Posts
A reader wrote in his recent comment, “Do Not Fear.”
That statement brought to mind a conversation I had with Dr. Mike Laird, on what motivates principals. As we often do, we picked one criteria and tried to see if it does a good job of sorting great principals vs. everyone else. Here is two hours of conversation, boiled down to a couple of paragraphs.
Principals are often motivated by fear. Many principals fear, “doing something.”
What if I am wrong? What if someone complains? What if someone quits? What if I get blamed? These principals are often good managers, but this type of fear stops them from getting ahead of the big really big issues.
Great principals are often motivated by fear. They fear, “not doing something.”
If I don’t do something, these kids won’t be successful. If I don’t do something, some school will catch us. If I don’t do something, we’ll never figure “it” out. These principals don't set the pace for the pack, they lap the field.
I don’t think we can ever completely overcome fear, and I don’t think we want to. With that being the case, don’t let fear paralyze you. Instead, use your fear to push you and your organization to ever greater levels of performance and success. Fear being guilty of “Not Doing Something,” and go solve problems that the rest of us don't yet know exist.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Friday, June 5, 2009
A Reader Writes... (E-mail and Cell Phone - Part 2)
In response to the posts, “Get Your Own E-Mail and Cell Phone,” a reader writes,
“I will heed the wisdom given on this topic but I also believe we should not operate out of fear. The Bible says one phrase more often than any other, by far: "Do not fear."
If it gets to the point that someone is going after my emails and phone logs; number one, if they find something legitimate to hold against me, I should be gone. Number two, we are held to a higher standard as administrators and our communication is to be above reproach whether it is phone, email or stone tablet. Yes, I will get my own cell phone at work and my own email address, but I refuse to operate out of fear. Fear is a demonic oppression that clouds a whole life time of work, and I will not succumb to it.”
SC Response:
The purpose of the posts on e-mail and cell phones was not to scare anyone. It was to forewarn school leaders and change agents of the tactics that are used to stop them. You wouldn’t let your friends walk blindly off a cliff or your troops walk unaware into a mine field. You would warn them, so they can take the necessary precautions.
As for your point, if they find something, “shame on me.” That is the thinking that destroys good people. And by “destroy,” I mean to render ineffective or force to leave. Given enough information and the willingness to twist the facts to meet my agenda, I can make Mother Theresa look bad. As I was being prepped for a hearing with a terminated employee, our lawyer told me, “If all goes well, you’ll just come off as looking incompetent.” And this was a case where every fact was on our side.
So act with mission and purpose. Out think, out work, out perform the competition, and most importantly, never willingly give to the other guy the stick to beat you with.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“I will heed the wisdom given on this topic but I also believe we should not operate out of fear. The Bible says one phrase more often than any other, by far: "Do not fear."
If it gets to the point that someone is going after my emails and phone logs; number one, if they find something legitimate to hold against me, I should be gone. Number two, we are held to a higher standard as administrators and our communication is to be above reproach whether it is phone, email or stone tablet. Yes, I will get my own cell phone at work and my own email address, but I refuse to operate out of fear. Fear is a demonic oppression that clouds a whole life time of work, and I will not succumb to it.”
SC Response:
The purpose of the posts on e-mail and cell phones was not to scare anyone. It was to forewarn school leaders and change agents of the tactics that are used to stop them. You wouldn’t let your friends walk blindly off a cliff or your troops walk unaware into a mine field. You would warn them, so they can take the necessary precautions.
As for your point, if they find something, “shame on me.” That is the thinking that destroys good people. And by “destroy,” I mean to render ineffective or force to leave. Given enough information and the willingness to twist the facts to meet my agenda, I can make Mother Theresa look bad. As I was being prepped for a hearing with a terminated employee, our lawyer told me, “If all goes well, you’ll just come off as looking incompetent.” And this was a case where every fact was on our side.
So act with mission and purpose. Out think, out work, out perform the competition, and most importantly, never willingly give to the other guy the stick to beat you with.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Thursday, June 4, 2009
A Reader Called... (Get Your Own E-Mail)
In response to the post, “Get Your Own E-Mail,” a reader called (yes, Lead Your School readers, you can reach me at 832-477-LEAD) and asked,
“Now that you have me concerned about e-mail, since I work in a big district where we do everything by district e-mail, what should I do?”
SC Response:
This is a great question and valid concern. Here is my suggestion.
First, from this point on make sure that the messages that you send from your district e-mail are as bland as Melba toast. And take proper names out of your written vocabulary.
Second, get a professional looking, personal e-mail address. G-mail, Yahoo and Go-Daddy are some options, there are many more.
Third, when you send e-mails either from school or home, send them from the personal address. Don’t announce that you are doing it. Most recipients are not surprised when your e-mail doesn’t come from your official address. They just think you are working either at a remote location or after hours. What is nice, is when the recipient hits reply, your second e-mail address is usually put in their address book.
Finally, you might be thinking, “But I’m still sending e-mails to public accounts."
That’s OK, because the public information request can only request e-mails received and sent from your public account. It can’t request anything sent or received from your private account. Now to target you, someone would have to get the received messages from every public account and search for your messages. That won’t happen, and even if it did, since your messages are now bland and don’t mention names, there is no problem.
I’ll finish with two thoughts.
1. If you are an aggressive, goal oriented school leader that expects and produces results, you will eventually have an enemy that will want you gone. It could be a disgruntled teacher, an upset parent, a jealous peer, or an insecure boss. They will not announce themselves as your enemy. They will hide in the grass and snipe at you. Don’t make their job easier.
2. If you are an aggressive, goal oriented school leader that expects and produces results, you will eventually be hired by another school or district that wants what you offer and is willing to pay handsomely for it. It’s nice to be able to take the e-mail address that all your contacts know and use with you wherever you go.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
“Now that you have me concerned about e-mail, since I work in a big district where we do everything by district e-mail, what should I do?”
SC Response:
This is a great question and valid concern. Here is my suggestion.
First, from this point on make sure that the messages that you send from your district e-mail are as bland as Melba toast. And take proper names out of your written vocabulary.
Second, get a professional looking, personal e-mail address. G-mail, Yahoo and Go-Daddy are some options, there are many more.
Third, when you send e-mails either from school or home, send them from the personal address. Don’t announce that you are doing it. Most recipients are not surprised when your e-mail doesn’t come from your official address. They just think you are working either at a remote location or after hours. What is nice, is when the recipient hits reply, your second e-mail address is usually put in their address book.
Finally, you might be thinking, “But I’m still sending e-mails to public accounts."
That’s OK, because the public information request can only request e-mails received and sent from your public account. It can’t request anything sent or received from your private account. Now to target you, someone would have to get the received messages from every public account and search for your messages. That won’t happen, and even if it did, since your messages are now bland and don’t mention names, there is no problem.
I’ll finish with two thoughts.
1. If you are an aggressive, goal oriented school leader that expects and produces results, you will eventually have an enemy that will want you gone. It could be a disgruntled teacher, an upset parent, a jealous peer, or an insecure boss. They will not announce themselves as your enemy. They will hide in the grass and snipe at you. Don’t make their job easier.
2. If you are an aggressive, goal oriented school leader that expects and produces results, you will eventually be hired by another school or district that wants what you offer and is willing to pay handsomely for it. It’s nice to be able to take the e-mail address that all your contacts know and use with you wherever you go.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
A Reader Writes... (E-mail and Cell Phone)
In response to the posts, “Get Your Own E-Mail and Cell Phone,” a reader writes,
“Pay close attention to Cain on the cell phone and e-mail issue. Though these issues haven’t bit me yet, here is the point. It does not matter that you have a great message and that you are right. It does not matter that your ideas are sound, researched based, reflect best practices, and that you have the data to prove it. After teachers find out they can’t fight the message, they will attack the messenger. They don’t need much to attack you. If they can’t dig up cell phone bills or emails, they will make it up. If they don’t make something up, they will simply say about you, “she doesn’t respect us,” or “she makes us feel insignificant”. After a few months of this negative spin to the community, hang on.”
SC Response:
When I’m working with schools that are in crisis and we are having to force change at an uncomfortable pace, there is a bright sign that lets me know that we have turned a corner. When we start the improvement process, the attacks generally center on the need, strategy, or pace. When the malcontents start to attack you personally, that means you’ve won the battle of need, strategy, and pace. All that is left to is to attack the messenger. The key is to not take it personally, stay on message and keep pushing.
The first thing I tell anyone that finds themselves in a change leadership role is, "If you need a friend over the course of the next year, get a dog." The second thing is to keep reminding yourself, “This is why they pay me the medium sized bucks.”
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“Pay close attention to Cain on the cell phone and e-mail issue. Though these issues haven’t bit me yet, here is the point. It does not matter that you have a great message and that you are right. It does not matter that your ideas are sound, researched based, reflect best practices, and that you have the data to prove it. After teachers find out they can’t fight the message, they will attack the messenger. They don’t need much to attack you. If they can’t dig up cell phone bills or emails, they will make it up. If they don’t make something up, they will simply say about you, “she doesn’t respect us,” or “she makes us feel insignificant”. After a few months of this negative spin to the community, hang on.”
SC Response:
When I’m working with schools that are in crisis and we are having to force change at an uncomfortable pace, there is a bright sign that lets me know that we have turned a corner. When we start the improvement process, the attacks generally center on the need, strategy, or pace. When the malcontents start to attack you personally, that means you’ve won the battle of need, strategy, and pace. All that is left to is to attack the messenger. The key is to not take it personally, stay on message and keep pushing.
The first thing I tell anyone that finds themselves in a change leadership role is, "If you need a friend over the course of the next year, get a dog." The second thing is to keep reminding yourself, “This is why they pay me the medium sized bucks.”
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Get Your Own Cell Phone
As a book end to the previous post, “Get Your Own E-mail,” here is a second practice that can help you avoid self-inflicted career injuries. Get you own cell phone and pay for it yourself.
Again, if the district provides your cell phone or pays for your service, your cell phone call log is public information. So that long list of calls that occur during the day that aren’t business related will come back to haunt you. All the calls after hours and on weekends that aren’t business related will also come back to haunt you. And who is going to ask for the information? The teacher you put on a growth plan is one. The opposition lawyer in a special education hearing is another, as are the crusading reporter, the district business office or your boss. Not one of which you want going through you life with both a fine toothed comb and an agenda.
Now, the first refuge of the guilty mind when it comes to e-mail and cell phone service is the thought, “There is safety in numbers. If they come after me, they have to go after everyone.”
If you are having that thought, I have a one word answer – WRONG! The situations that I have described are like speeding tickets. It doesn’t matter that everyone else was speeding, you are the one that has been pulled over, and you are the one that has to deal with the consequences. On the other hand, own your own phone and pay for your own service and there is no public information, and hence, no problem.
There is another powerful reason for owning your own phone. We are in the people and information business. As such, communication and access is not only vital, but it provides us with a competitive advantage. Like the carpenter and his tools or the lawyer and her law books, the 21st century school leader needs a phone with data access. Anything less leaves you at a performance disadvantage. Yes, it’s an expense, but so is that cup of Starbucks coffee and a manicure. Equip yourself to lead.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Again, if the district provides your cell phone or pays for your service, your cell phone call log is public information. So that long list of calls that occur during the day that aren’t business related will come back to haunt you. All the calls after hours and on weekends that aren’t business related will also come back to haunt you. And who is going to ask for the information? The teacher you put on a growth plan is one. The opposition lawyer in a special education hearing is another, as are the crusading reporter, the district business office or your boss. Not one of which you want going through you life with both a fine toothed comb and an agenda.
Now, the first refuge of the guilty mind when it comes to e-mail and cell phone service is the thought, “There is safety in numbers. If they come after me, they have to go after everyone.”
If you are having that thought, I have a one word answer – WRONG! The situations that I have described are like speeding tickets. It doesn’t matter that everyone else was speeding, you are the one that has been pulled over, and you are the one that has to deal with the consequences. On the other hand, own your own phone and pay for your own service and there is no public information, and hence, no problem.
There is another powerful reason for owning your own phone. We are in the people and information business. As such, communication and access is not only vital, but it provides us with a competitive advantage. Like the carpenter and his tools or the lawyer and her law books, the 21st century school leader needs a phone with data access. Anything less leaves you at a performance disadvantage. Yes, it’s an expense, but so is that cup of Starbucks coffee and a manicure. Equip yourself to lead.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Get Your Own E-mail
For those of you who have never met me or heard me speak, I used to be a fixer (now I am more of an optimizer). As a fixer, I was the guy who was called in when the situation was desperate, dangerous, or stupidly self-inflicted. What I’m going to discuss over the next two posts is how to avoid the stupidly self-inflicted problems. These are the problems that destroy very smart and capable people because they assume “it will never happen to me.”
Here is practice number one. Get your own private e-mail address and use only that mailbox. Even for your school correspondences. So that also means that you need a professional e-mail address. It’s time to let go of “partydude@barhopper.net”. Why do you need your own personal e-mail address? Well there are a number of reasons but let’s hit the big ones.
First, your school email belongs to the district and it is being archived. When the new superintendent decides that he wants your position for someone who is on his team, your e-mail is the starting point for making your life miserable. Here’s how:
To begin with, there will be a lot of messages going back and forth. Obviously, you are ignoring your real responsibilities and spend too muck time on the computer.
Next, you have sent and received lots of messages from friends and family members. Do you make a habit of misappropriating all district resources or just bandwidth?
Also, some friend or relative has sent you an inappropriate or off-color joke. Are you a sexist, a racist, or both.
And you seem to get a lot of e-mails that deal with v!@gRah and like products. Exactly what kind of pervert are you?
Readers that’s just the easy stuff. Then there is the fact that by law, districts have to archive every e-mail. This is so it can be used for discovery. That means court cases and hearings. Ever mentioned an employee by name in an unfavorable light? Ever messed up and indentified a special education student by name? Congratulations, you just gave the other side the stick to beat you with.
And finally, there is the issue of public information. Anyone can ask for your e-mail messages and then use them however they wish. And if they are asking, it’s not because that want to name you educator of the year.
All of this is solved if you use your own private e-mail. There is no public information, there is no indefinite archiving, and there is no discovery. Thus, there is no problem.
Now for those of you who think that I’m paranoid, all I can say is one man’s paranoia is another man's cautious awareness. I’ll close with this one story that happened to a Lead Your School reader. I was working with this school leader and I gave him the same advice I just wrote about. Though he was skeptical, he humored me and started using his private e-mail. Six months later this radical, anti-tax internet paper sent a public information request for all of his correspondences. He responded with a yawn, because there were no public correspondences to give. The radical nut jobs fumed a little bit, gave up and then went and made someone else’s life miserable.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Here is practice number one. Get your own private e-mail address and use only that mailbox. Even for your school correspondences. So that also means that you need a professional e-mail address. It’s time to let go of “partydude@barhopper.net”. Why do you need your own personal e-mail address? Well there are a number of reasons but let’s hit the big ones.
First, your school email belongs to the district and it is being archived. When the new superintendent decides that he wants your position for someone who is on his team, your e-mail is the starting point for making your life miserable. Here’s how:
To begin with, there will be a lot of messages going back and forth. Obviously, you are ignoring your real responsibilities and spend too muck time on the computer.
Next, you have sent and received lots of messages from friends and family members. Do you make a habit of misappropriating all district resources or just bandwidth?
Also, some friend or relative has sent you an inappropriate or off-color joke. Are you a sexist, a racist, or both.
And you seem to get a lot of e-mails that deal with v!@gRah and like products. Exactly what kind of pervert are you?
Readers that’s just the easy stuff. Then there is the fact that by law, districts have to archive every e-mail. This is so it can be used for discovery. That means court cases and hearings. Ever mentioned an employee by name in an unfavorable light? Ever messed up and indentified a special education student by name? Congratulations, you just gave the other side the stick to beat you with.
And finally, there is the issue of public information. Anyone can ask for your e-mail messages and then use them however they wish. And if they are asking, it’s not because that want to name you educator of the year.
All of this is solved if you use your own private e-mail. There is no public information, there is no indefinite archiving, and there is no discovery. Thus, there is no problem.
Now for those of you who think that I’m paranoid, all I can say is one man’s paranoia is another man's cautious awareness. I’ll close with this one story that happened to a Lead Your School reader. I was working with this school leader and I gave him the same advice I just wrote about. Though he was skeptical, he humored me and started using his private e-mail. Six months later this radical, anti-tax internet paper sent a public information request for all of his correspondences. He responded with a yawn, because there were no public correspondences to give. The radical nut jobs fumed a little bit, gave up and then went and made someone else’s life miserable.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Monday, June 1, 2009
A Reader Writes... (Who is Brezina?)
In response to the reader who asked, “Who is Brezina,” another reader shares.
“I can certainly say that meeting Brezina can be an intimidating experience. He sees through you fast, and you can tell. He is a man of few words but when he speaks you are compelled to listen. He can spot leaders with potential and posers who put up a good front with uncanny precision. I don't know how he does it, and that is part of the Brezina ‘magic’.”
SC Response
I can add that the one time he was really upset with me, the temperature in the room actually got noticeable colder.
Does anyone else want to share a Brezina story or comment? Where are you Laird, Marchel, and Boyd?
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
“I can certainly say that meeting Brezina can be an intimidating experience. He sees through you fast, and you can tell. He is a man of few words but when he speaks you are compelled to listen. He can spot leaders with potential and posers who put up a good front with uncanny precision. I don't know how he does it, and that is part of the Brezina ‘magic’.”
SC Response
I can add that the one time he was really upset with me, the temperature in the room actually got noticeable colder.
Does anyone else want to share a Brezina story or comment? Where are you Laird, Marchel, and Boyd?
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
A Reader Writes... (Expectation Manual - Part 2)
In response to the post, “Expectation Manual,” a reader writes,
“I love this idea. I have been a principal for many years and have tried several approaches to creating an effective staff handbook. I am going to use this approach for the coming school year and I think I can make it 12 pages or less!”
SC Response:
Let us know the final results - from X# of pages in the past handbook to X# pages in the new one. When I did this, I did all the initial editing, then I had a team of interested volunteers come in and we finished the final project. If I can be of any assistance, contact me.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
“I love this idea. I have been a principal for many years and have tried several approaches to creating an effective staff handbook. I am going to use this approach for the coming school year and I think I can make it 12 pages or less!”
SC Response:
Let us know the final results - from X# of pages in the past handbook to X# pages in the new one. When I did this, I did all the initial editing, then I had a team of interested volunteers come in and we finished the final project. If I can be of any assistance, contact me.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Sunday, May 31, 2009
A Reader Asks... (Who is Brezina)
A reader writes and asks,
“I am a member of the Concordia University M. Ed. class that you spoke of. I have enjoyed reading your posts for the last three weeks. I have passed them along to the Administrative Team members at my school, too. I found out that my principal had just joined in a few weeks prior. It is nice to know that he's continuing his professional development even though he's already a principal. There have been recent posts about "Brezina." The one in particular that I copied and put on my desk was your 5 things you learned from "Brezina Writes" on 5-28-09. I agree with all five items from your list. Can you tell me more about who Brezina is and where to find information about him?”
SC Response:
First, I’m glad that you have enjoyed the posts. What started as a way for a core group of about 4 change artists to keep up to date with what each other was doing has turned into a vibrant network of professionals that are interested in improving their campuses and leadership skills by sharing their thoughts, ideas, and observations. The fact that your principal is a reader is a good sign. Not because he reads this blog in particular, but because he is scanning the horizon, actively looking for ways to improve. Working for an active learner is always better than working for a reactionary idiot. At least that has been my experience.
Now to answer your question, “Who is Brezina?”
Bob Brezina is a retired superintendent. He had a storied career as a Texas superintendent for over 30 years. With him, there was no middle ground, you ran at full speed and did what was right for kids, or you didn’t work for him. He is also one of the most intense and intimidating superintendents I have ever met. Even in retirement, he works harder than most sitting superintendents, serving as the President of the United States Academic Decathlon, training school boards, coaching superintendents (not as unusual as you may think, the highest performers in every field have external coaches), and kicking his mentees in the butt when they need it. What you need to do is ask your Professor, Dr. Laird, to tell the class about the first time he met Mr. Brezina. That story encapsulates the much of the Brezina experience.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
“I am a member of the Concordia University M. Ed. class that you spoke of. I have enjoyed reading your posts for the last three weeks. I have passed them along to the Administrative Team members at my school, too. I found out that my principal had just joined in a few weeks prior. It is nice to know that he's continuing his professional development even though he's already a principal. There have been recent posts about "Brezina." The one in particular that I copied and put on my desk was your 5 things you learned from "Brezina Writes" on 5-28-09. I agree with all five items from your list. Can you tell me more about who Brezina is and where to find information about him?”
SC Response:
First, I’m glad that you have enjoyed the posts. What started as a way for a core group of about 4 change artists to keep up to date with what each other was doing has turned into a vibrant network of professionals that are interested in improving their campuses and leadership skills by sharing their thoughts, ideas, and observations. The fact that your principal is a reader is a good sign. Not because he reads this blog in particular, but because he is scanning the horizon, actively looking for ways to improve. Working for an active learner is always better than working for a reactionary idiot. At least that has been my experience.
Now to answer your question, “Who is Brezina?”
Bob Brezina is a retired superintendent. He had a storied career as a Texas superintendent for over 30 years. With him, there was no middle ground, you ran at full speed and did what was right for kids, or you didn’t work for him. He is also one of the most intense and intimidating superintendents I have ever met. Even in retirement, he works harder than most sitting superintendents, serving as the President of the United States Academic Decathlon, training school boards, coaching superintendents (not as unusual as you may think, the highest performers in every field have external coaches), and kicking his mentees in the butt when they need it. What you need to do is ask your Professor, Dr. Laird, to tell the class about the first time he met Mr. Brezina. That story encapsulates the much of the Brezina experience.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
A Sunday Grab Bag
Today's post is the equivalent of the weekly campus memo.1. Announcing the first Lead Your School contest. The Lead Your School can koozies and cup insulators have arrived. I'll be handing them out during the summer speaking tour, but Lead Your School e-mail subscribers, you can get one before anyone else. Here's the contest: The first 25 e-mail subscribers that send me a mailing address, I'll ship you (for free) your choice of a can koozie or a cup insulator. Just respond by way of a comment (it won't be published) and let me know which one you want. If you are not yet an e-mail subscriber, what are you waiting for?
2. On Sundays, I generally post some piece of advice that I have received over the years. Some of it great, some of it bad, some of it strange. The qualifier being that I have remembered it for some reason or another. Now it is your turn. Send me a piece (or pieces) of advice that you have received that has resonated with you and the reason why. If I use it, I'll send you a koozie.
3. I want to send a shout out to the Concordia University M.Ed. classes that are auditing the LYS Blog. Welcome to School Leadership - Unvarnished. Now, quit observing from the sidelines and join our conversation.
4. Some Self Promotion. This June I am speaking at a number of conferences in Texas.
- On June 10th and 12th, I have multiple presentations at the Rigor, Relevance and Relationship Conference - Hosted by Cypress Fairbanks ISD.
- On June 11th, I present twice at the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Summer Conference.
- On June 13th, I co-present at the Texas Association of School Boards North Texas Conference with Dr. Price and Dr. Laird (Splendora ISD).
- On June 20th, I co-present at the Texas Association of School Boards South Texas Conference with Dr. Price and Dr. Laird (Splendora ISD).
If you are attending any of these conferences, stop by and say hello.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
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