There’s trouble in paradise. No, not here in Ghana, though of course, there is much work to do here. Like educate the people about plastic. Amidst the pleasures of the beach were all the plastic soda bottles strewn about to soon be swept into the ocean. (I picked up 10 and wish I had organized a beach clean-up with the kids.) And here at the hotel, we’re each given a 12-pack of plastic water bottles for each week and it hurts my heart to think of where all of those empty bottles are going. It’s time to put energy, money and resources into clean water from the tap or at the very least, large Alhambra-water-size-bottles from which we can fill up our own personal water bottles.
But the other paradise I’m referring to is my old school where the new head, two years into the job, just made a top-down unilateral major decision that has the staff aghast and upset. Happy to hear that there is organized resistance afoot and that is the potential guard rail that can keep the community from careening off into the abuse-of-power ditch.
That wrong-headed approach completely against the founding spirit, character and Mission Statement of the school already began happening as early as 2007 and I was on the front lines of resistance. To the school’s shame, after the staff initially somewhat having my back, many teachers and the school’s board backed away and seemed okay with me being suspended twice and put on probation for a year simply for asking the questions that the bosses didn’t want to hear. I’ve long moved from outrage and bitterness to forgiveness but I will never forget. And the silver lining of the whole experience helped me articulate what good leadership looks and feels like. These five points that I shared with admin some eight years ago to no effect whatsoever still hold true and are 100% applicable to the current situation.
So I sent them to a former student now teacher (for over 15 years) who wrote a letter that other staff members signed in case she might find it useful in the conversations to come. But knowing that some might dismiss it (sadly!) if they knew it came from me, I made a silly and half-hearted attempt to disguise it with an acronym of sorts and pretended that I am quoting from a book (that doesn’t exist). Most important are the points themselves. For any teachers reading this, put it aside and keep it handy in case you might need it someday. And I suspect that you will, if you don’t already. Enjoy!
Responsive Leadership in Schools
5 Steps to Inclusive Decision-making.
By Sal D. Godonik
If a decision is made that surprises the staff, you have missed some essential steps. The sense of community voice, inclusion and shared investment in the Mission Statement is eroded and needs to be repaired. To avoid that, when proposing a major change to your staff, follow these five steps.
1. Here is my proposal that I would like us all to consider.
This assures the staff that you’re thinking about this, but have not taken any action yet without their consent and participation in decision making.
2. Here are the reasons behind the proposed change.
This assures the staff that you’ve considered this deeply and have done your homework to clarify why you think it’s important and given them the courtesy of sharing it with them.
3. Here is how I feel the proposed change aligns with our Mission Statement and the character of our organization.
This assures the staff that you’re considering the proposal within the context of the school’s values and mission. “This is how I feel” leaves room for the possibility that there might be other points of view you missed.
4. In order to move forward, I need to hear from each of you if you have concerns I haven’t considered, other important points of view and/ or suggestions for adjustments, revisions or protective guard rails (such as trial period and then re-assessment).
This assures the staff that their voice is needed and valued and respected and necessary to hear. That their multiple perspectives will help predict as best as it can the possible outcomes of the final decision. That the decision will affect all community members and thus needs to be entered into with eyes wide open, doing its best to predict possible outcomes. When possible to create a trial period with room to adjust, change or let go of entirely, this likewise lowers the stakes.
5. With this new information, let us all discuss and weigh the pros and cons. Then vote. The model of voting— a majority/ 2/3rds majority/ consensus— must be clear, either following the by-laws or deciding before voting.
This assures that pros and cons are not just numbers in a list, but that they have
particular weights—one imagined con can outweigh 10 pros and vice-versa.
Check the by-laws for the school’s model of finally approving or rejecting the
decision.
Remember that as a responsive leader, you need to earn the trust of your faculty or staff, let them know that the community functions as a “we” and not a top-down “us (admin) and “them” (faculty/staff). You need to respond to the needs of the teachers who in turn are trained to respond to the needs of the children. If you overstep, back off, apologize and start again. The erosion of trust can be one of the most damaging experiences in a community, its restoration one of the most promising ways to fulfill the community sense of everyone working together towards a worthy purpose.
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