In the wake of my recent visit to MIT, where I had the pleasure of discussing a great range of education topics, my mind was returning to some familiar organizational struggles. I spent much of my engineering career as an outspoken proponent of strong management practices. I believe that the most valuable resource for any service organization is it’s personnel. I’ve talked about hiring considerations elsewhere but the actual task of managing that resource is equally important – especially if you’re trying as an organization to become something great, something different, or to just avoid regression to the mean. The following things should be happening actively in such an organization (or school):
Feedback/Critique – Individuals only get so far with self-reflection. A principal (or other school leader) should have a continuous, honest, and open dialogue with every member of his or her staff. This should not be a punitive conversation but purely constructive. Meaningful feedback also requires that this school leader be knowledgeable about a teacher’s performance which would require regular communication and/or observation. This feedback extends from day to day operations to annual reviews and incentives. If a meritocratic reward structure is in place then feedback is even more important. Let’s take the example of a bonus. If John is notified that a bonus of $300 is in the works and eventually sees it on his paycheck – that’s great. But it may not have the intended effect. John may think “Whoa – I must be doing an awesome Job. I should do more of X.” He could also think “Only $300, I wonder what I’m doing wrong? Maybe I should stop doing Y.” The effect is seemingly random. A principal may be trying to reward John for his great work on Z while John thinks the principal is disappointed in his work on Y. Likewise, the principal may be giving John a trivial bonus due to John’s insufferable X quality while John is stoked for the cash and intent on doing more of what he’s already doing. This entire quandary can be avoided with just a little bit of targeted feedback during an annual review, some relative perspective, and some tact on the part of the principal. Something as simple as “John, I just want to let you know that I gave you slightly higher than the average bonus because I really appreciate the effort you put into Z. Keep it up.”Simple, effective, and necessary.
Transparency – Be honest with your staff. Sure – there are obvious privacy issues that need discretion but be honest when you can. In the end, you’re the boss. You call the shots. If you need to make a hard decision – just be upfront about your decision and give some background on your reasoning. It’s always nice to take input before making a decision but an honest conversation always wins over leaving people to worry, speculate, and gossip.
Favoritism – Although competent staff should never have to worry about job security, nobody should be beyond firing. Nobody. Every. Period. It doesn’t matter how nice they are, who they know, how much money they bring to the school, or how nice they look in skinny jeans. Keeping dead weight in an organization is toxic. Having a high standard of competence and professionalism is a good thing as long as feedback and transparency are kept in mind.
Expectations – It is healthy to expect a lot from each other. Faculty from faculty, faculty from administration, and administration of faculty. As long as communication is constructive and transparent – it’s bound to improve an organization. In other words … speak up!
[…] Scaling the change – We also talked about how to promote and sustain change on a larger scale. We talked in reference to the High Tech High model as well as education in general and our conversation kept coming back to the unique characteristics of an individual as the requisite for success. Whether it be an administrator that maintains a strong culture or a great teacher, each bright spot was a result of talented, skillful, reflective practitioners. It’s the job of policy makers and administrators to identify, secure, and nurture individuals with the skills they need. Even more importantly, they’re responsible for supporting and training – or replacing! – struggling teachers. This management of personnel resources is a pet peeve of mine – lots more on this here. […]