Part of being a school leader who leads like a parent is
providing for the needs of the staff we serve. This includes love, kindness,
opportunity, inspiration, education, and even discipline. As any good parent
knows, love and kindness become easier if there is discipline. And discipline
can be an action or it can also be a description of our way of life. I have
found the more structure in our vision, values and commitments at Hoover, the
less discipline we have to use while maintaining a culture that exudes
discipline.
This is why we have commitments at Hoover. Commitments are
the rules that the Hoover family has agreed to abide by. They govern the social
interactions and how we treat each other. If culture is what most of the people
do most of the time, then climate is the actions between people that define our
relationships. However, without ground rules, then the improper actions become
the norm and can quickly undermine and even destroy the culture which in turn
will leave the vision and core values unfulfilled. Remember, "what most of
the people do most of the time."
At Hoover, we have 6 simple commitments and two over arching
rules that bring our mission/vision and core values to life:
1. Keep Calm and Teach Middle School
We always remember what our vision and core values are.
While we realize that negative things will happen, we will always strive to
take a deep breath and keep the big picture in mind. We remember that urgent
things scream while important things whisper. How many times do we recall
somebody overtly angry because the copier didn't work? Or the same student was
naughty? When was the last time you saw somebody in the parking lot over the
top angry about the reading proficiency scores or graduation rates? What keeps
you up at night?
2. Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing
Don't sweat the small stuff! As a staff we have to remember
that we are in the business of saving lives. We will encounter conflict,
problems, and challenges. However, we can't let these barriers let us take our
eyes off the vision and mission.
3. No Surprises
This is huge for our family and often the hardest commitment
to live by. In a simple organization, when you turn on a light switch, the
light in the room goes on. In a complex organization like a school, when you turn
on a light switch, a toilet flushes three rooms away. With this in mind, it is
imperative that we constantly communicate with each other of decisions,
changes, and the future. When you live a life of no surprises, the health of
your organization vastly improves.
4. Assume Positive Intent
I love this commitment. When things are screwy and
inevitably somebody does something that offends us, we often think : "Why
is this person trying to ruin my life?" As egotistical as we all can be, I
have a secret.....very few people in the world wake in the morning with the
intent to hurt or ruin another person's day. Is there exceptions?
Obviously.....but generally when you have something go wrong at school and it
truly is somebody else's fault, it happened with the best of intentions.
5. Disagree then Commit (we all have a voice)
Voice is vital. But it is also important to know having
everybody get their way is impossible. Yet, if people have voice and clarity on
a decision and the "why" behind it, they will almost always be ok
with it in the end. The fastest way to ruin a family's health is decision
making without voice or input and a lack of clarity. At Hoover Middle School we
don't promise you'll always get your way. We promise you'll always have a voice
in the decision.
6. Loyal to the Absent
When a staff member who is obviously upset with another
person walks into my office and starts talking about how they have been hurt or
offended, I always ask one simple question: "Have you talked to them about
it?" The reaction is almost always the same. Looking at the floor,
hesitating, and finally a sheepish, "no". We have a moral obligation
to talk to the person that is closest to the problem because that is who can
ultimately fix it. Think about this the next time you are complaining to a
colleague about another person. Who is the person you should be talking to? And
by the way, if you talk negatively about people to others, what do the
listeners take away from the conversation? Yep, they immediately wonder about
what you are saying about them when they aren't around.
Finally two very simple rules that guide us that are
uncommon sense. I say uncommon because not enough people live by them. However,
not following these rules are the fastest ways to destroy the health of a family.
Golden Rule: Treat others as you would want to be treated.
Platinum Rule: Don't waste other people's time
Like a good classroom or family, the "rules" we
live by are simple, concise, and broad in scope. They guide us rather than
constrict; they are cushions instead of walls. However, without guideposts and
cushions, organizations quickly lose focus, passion, and clarity for the end
goals. If people can't get along, how can they possibly reach the vision?
"The most important single ingredient in the formula of
success is knowing how to get along with people." - Theodore Roosevelt
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