Posts
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…
Sunday, May 31, 2009
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...
Saturday, May 30, 2009
A Reader Writes... (Expectations Manual)
In response to the post, "Expectation Manual," a reader asks:
"Cain,
Please send me a copy of that manual. I would like one to use it as an example for next year.
Thank you."
SC Response:
Unfortunately, I can’t send anyone a copy. It has been over 5 years since I left the district where we implemented the Expectation Manual. Not only did I not keep a copy (it wasn’t until I started working with districts across the country that I realized that the idea was unique), but leadership in that district has changed a couple of times since I left. They have reverted back to micro-managing to the lowest common denominator.
One of the reasons why they have reverted back to the old way is that managing by expectation is hard work.
1. You have to articulate and document your expectations publicly.
2. You have to meet and model the expectations at all times (not a top priority of many "leaders").
3. You have to monitor the expectations (again, not a priority of many "leaders").
4. You have to have difficult conversations with people when they do not meet the expectation (never enjoyable and easily put off because of more "important" things to do).
5. You can’t play favorites or single people out.
It’s much easier to set the bar low and deal with nothing than set the bar high and push your staff and yourself to meet that standard, every single day. What is exciting about framing employee behavior in terms of expectations is that conscientious employees appreciate the professionalism and coasting employees either step up or step aside.
If anyone out there wants some ideas on where to start, just send me your contact information by way of a comment. And not to worry, I won’t post it for everyone else to see.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your Turn...
"Cain,
Please send me a copy of that manual. I would like one to use it as an example for next year.
Thank you."
SC Response:
Unfortunately, I can’t send anyone a copy. It has been over 5 years since I left the district where we implemented the Expectation Manual. Not only did I not keep a copy (it wasn’t until I started working with districts across the country that I realized that the idea was unique), but leadership in that district has changed a couple of times since I left. They have reverted back to micro-managing to the lowest common denominator.
One of the reasons why they have reverted back to the old way is that managing by expectation is hard work.
1. You have to articulate and document your expectations publicly.
2. You have to meet and model the expectations at all times (not a top priority of many "leaders").
3. You have to monitor the expectations (again, not a priority of many "leaders").
4. You have to have difficult conversations with people when they do not meet the expectation (never enjoyable and easily put off because of more "important" things to do).
5. You can’t play favorites or single people out.
It’s much easier to set the bar low and deal with nothing than set the bar high and push your staff and yourself to meet that standard, every single day. What is exciting about framing employee behavior in terms of expectations is that conscientious employees appreciate the professionalism and coasting employees either step up or step aside.
If anyone out there wants some ideas on where to start, just send me your contact information by way of a comment. And not to worry, I won’t post it for everyone else to see.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your Turn...
Friday, May 29, 2009
Expectations Manual
Between now and the beginning of school next year, principals and other school leaders will blow the dust off the staff handbook, skim through its 357 pages and start adding and revising sections. Stop the madness!
Staff handbooks are ever-growing for two reasons: 1 - They are rarely edited; and 2 - We are advised to micro-manage to the lowest common denominator. I gave up on the whole concept when a lawyer told me that since I didn’t define at what point “late” started and how many times one could be late in the handbook, “late” wasn’t an enforceable concept.
My solution, burn the employee handbook. Start over and create a “Staff Expectations Manual.” My first one was just 12 pages long and it changed the way we did business. Instead on micro-managing and trying to define every way an employee could not do the job, we just stated the expectation. “Staff will arrive at work by the posted reporting time.”
The employee either meets the expectation, or the employee does not meet the expectation. There is no middle ground, no gray area. The conversation with the employee sounds like this, “Mr. Cain, it is the expectation of the campus that you arrive at work by the posted reporting time. At this time, you are not meeting this expectation.”
Finally, an expectations manual helps to define the professional culture of the campus in positive terms instead to negative terms. And, it truly allows you to treat the staff as professionals and adults instead of immature children. Give it a try, I think you will like the results.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn….
Staff handbooks are ever-growing for two reasons: 1 - They are rarely edited; and 2 - We are advised to micro-manage to the lowest common denominator. I gave up on the whole concept when a lawyer told me that since I didn’t define at what point “late” started and how many times one could be late in the handbook, “late” wasn’t an enforceable concept.
My solution, burn the employee handbook. Start over and create a “Staff Expectations Manual.” My first one was just 12 pages long and it changed the way we did business. Instead on micro-managing and trying to define every way an employee could not do the job, we just stated the expectation. “Staff will arrive at work by the posted reporting time.”
The employee either meets the expectation, or the employee does not meet the expectation. There is no middle ground, no gray area. The conversation with the employee sounds like this, “Mr. Cain, it is the expectation of the campus that you arrive at work by the posted reporting time. At this time, you are not meeting this expectation.”
Finally, an expectations manual helps to define the professional culture of the campus in positive terms instead to negative terms. And, it truly allows you to treat the staff as professionals and adults instead of immature children. Give it a try, I think you will like the results.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn….
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
A Reader Writes... (Not Getting The Job Done - Part 8)
In response to the post, “Who Really is Not Getting the Job Done – Part 6,” a reader writes:
“The great thing about this blog is that it gives me hope. I have worked at some tough schools and I am relieved to hear of teachers wanting someone to hold people's feet to the fire. Leadership begins in the classroom and on this blog I am seeing a different side of classroom leadership.”
SC Response
After three years, the quality of the teaching staff mirrors the quality of the leadership staff. Great teachers seek out great leaders and poor teachers shun them. Good teachers seek out good leaders, shying away from great leaders (because they are hard to work for if you are not willing to do whatever it takes to be great) and shunning poor leaders. Poor teachers gravitate towards poor leaders because there little to no expectation for consistent quality. When any warm body will do, any warm body will show up.
What this means for us as leaders (from department chairs to superintendents) is that we have to look at our staff and look at ourselves. If we don’t like what we see in our staff, we have to change first. Unless you are the perpetual poor leader, in that case, you will continue to live by the “do as I say, not as I do model.”
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
“The great thing about this blog is that it gives me hope. I have worked at some tough schools and I am relieved to hear of teachers wanting someone to hold people's feet to the fire. Leadership begins in the classroom and on this blog I am seeing a different side of classroom leadership.”
SC Response
After three years, the quality of the teaching staff mirrors the quality of the leadership staff. Great teachers seek out great leaders and poor teachers shun them. Good teachers seek out good leaders, shying away from great leaders (because they are hard to work for if you are not willing to do whatever it takes to be great) and shunning poor leaders. Poor teachers gravitate towards poor leaders because there little to no expectation for consistent quality. When any warm body will do, any warm body will show up.
What this means for us as leaders (from department chairs to superintendents) is that we have to look at our staff and look at ourselves. If we don’t like what we see in our staff, we have to change first. Unless you are the perpetual poor leader, in that case, you will continue to live by the “do as I say, not as I do model.”
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
A Reader Writes... (Brezina Writes)
In response to the post, “Brezina Writes,” a reader sends this:
“Thank you, Mr. Brezina. I was honored to cut my administrative teeth under your philosophical approach. It has and will forever set me apart from my colleagues. I am forever indebted to you, Brown and Cain for that.
Semper Fidelis!"
SC Response
I have been trying to figure out how to best articulate that approach for a long time now. For I too am a Brezina and Brown Guy. Here is my latest attempt:
1. We are duty bound to engage.
2. If it is not right for kids, it is wrong.
3. If it is wrong, it must be fixed, now.
4. Team success matters, personal success does not.
5. Work everyday to beat yesterday.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“Thank you, Mr. Brezina. I was honored to cut my administrative teeth under your philosophical approach. It has and will forever set me apart from my colleagues. I am forever indebted to you, Brown and Cain for that.
Semper Fidelis!"
SC Response
I have been trying to figure out how to best articulate that approach for a long time now. For I too am a Brezina and Brown Guy. Here is my latest attempt:
1. We are duty bound to engage.
2. If it is not right for kids, it is wrong.
3. If it is wrong, it must be fixed, now.
4. Team success matters, personal success does not.
5. Work everyday to beat yesterday.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
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