Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast – Even in Downton Abbey

I worked in a school that had a rule: No Hats. It was just “the way things are done around here“. In my time in the school, no issue was more hotly debated and more emotional than the discussion about whether or not students should be permitted to wear hats at any time. It was about respect, it was about tradition. The power of this cultural norm was never more apparent to me when, one day, a new staff member arrived to the pro-d day, waltzed in, grabbed his coffee and sat down proudly wearing his red tattered baseball cap proudly backwards on his head. You could have cut the air with a knife.

Peter Drucker’s famous quote about the power of culture is simple, clear and correct. Recently when someone used it at a meeting I attended, it also struck me that if someone has a strategy that doesn’t include dealing with culture, then they are seriously misunderstanding what leadership is and how essential it is to always have culture as the core part of your strategy.

For about a year I worked at the district level asking the question to our senior managers “how can the district do the best job of serving schools?” In the end, the overall themes that emerged have proven to me to be timeless in any organizatation. The themes were:

Communication – communicate effectively, in a timely manner, give background information, and don’t have multiple people in the Board Office send the same or similar URGENT memo to schools and expect them to all jump. The often used quote “a lack of organization on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part” comes to mind. Nothing lands worse than the bullet from upon high saying I need this and I need it now. Communication requires planning and communication requires consciously thinking about how things land in the field.

Collaboration – people need time to connect, to get to know each other, and to be part of the process. Consider the above common email issue that happens when urgent messages come from the district to schools. Simple planning, giving the schools a heads up and rationale can go a long way to soften urgent time sensitive messages. Use the structures you have to collaborate so people know that you care and that they are part of the plan. Think of how one or two simple phone calls to key leaders in the field can help soften such an urgent email. A few moments to give a rationale and talk about the need allows the word to spread a little more effectively when talk starts in the field about why things are done.

Obstacles – those higher up in the hierarchy of things should constantly be thinking of what you can do to remove obstacles to work getting done. Sometimes when you’re looking for the enemy you only need to hold up a mirror. Often districts set up routines and rules that not only don’t make sense, they actually halt processes rather than support them. Policies created a decade ago that don’t reflect current reality but simply have become “the way we do things around here” can often be part of the problem. You need to constantly review practices, policies and procedures and ask your self if they really help. Good policy is essential, and conversly, bad policy is useless and will only end up in people doing work-arounds to actually get anything done.

These three themes could emerge in the culture of any large operation when it looks at how to work more effectively together. Classroom teachers may say we just want effective, timely and respectful communication, time to collaborate, and the autonomy to do good work. Does this sound familiar to anyone? It’s the same themes in a different context.

I spend most of my time considering and working at culture. I found a blog  by John Bernard which had the following acronym to describe culture – STAR. This acronym described culture as the Stories, Taboos, Artifacts and Rituals of an organization and it really made sense to me. I also found a good description in this paper which added ceremonies and I agree that they form an important part.

Whatever your strategy for moving an organization forward, I agree with Drucker and it isn’t as much culture eats strategy but that if your strategy doessn’t include culture you aren’t going far. In fact, you may actually go backwards as just another leadership initiative that went nowhere.

The room quietened as the young staff member arrived (slightly late) to the session for all staff, grabbed his coffee and took his seat with his red ball cap on backwards. I was standing at the front presenting at the time, just doing welcomes. What was most interesting to me was that for all our conversations about hats in our school and what an important part of the culture it was for staff, for all the passionate stand and deliver speeches I heard about tradition, integrity and the importance of our no hat rule, not one single staff member asked him to remove his hat. Instead…everyone kind of looked up at me as if to say “Well, Jordan – what are you going to do about that?” I could see that those on both sides of the argument were watching with great interest.

As I normally try to do, in some kind of light, joking way I managed to ask him to remove his cap. He did so most willingly. But this episode reminds me of the power of culture, traditions and norms in a building. In its own way, that small red cap would have been the artifact to dominate the day if it wasn’t dealt with in the moment. Writing about it makes it sound so trivial but I can tell you that in the moment and 100 people looking on – our norms, beliefs, traditions and values were all being challenged and everyone knew it. Not only that, his reputation and relationship with many staff members was being shaken just by the act and, to this day, I don’t know if it was a simple oversight or a purposeful shot at some of his collegues. My careful strategy for the pro-d day was indeed being eaten for breakfast by a simple red cap.

Everything you do unfolds as part of the culture. Every person in the building plays a role in the culture of a building as culture is all about how we relate to each other on a daily basis. What you do today may become part of tradition tomorrow.

The wonderful series Downton Abbey is rife with great material for leadership, culture and traditions. Mr. Carson is among my most favourite characters as he staunchly clings to tradition and standards while watching the world change around him. As a study in tradition and cultural norms, the series is a gem. For the Crawleys and the Granthams, culture and tradition not only are their way of being, they are the actual strategy to secure their future. We’ll all watch with great interest how the future unfolds for Downton because one of the central struggles is, of course, that their personal strategy to maintain their own traditions are being eaten for breakfast by the changes in culture around them. As this great exchange between Shirley MacLaine and Maggie Smith shows:

Dowager Countess (Smith): “You Americans never understand the importance of Tradition.”

Martha Levinson (MacLaine): “Yes we do, we just don’t give it power over us. Maybe you should think about letting go of its hand.”

If Shirley MacLaine was watching closely, she may have seen that Maggie Smith was indeed right, but the outcome is certainly one she won’t expect and it will challenge Downton to its core. We’ll all watch with interest.

Women on Leadership – Quotes

I am learning to use Adobe’s After Effects as I prepare for a presentation on leadership. I decided to have a portion of the project focus on quotes by women. I hope that you enjoy this first attempt at using this tool.

Leadership of Groups and the Importance of Going Last

Have you ever sat back in meetings or times of collaboration and watched unintended silencing unfold? Sometimes without any intent, the very sequence of talking and the roles/positions people hold can have powerful effect on how a conversation unfolds around a table. This blog urges those in positions of power to think carefully about the impact of silencing and about where and when to place your voice in times of collaboration.

I took part in a great activity this week. We pulled in a group of administrators and teachers for two days trying to get clarity between and among our district practices of Collaborative Inquiry, Assessment, Social and Emotional Learning and Differentiated Instruction. It was a great session and in the end reaffirmed how strongly we all felt about the importance of empowering teachers through time to collaborate with the overarching purpose of improving student learning. In our culminating activity, we were forced to choose one proposition for action. At our table, we had two finalists from our sorted list. Everyone tossed their pen onto the pile that they were voting for. As I threw my pen into the minority pile, people laughed about where I voted and joked about moving their votes to align with mine. It was a joke. I was amongst colleagues and peers. I wanted to be viewed an equal but I am acutely aware in the hierarchy of order, my voice is not equal.

I have often shown this FedEx commercial in presentations both as a joke but also one with an important point. When you are the person who has power of authority, you have to be so cautious about where and when you place your voice in a conversation. Leadership is needed. People want a summary, they want a clear direction out of collaboration but speaking early, speaking decisively can do more to kill a conversation than it can to continue it.

Daniel Wilson was at the BCSSA conference recently speaking of powerful collaboration. He showed research that spoke to how strong teams and weak teams perform in times of stress and uncertainty. I very much liked his summary framework of information, meaning-making, and action and thought it a good framework for how any person in a position of authority enters a conversation which is intended to be collaborative. If you are in a position of authority, whether that be principal or district staff and you find yourself in a conversation that you wish to be collaborative, then construct any input you offer in a way to build upon the conversation rather than draw it to a close. Wilson found that “the use of connected and cognitively open language” was a key determinant of high performing teams. He also found that in a truly collaborative conversation, leadership flowed within the group.

To go back to the beginning, I very often watch people who are good leaders. They are knowledgeable and supportive people. Sometimes when meetings begin or group conversations start, people look to those in authority to “kick it off.” The very manner in which things are initiated, whether the tone is set to be open or closed has almost everything to do with the language you use. Wilson reminds us of the importance of keeping questions open and to be cautious of being declarative which can quickly close a collaborative session thus making it less effective.

Those in authority play critical roles. They are ultimately responsible for decisions that are made. If you want to truly collaborate and to make your decisions the most effective, then rely on your skilled collaborative efforts in getting the most out of group time. Keep questions open, ask for clarification, create space for people to contribute, watch for those who may silence others and re-open the conversation. Then, when the time is right, allow for summary and action for next steps. So the next time you are either in a meeting or are the one ultimately responsible for the outcome of a meeting, try talking a little less, carefully choose you spots and consider yourself a facilitator of strong process rather than a key contributor to the outcome.

If you really want collaboration and group input, you may learn way more about an organization’s structures by going last in a conversation rather than first and in the end, it gives you an opportunity to reaffirm and support the important role that all those in an organization play.

DBA – Death by Acronym

A while ago I wrote a post titled “Nothing you say matters if people can’t understand you.” Recently, we were talking with a group of parents and I was reminded of how easily those in education jump at acronyms and often this leaves those to whom you are speaking simply in the dark. So this post is a reflection on all the acronyms we use and a reminder to just speak plainly with no jargon when talking to parents or others who don’t live in our daily world.  All that education jargon doesn’t help convey the meaning of the real message.

We had a good DPAC meeting last week where we presented on the BCedPlan. After the meeting I met a couple of ABA parents who had questions. I reminded them that in November, there is a joint BCSTA, BCSSA, BCASBO, BCPVPA, FNESC, MoE, and BCCPAC pro-d meeting. I don’t think that the ABCDE are co-sponsors of the event but I believe the event will also be the BCSSA’s AGM.

BCPSEA and the BCTF both commented recently on the LIF monies districts have received from the MoE. Many districts will hire ESL support, LST’s,  OW’s, ICSSW’s, EA’s or SEA’s and we make sure that the focus is on students with an IEP, some who may need an SLP or OT. In our district, we met with CUPE and the STA to debrief the process.  With LIF, we think our SER will be down.

September was the end of student enrolment for funding. Likely some will be talking of the recent comments by FISA about enrolment. Speaking of enrolment and FISA, FTE versus HC is always critical in September. We need to make sure there is no GAAP as we head to spring and the time for FSA. We were watching the number of IDS courses but not so concerned about CAPP. 

At our recent NID, teachers had Pro-D events on Web 2.0 technologies supported, of course, by PLN. There were no workshops on BCeSIS. There was, however, a workshop on EBS. Another workshop that would be helpful is for educators to understand FOIPPA and all the info that is held by a PEN. Perhaps if we did that on a NID, it wouldn’t require as may TOC’s.

Ok, enough. All of the above tongue in cheek of course.

So the next time you are talking to a parent, a community member, or even an educator from another jurisdiction please remember that acronyms that fall so easily off of our tongues do not mean anything to those who aren’t “in the system.” If want people to truly understand what we say, we need to take the time to communicate the full message.

After all, DBA can come as easily as ABC if you don’t watch your P’s and Q’s.

Where have all the heroes gone?

We all need role models. We all likely have a handful of people in our lives that we can point to and say that we admired them. Perhaps for different reasons, often quite personal, but we all need heroes.

In our lives in schools and education, we also know that children need healthy adult role models. After graduation, many students will talk or the one or two teachers who made a difference in their lives. To them, these are people who made a difference. Yes, adults matter and kids watch very closely.

In society, we know this fact and we not only recognize but we also sculpt and create heroes. These are often high profile public figures like athletes, musicians, singers, or actors. These often end up being the very embodiment of the values to which we aspire.

So it was with great sadness that I continued this week to watch Lance Armstrong’s plummet from a place of admiration and heroism to a black hole so deep I don’t know where it ends. Given what I read, I wasn’t sad for Lance, I was sad for all those who admired him, wore the bracelets symbolic of fighting for cancer only to find that here again is another “hero” in whom our admiration was clearly misplaced.

What do our children think when they are let down so much by adults? For athletes who are put on pedestals, our children have watched them teeter and collapse oh so many times. I thought of making a list but then thought better of it as the list is very long.

Which leads me to my main point which is that we don’t really need to look far for heroes. For children in our schools, their lives will touch many heroes locally. They may not make a billion dollars playing sports, they may not be a recognizable TV face or name, but they do things heroically all the same.

We celebrate the adults who care and take that extra time, the community members and parents who volunteer countless hours in service of their school and community, the children who stop, open a door and welcome you to their school, the 9000 employees in our district who play a role, each of whom has a chance to make a difference.

The purpose of public education is not to “just” educate children. We are building hope, optimism, creativity and wonderment for the world to come. We are creating critical thinkers a healthy democracy and those who can speak and advocate for what is right. We do this through relationships on a one to one basis. I know from experience that each of us can play a role. We don’t need another hero’s picture on the Wheaties box to find an adult who cares. Too often that distant hero ends up letting us down. For many of our children looking for a role model, they don’t have to reach too far. In our own communities, the next heroes may be just around the corner. S/he might not hold an Olympic medal, world record or dazzling trophies, but to be a true hero is simply to make a difference in the life of another. The need is great, the possibilities endless, and opportunity awaits. The choice of whether or not to play a role is all yours. So reach out, make a difference. It is possible to be your own local hero.  To be of service to others and, in particular, to children is a reward far greater than all the TV coverage in the world.

Leading from the Inside Out: The Power of Why

Recently, I spent some time pulling apart Simon Sinek’s TedTalk on leading from the inside out. I really enjoyed his message about leading from the inside out or starting with the “why” and not “how” of a task at hand. While first part of the Ted video has poor sound, his message is very good and worthy of the time to listen and consider his message. He links his theory to brain research and trying to lead by tapping into the limbic brain. It’s a straight forward video talk with some good messages for all those who attempt to lead from wherever they stand in an organization. In this blog, I’ll review his message from leading from the inside out through to thoughts on the diffusion of innovation. I incllude the chunked out videos for your viewing pleasure.

Leaders Think from Inside Out

Sinek talks about how many great leaders have thought in similar ways. These similar ways of thinking explain why some great leaders inspire while others fail to do so. He has taken these similar ways of thinking and broken them down into what he calls the Golden Circle. In the Golden Circle are three concepts: Why, What, and How.

Sinek suggests that this very simple idea describes how successful great leaders differ from other leaders. He speaks of how everyone who is in an organization likely knows what they do but very few can describe why they do it. The role of a leader is not about linking the direction of the organization to what is accomplished, it’s about tapping into the moral purpose of why the organization does what it does. Leadership is about understanding and communicating the moral purpose.

People don’t buy what you do they buy why you do it

The moral purpose not only inspires those who work within the organization, it is also the most important way to engage the public in your enterprise. Sinek says that people “don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Thinking of our application in education, very often we embrace a new endeavor and sometimes we really don’t spend enough time talking about the why of the initiative not just the “how” of how do we implement some program or change. Sinek suggests again that if you really want to inspire those within, then you would be well advised so spend much more time on the why than the how.

Brain Research and Emotion

It is suggested that the link to his Golden Circle is supported with brain research. The neo-cortex is the logical/rational part of the brain and despite every logical reason for an argument or directive, you are more likely to be successful if you can tap into the limbic part of the brain which is more about trust, loyalty and gut decision making. He suggests that when you talk about facts and figures, people understand what you want to do, but when you communicate from the inside-out, you get at people’s values, beliefs and instincts. It is the why that ultimately controls decisions and loyalty, not the what. Sinek says you don’t want to attract people who need what you have, you want to attract people who believe what you believe.

Again, as a leader, you need to know why you do what you do – if you know the why and communicate it to those who work within the organization, there is a higher likelihood that people will be loyal to your cause and want to be part of what you do. You don’t want to hire people who need a job you want to hire people who believe what you believe.

People will work if they believe in the cause

If you hire those who believe in your cause and understand the purpose behind your organization, then people are far more likely to contribute in significant ways. It is also implied that employee morale will be higher. Sinek uses the example of Orville and Wilbur Wright who believed that their pursuit would change the course of the world. Those who worked for them worked for the cause.

The law of diffusion of Innovation

The next portion of this talk is a very nice link to the diffusion of innovation. If you are trying to get employees to embrace a new direction or innovation, it is even more crucial to enage people in the why of the initiative and not just the how.

No matter how good a new innovation is, it is very likely that a few people will adopt it just because it is “new” or novel.  This first wave of those who adopt a system change or innovation are called the innovators and they represent about 2.5% of the population. There is a next wave of about 13% of people who will adopt an innovation and these are called the “early adopters.” Beyond these first two waves is the next portion of the population who represent the tipping point for a system. Getting this next wave to adopt an innovation is not easy. Sinek suggests that the law of diffusion of innovation tells us that you have to have between 15 and 18% of a population to accept an idea before you hit the tipping point. So if you cannot get past the first wave of innovators and early adopters, then you will never get to the tipping point.

The Failure of Diffusion of Innovation

There are many examples of those who do not manage to get to the tipping point. One example from television and technology is TIVO. TIVO was ahead of its time in the development of digital video recording. However, because they focused more on the how features for users rather than the why of the need for customers, the product never took off like it should. Originally developed in 1999, its market share has dropped by 50% since 2006 as other brands and tools have come online.

Sinek says the message about the failure of diffusion of innovation from TIVO is that they “told us what they had but they didn’t tell us why they did it.”

What you do serves as proof of what you believe.

Success in Diffusion of Innovation

Successful stories of the diffusion of innovation are from those who inspire by leading with the why. Martin Luther King did not tell people what they need to do to seek change, he told people what he believed and began from there. As a result, people accepted his cause in mass numbers with a quarter million showing up to hear him speak.

Martin Luther King “gave the I have a dream speech not the I have a plan speech.”

In conclusion, Sinek tells us that there are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders are people who hold positions of authority and role responsibility. But those who truly lead are those who inspire us. Whether we are individuals or organizations, the why is more powerful than the how.

So the next time you need to make a presentation, the next time you want to inspire those around you, don’t start by telling people what you want to do or how you want to do it, lead from the heart and begin with why it is important to you. In the end, you will be far more likely to inspire those around you and be successful in your leadership journey.

September Stories – Education in B.C.

The office staff greeted me warmly as I entered the school. It was lunchtime. Kids were everywhere on this hot September day. After introducing myself, the admin assistant told me that I would likely find the principal on the upper field supervising students and I headed that way. As I wandered to the top field, a child in tears was coming down the hill. He was very young, kindergarten I guessed as he stopped in front of me to seek assistance. Something had happened, he wasn’t injured but he was upset. I felt rather helpless standing there with this weeping young child at my feet. Keenly aware that I was an “outsider” I looked around for a helping adult. Coming my way, only a few short steps from me was a young staff member who saw the situation and arriving at my side she knelt at his feet. She asked him what was wrong, comforted him and they began to move inside. She said thank you to me for helping and she was off. I knew the boy would be well cared for.  This was the start of a reminder for me of how great and caring our schools are. In this post, I devote a few stories to the beginning of school this year and what these stories tells us about the quality of our schools and those who work within.

I walked up the hill glancing back to see if the boy had stopped crying. He already looked better and I felt more at ease knowing that he was in good hands. As I got to the top of the hill, a gravel soccer field was before me. It hadn’t rained for quite a while and grey dust filled the air as groups of children moved to and fro on the field in search of the ball. What was immediately obvious was that this was not eleven a side soccer. This was a game for all comers regardless of age or ability and a great time was being had by all. Children of all sizes and shapes were laughing, running, and chasing the ball in the mid-day heat. Teams on each side were so large it was impossible to count. Through the dust, on the far end of the field, I saw a man in an orange safety vest. Whistle in his mouth, blowing from time to time, he called out the names of children, guided them in their play and watched with interest. It was the principal, I realized and I went to say hi and to chat, carefully dodging running children on the way. After a short talk, I left him to his most important task which was supervision of this large group and to let the play continue.

I headed down the hill toward my car. I began reflecting on all the schools I had visited in September. While not having visited all 125 of our schools, I was now well over 30. The stories I heard and the sites I saw showed me a system that is welcoming, focused, open, and inclusive. It left me with so much hope and simply reaffirmed all that I know about schools in BC. Some of what I saw:

• The Special Education Assistant who stopped me to introduce herself and to tell me about her startup and the joys of watching children progress. From tiny steps to giant leaps, the joy with which she told the story showed me how much care our adults have for those with whom they work.
• The group of 42 teachers, administrators and district staff who spent the afternoon talking about how we can work together to ensure that our district commitments are focused on the needs of teachers and schools. Their level of engagement in the task and their resolve for improvement was palpable.
• The principal who with his fellow administrators spent the better part of the morning doing a barbeque for students to welcome them to the year and to support them in their journey ahead. It was more than the gesture, it was the open commitment to the well-being of students and working to ensure that they connected to their school.
• The four boys, who leaving their school at the end of the day stopped, opened the door for me and welcomed me to their school as they headed out. Smiles, a warm greeting and truly pride in welcoming me to their site.
• The office staffs who in the opening weeks managed to deal with the pace and frenzy of competing demands from parents, students, staff and the public, yet in each and every case welcomed me to the school, clarified who I was, what I wanted and pointed me in the right direction.
• The PAC at one school who ran their local fun fair that night. Reaching out to the community, engaging parents, students and staff all in the interest of building community and yes, raising funds for a specific school need.

These are only a few of the many stories I could share. The essence of this post was that I was so struck by the quality, care and integrity of our programs and sites that I felt compelled to write.

So if you want to know about the quality of education in BC, it’s easy. Visit your neighbourhood school. There you will likely find the same caring teachers, support staff, administrators, students and parents that I see every day.

Education in B.C., it’s something of which we can all be proud.

Self-Regulation in the Age of Distraction

I went to a workshop today. This is always a tricky thing to do in the middle of the day. While I was there, my mind (I am sure like everyone else’s) was flying around not only on the workshop but on the email threads I was following on the side, the phone calls I was receiving, and my own thoughts of the tyranny of the urgent back at the office. As I time-spliced my way through the session, I was again reminded of how we don’t really take the time to grapple with complex things that need our attention. The workshop was thoughtful, engaging and posed interesting questions. The questions posed were worthy of follow-up but how do we make that happen?

When I am at workshops I tend to scribble down random thoughts. These thoughts are sparked by something speakers say but often are completely in a different direction to the speaker’s main point. The topic today was technology, education and change.

As I listened, I scribbled the following notes on my pad of paper:

• What is the role of self-regulation in the daily life of a district-leader?
• If we believe self-regulation is important for children, do we believe it needs to be taught to adults?
• Are we entering a new age of innovation and creativity in education as a result of the tools that we are placing in the hands of children and the power of these tools to connect and create?
• What role does cloud storage play in the new way we look at mobile technology for students, teachers and district staff?
• What is my personal plan to connect (online and face to face) to those who work in schools in my district?
• If we believe that we can define a new set of skills that we should be teaching our children in a 21st Century Curriculum – then how are we teaching those skills to our incoming leaders?
• What role does this new skillset play in our hiring and support of new teachers and Questionsleaders?
• What does a hiring, development, evaluation, and succession plan look like as we head to the next decade?
• Are we using the right leadership competencies in hiring for the decade to come?

I often write notes like these above and then use the notes for future blog articles, presentations or simply for my own personal reading and professional development. But once again, I was reminded of how these thoughts were inspired by a presentation and I feel like I should actually do something with them. Now I will, and others will, head back to the office and the daily work and what will become of what I think are important ideas? Will they be pursued or will they simply fall off the end of the desk?

When I have thought about this in the past, I have felt that one should never attend a workshop unless you are willing to devote equal time post-workshop to grapple with what to do with the information you’ve received. I know of course it doubles the cost in terms of time but, on the other hand, we know that drive-by professional development doesn’t work for anyone. Unless you purposefully structure time to grapple collectively with material, formulate a plan for next steps, and then pursue that plan, then we all know the end result. When we are considering system change, the cost of no progress simply is too high.

What I decided to do today was to take my notes, do a blog post to see if anyone else has the same experience and then at the very least, the thoughts are down for the future and I can reference them again. I know that for me, the issue of taking the time to think of what a curriculum of self-regulation for adults might look like is the next step.

Perhaps as I found my own calm and focussed time to at least think of what happened today, it’s my first step in making plans for what’s next.

So, to pose a question for comments – for anyone who engages in pro-d in an ongoing way, what strategies do you use to devote time after workshops for a “what now” session or do you struggle with the same issue of finding time to follow-up?

Picking the hill on which to die – the fine art of de-escalation

Ever get in a battle with a 4 year old and you reach a point (very quickly) where you realize you’ve lost? That realization normally comes when you’ve taken a stance that you realize you can’t possibly uphold. The mind starts to spin with “how am I going to get out of this?” What about teenagers where you may say “you do that one more time and I’ll….” – you’ll what? In my role, I spend a lot of time helping people through tough situations. When things are at their breaking point, they sometimes head this way. In so many cases, I am reminded of how important it is to find ways to de-escalate a situation before it gets to the point of no return. Sometimes the road back is a lot longer than the road to get there. Here are some thoughts on strategies to avoid or de-escalate conflict in the public arena.

1)      Pick the hill on which to die. I won’t put listening as the first skill and advice as it truly is but…as you listen to situations, as you weigh core values, processes, the overall situation, you need to decide what your eventual stance will entail. As you weigh things, you have to decide if this is the hill on which you wish to die. This really is important as often people think that conflict is about power when it really isn’t. Conflict is about differing views, process, negotiation, compromise. It is hard work and it requires that each side normally must give something to the process. If your starting point is “I’m right” and they just need to know why I’m right…you are in for a long day. Picking the hill is about weighing core values. If the conflict is about a clash of core values and not process or procedure, as you begin you need to carefully think about how far you are willing to go to seek resolution. Values-based conflicts are among the most difficult to resolve.

2)      Enter the situation prepared to lose. Dealing with conflict certainly isn’t about winning or losing but often I feel that it can go that way for one side or the other. If you enter a situation prepared to realize that you or the institution may be wrong, then it’s a good starting point. Feeling that you come from a place of power, that people simply don’t understand the complexity of the situation and you need to help them understand is normally not a good starting place. If you aren’t willing to believe that you or the organization may not have got it right, then you really aren’t open to the possibility that they have a legitimate concern that you need to hear.

3)      Take your sail out of their wind. As you listen to the concern, don’t counter-argue. The first step is to truly understand their concern not to further establish a counterargument. Listen, then listen some more, then articulate back to them their concern in different language so that you show them that you get it. Show people that you truly understand their viewpoint, their concern and that you take it at face value.

4)     Don’t reaffirm things you don’t agree with. Sometimes, when I watch people listen to tough situations, they nod their head, they smile and they reaffirm the speaker to let them know that they are listening. Just a word of caution in that sometimes, people are telling you things that are not positive about your employees and they may not be accurately representing the scenario in its full context.  A nod, a smile and “yes” that you may have intended to be reaffirming that you are indeed listening can be taken as agreement that the employee has done the wrong thing or behaved inappropriately. As stated above, don’t counter and absolutely listen with interest but don’t lead people to believe that if they tell you someone did something inappropriate, that you agree with that. What you are affirming is that you understand, not that you agree. What you want to avoid is, for example, the potential for a parent dissatisfied with a principal’s decision going back to the principal and saying that they’ve met with district staff and the district agreed that the principal was wrong.

5)     Seek resolution that honours people’s concerns. Each side will have a point. Each side probably feels strongly about the role they played. Your job, in seeking resolution is to find an outcome where people know, most importantly, that you listened, you were fair, and you gave full weight to their concerns.

6)      Seek help when needed. No one knows it all. As you listen, as you form a resolution find a trusted colleague to bounce it off of. If you are unsure at all, seek help. This is the best thing you can do and as a colleague, there is actually a great feeling to have someone come and ask “what do you think about this” knowing that you get to give your unbridled feedback and then let them lead the way. People love to offer advice. It is valued. It is valuable. It honours others and makes you better. So want to know if you’ve got it right – just ask someone. Great colleagues are all around you.

7)      Delivery is everything. Facebook has a “Like” button but have you ever looked for the “Unlike” button? You get one shot at making an impression on people where they feel that they have been dealt with fairly or not. When you have a resolution or a decision, themanner in which you deliver it is of utmost importance. Your outcome should reflect that you heard what people had to say, you weighed the consequences, processes, and you’ve made a call. Deliver with care. Deliver as if you were the recipient.

8)      Make a call and act as if there is no higher level. – The worst outcome is no outcome. People come to you looking for help. A delay or a pushing up or off to another level really isn’t help at all. As a leader, you were hired to make a decision in a transparent and fair manner. You should be comfortable making a decision and standing behind it. Don’t suggest that it’s the best you can do and if they don’t like it they can appeal a higher level. There may be a time for that when you’ve done all you possibly can do but, you should act as if you are the highest level and you want an outcome that is final with people leaving feeling that they were dealt with fairly.

9)      The gut test, the front page test, the mom test. In homage to Rushworth Kidder, when you serve in the public, you need to be comfortable with whatever you’re doing being on the front page of the local paper. No one wants a headline that puts the district in bad light, but if you feel that the headline will be bad (“School Board Denies Education to Homeless Child”) then the situation probably requires a bunch more work. Not because you are afraid of the media – but because what is happening probably really isn’t the best you can do. If it doesn’t “feel” right, if it isn’t something you would be comfortable sharing with your mom as an example of good work, then it probably is a situation that requires more work. So when you make your final call, give it the test and see how it holds.

One of the great joys of working in service of the public is that you get to help people. Every day you can make a difference in people’s lives. Inserting yourself to help in situations of conflict can be rewarding and yet it can be tough as well. People call on you because they need your skill and expertise. They called because they want you to help. Hopefully, the above offer some points of reflection on how to wade through tough times.

So the next time someone comes to you with a problem. Listen with interest, clarify for them to show that you understand, seek a resolution that is honouring and test your result with a colleague. If it’s really tricky, ask yourself the mom test. Would she be proud of your work?

Finally, often I hear that people need a resolution today/now – or they’re going to the media or government or lawyers or elsewhere. Rarely is it true that an immediate resolution is required. They might want a resolution today but it isn’t essential. Seeking a quick resolution is often also seeking a bad resolution process-wise.  My experience has taught me that in the vast majority of situations, you always have more time than you think you do. Take the time you need get it right. Spending time to get it right may be the most important thing you do as you work to a successful outcome. In the end, people will appreciate the time and care that you did invest in addressing their concern.

So the next time you see a toddler in a tantrum, watch a teenager up the ante when a parent doesn’t want them to do something, or you see two adults moving up the anger mountain, look for the strategies at play. Likely, with some of the above suggestions, you too can have success with the next opportunity to test your skills.

Judgement or Talent – Harry Potter and Leadership

“It is our choices Harry that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.“

Albus Dumbledore

Very often in my career I have been in situations where I watch normally talented and capable people make decisions that leave me wondering what went wrong. Often, it isn’t a matter of talent or skill, it’s professional judgement. I was reminded of this again watching Harry Potter this past weekend. It truly does not matter if you have all the talent in the world, if you lack the judgement of what to do and when to do it, you will be lost. So how will you know when you’ve made an error in judgement? How can we continue to support people so that such errors or lapses are minimized?

Leaders on all sides know that we have significant succession/talent promotion issues. A key factor in the health of our organizations is how we nurture, grow and sustain the talent of our staff whether they are classroom leaders, school leaders, or district leaders. What advice can we give on how to support those around us so that they can grow, feel fulfilled in their daily work, and continue to contribute to the organization? How do we help cultivate not only talented leaders, but those who make critical professional judgements that are sound and enacted with grace?

Here are some thoughts and some things we’ve put in place in Vancouver to support school-based leaders who are trying to seek higher positions. Regardless of this context, I feel that the advice below is sound in a variety of situations whether it’s nurturing district leaders or supporting teachers or other staff every day:

1)      Get to know the people with whom you work.

• You cannot possibly support, nurture and promote talent development if you don’t know those with whom you are working. If you value those who you wish to support, then you need to make an effort to connect with them.
• One simple example we’ve used in Vancouver is a vice-principal seminar series. This is a four part dinner series through the year where we provide case-study examples to current vice-principals, provide tools to debrief/analyze situations, and then sit with them and problem solve. The real goal – getting to know our VP’s – they are our next principals. A simple structure, a simple goal – meeting our VP’s, listening to them think, interact and learn. It’s been a great start.

2)      Give constructive and precise feedback.

• Meeting with people and telling them to “just keep doing what you’re doing” and their time will come for a promotion is not really supporting anyone. It leaves the candidates feeling uncertain of why they were not selected for a job (if just off an interview) or it gives the impression that their time will indeed come when, in my experience, “just keep doing what you’re doing” rarely ends up in success the next time around.
• Recently, we have changed our interview debriefing processes to provide more precise feedback. Honestly, I have to say that this has been hard in some cases. Some candidates have heard tough messages. I try to live the philosophy that you have to care enough to confront. Not confront as in seeking conflict but confront the reality of what can be said about you. I believe that people are worthy of the truth and somehow you have to find a way to tell them honestly the areas in need of support/attention so that they can improve. When you tell someone what they need to improve, be precise, tell them exactly the behaviours or skills you would like to see improved, give them an example and then ask them if they understand. At first when things like this are shared, you have to spend the time to ensure they take a moment to let emotion get out of the way, then they can truly listen to the meaning behind your words. Let them defend, let them second guess you, they are working through it. They may need time to hear things that are points of significant improvement. If you care enough, you’ll find the way to deliver the message in a supportive way.

3)      Ask questions when you see/hear judgements that cause you concern

• Sometimes, when you hear things said or see things done that you don’t agree with or you don’t feel fit with the organization’s beliefs, then you simply don’t say anything. Perhaps you question to judgement of someone in an action or comment. You let it “slide by” and wonder quietly about it yourself. Perhaps you “tuck this away” for a later date to consider in another context. A suggestion here is that when someone says or does something that doesn’t sit right with you – ask them about it. Sometimes the comment or action is taken out of context, not fully explained or there is another reason. But taking the time to challenge things that seem to be poor in judgment is not only the right thing to do; it is ultimately supportive of individuals.
• There is also another reason to question and clarify – what if they’re right – and you are not? While we all would probably like to know we’re always right – not likely. When you challenge someone else’s view of the world to clarify, justify, elaborate, then truly you have an opportunity to share, clarify, and justify your own views. I am not suggesting this is an argument or debate opportunity – I am suggesting it’s about listening, sharing, and clarifying. If someone’s comment or judgement isn’t in line with what you expect or what you believe as an organization and if they are not called on it in some way – how are they to know that what they said or did isn’t exactly right? People aren’t mind readers, they need to know when something isn’t right. These questions and quiet challenges to understand more can truly be done in a way that doesn’t put anyone on the spot. It can be done professionally and as support. You do it when the timing is right. You use your judgement. You come from a place of caring.

I started this thread on professional judgement and its importance. As a leader yourself, you use judgement on a daily basis and hopefully you use it to get to know the people with whom you work, given them constructive feedback on their skills, talents and abilities and you let them know when something isn’t just right.

As I’ve stated before, schools are more like organisms than they are mechanisms. They need care and attention, a little light and nourishment from time to time. Using your own professional judgement and support, you can help people within an organization feel supported and encouraged. Being a critical friend to those with whom we work is of central importance to organizational growth. Spend a moment a day helping others improve. Get to know your staff, give feedback that is precise and also don’t be afraid to question people on behaviours/comments that just don’t seem right. In the end, it really is about supporting those with whom we work and the organization that we serve. If we all want public education to flourish, that begins with getting the most out of all of us within.

Just like Dumbledore said, while we may all like to believe that talent is everything, the reality is that all the talent in the world won’t get you out of a mess if your judgement isn’t sound. Sound judgement takes practice, it takes critical friends, and it takes the ability to learn from mistakes.

It’s really just Praxis – a philosphy in action.