Week of Feb. 18-Leadership Thought of the Week

This week we will begin our study of Michael Fullan's (2001) Leading in a Culture of Change.  Each week we will read and reflect on a few pages from the book.  This book, although published over a decade ago is certainly applicable to the environment that we are working in today. 

Please read Chapter One, Pages 1-11.  You will notice that Fullan has created a Mental Model for leadership.  As you read, please study the Mental Model (I've displayed it here too.)  We will use this Mental Model in future discussions as leaders so it will be helpful if we all become quite familiar with it.

On page 5, Fullan lists "six guidelines that provide leaders with concrete and novel ways of thinking about the process of change."  In your response this week please reflect on these six guidelines.  Did any of them surprise you?  Do you resonate with any particular guideline?  Is your frame of mind about leadership already highly attuned to one of these guidelines? 

Week of February 10-Leadership Thought of the Week

This week is a busy week at Della Lamb Charter!  We will complete our reflections on 10 Ways to Create a Positive Work Environment with this post, combining the last few thoughts.


Provide a Positive Physical Environment and Make it Fun


If at all possible insure that the physical environment on your workplace is clean, bright, attractive and cheerful. Make sure it has as much natural light as possible, and that each staff member has room for their own personal space.


We are somewhat limited in what we can do....For example, it would be difficult to ensure that every teacher gets natural light since not all of our classrooms have windows.  But how have you made our existing physical space more positive?  Any further ideas on simple ways to make our space cheery?


Everyone wants to be where people are having fun, so make your workplace feel happy and festive. Find reasons to celebrate together, such as birthdays, birth of a baby or grandchild, moving into a new house, etc., and having small parties to celebrate these events. If possible provide a cake, and put up a sign or banner in the break room saying "Today We Are Celebrating……………".


If you get the opportunity during this fast-paced week, let's do a little research.  Please ask your team members what would be fun for them and then let's share those ideas in the comments section and spread the word to the Social Committees.  Perhaps we could find a few simple ideas to implement during the upcoming stressful time of testing to help keep things cheery.

Week of February 3-Leadership Thought of the Week

We continue our reflection on Ten Ways to Create a Positive Work Environment....


7. Be Approachable
Always communicate to staff that you are there to support them.  It has been said that non-verbal communication accounts for 70% of the messages that a person sends whereas 30% is accounted for through verbal communication.  What does this tell us about interactions with staff? 


If we want to present ourselves as approachable there are many strategies that we can work to employ.  For example, always make eye contact and smile frequently.  When speaking with a team member be aware of the messages that your body language is conveying.  Instead of sitting behind a desk, walk around and lean on the front of the desk to remove physical barriers.  Ensure that your body language communicates interest and attention.  Since verbal communication accounts for a much smaller portion of the message, choose your words wisely.  If you make a statement about performing a task for following up on an action be sure to do so.




Here's a simple action research project for the week:  After one of your interactions with a team member, reflect on your non-verbal and verbal communication with that individual.  What did you do non-verbally and what did you say?  Self-assess your skills with non-verbal and verbal communication.  Is there anything that you'll work to change?  Why or why not?

Week of January 27-Leadership Thought of the Week

Here's a great quote on perspective and opportunity for the week ahead. From Winston Churchill, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity ; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

We continue our reflections on 10 Ways to Build a Positive Working Environment....

6. Give Credit and Take Responsibility 

Always give credit for success to your staff, and take responsibility when things don't go well. As the boss it's your job to make sure your staff is well trained, capable and competent. If for some reason they fail to perform their job in the expected manner, it's your responsibility to insure that they receive further direction and training so they will perform up to standards.

This can be a tough one sometimes.  To swallow one's pride and take the blame when it really wasn't your fault can be challenging but it is also the mark of a mature leader. So doing takes the emphasis away from spending time on the often futile practice of trying to figure out who caused it to go wrong and shift attention toward next steps. 

Reflect on ways to give credit to your team....

Week of January 21-Leadership Thought of the Week

In remembrance of one of America's greatest examples of how to be a peaceful leader while persisting in the face of unimaginable challenges, I share with you a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  This quote seems fitting for this week's discussion point as well.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness.  Only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."


Check out more great quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr. at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/martin_luther_king_jr.html


We continue our study of Ten Ways to Create a Positive Work Environment....

5. Give Recognition and Appreciation 

Whenever you can, 'catch people being good' and make sure they and others know about it. Give recognition and appreciation to everyone at every opportunity. For example: "Susan, I appreciate your organizational skills and the way you organized your team today to deliver quality care." "James, thank you for staying overtime yesterday. I really appreciate your positive, can-do attitude."

When verbalizing appreciation try to make it as personal as possible. Rather than just saying something vague like "good job", be specific about the personal quality or skill your team member brought to the task. Recognizing excellent job performance and attitude, and showing appreciation for these things will go a long way towards making your staff members feel that they are a valued and respected part of the team.

What are some ways that you have given recognition/appreciation to your team members in the past?  How did your team members respond?  Finally, research for one new way to give recognition/appreciation that you haven't done before and share about it in the comments section.

Have a happy week!