I recently had the opportunity to attend a leadership conference in which the President of the International Center for Leadership in Education presented the organization's current beliefs and initiatives. (See the following link for more information: http://www.leadered.com/.) While I am not convinced the message was entirely "on point", I did find some interesting snippets that apply to the management side - as well as the instructional aspect.
One of the more thought-provoking comments made during the session was in regards to parental expectations. To put it simply, President McNulty said, "Parents want a BETTER school but not a DIFFERENT school." Just think on that concept for a moment...
After some consideration and reflection, I find this statement to be so plausible. As administrators we are faced with making improvements. Naturally change seems to be part of the improvement process. But the greatest obstacle is persuading all the stakeholders to "get on board" with the movement. Parents and guardians will filter into our offices demanding something "better", yet they won't be in favor of dramatic change. Thus we will be faced with the task of conveying the relevance of such changes even though we may be the only one who can clearly see the benefits of the predicted outcomes. Thus public relations and communication skills will emerge as necessary attributes of effective leadership.
So as we embark on the difficult road of improvement, it is important to recognize the predisposition that many stakeholders possess. And then remind yourself that it is often easy to avoid the disgruntled parents and make time for the happy ones. In the end, however, you might learn more from those who have a valid criticism or suggestion than from those who are comfortable with the status quo.
Until next time...
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