or real than that which is “hard” – think evidence, news, work, etc.

But this is a misconception -it’s often the “soft skills” (e.g. teamwork, problem-solving, decision-making, communication, self-awareness) that differentiate leaders and allow them to excel. When a leader struggles in their role, it’s typically a deficiency in soft skills that is holding them back. Experts designate critical thinking (problem-solving & decision-making), communication, and teamwork as the most critical soft skills for leaders.

“Hard” skills are job-specific and job-related – areas of content or technical expertise. They are typically more easily defined and tested – but does that make them more legitimate? As organizational theorist and professor Russell Ackoff liked to point out, “Because we cannot always measure what we need, we tend to need what we can measure.”
Afraid that investing in soft skills won’t translate into results? No need to fear: recent studies found investing in critical soft skills brought a return on investment of 256-364%! For every $1,000 spent, there’s a return of $2500-3600 in improved operations, productivity, job satisfaction. That is a lot of bang for the bucks!

Where could soft skills improvements make the difference for your district?

Rush to Judgment

February 7, 2017

Is faster always better?   Clearly not when it comes to making tough decisions. Certainly there are times, (e.g. emergency situations) when there is a need for speed. But too often people assume a quick decision is always desirable.   In fact, a growing body of research tends to show that the opposite is true.

In Great by Choice, Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen assessed decision-making situations that were associated with poor and good outcomes.  Of the “poor outcome” situations, 97% were a result of time-driven, reactive decision-making.  Conversely, in those situations with “good outcomes”, a deliberate approach was used 63% of the time (and a reactive approach 37%).  So, while it is possible to reach good conclusions with a reactive approach –the odds are much higher that you won’t.

There are many complicated reasons we may rush to judgment – only one of which is that the situation actually demands it.  In complex situations, we tend to over-rely on “gut feel” – and be overly confident in it.   When we think a problem or situation is familiar, we are less likely to examine it as much as we may need to.  We tend to jump to conclusions or rush to judgment.

When faced with a tough decision-making situation, let’s remember the wisdom of Collins and Hansen –  “fast if you must, slow if you can.”

Three ways to slow it down:

  1. Ask yourself if a quick decision is really needed
  2. Resist the temptation to jump to conclusions
  3. Gather and analyze relevant information