End of Another School Year…Is This One Any Different?
With only three and a half days left in this school year, I am reflecting on how I feel as this year ends. After thirty-three years of last days, I typically feel sad that next year won’t be the same and always excited about the prospect of three months (really way less) of summer. This year is different. What happened that changed my usual ending? One would think that after so long, each year end would be about the same. It’s not. I’m unusually sad about this year ending. What happened?
The year started normal enough…New superintendent, a few new teachers, and the typical uphill battle to educate the ignorant and change the lives of our students. Our school is made of students and staff. We are one. Sometimes we are two different entities; sometimes a joined one. This year we lost many teachers and staff members. We changed. We grew. We began to care about each other like never before. I saw my teachers more as people with a family and
Rub the genie to get three wishes. In organizations, rubbing the genie includes telling leaders what they want to hear.
It’s an act of foolishness or profound friendship
to speak the truth to power.
Subordinates seldom speak hard truths to leaders who have power to assign projects, dispense raises, and give promotions. Everyone loves everything you do. Not!
Power and authority invite flattery.
Unvarnished feedback is a gift that is sought and earned.
Subordinates tolerate your annoying habits and ignore your poor performance – to your face.
Getting honest feedback:
- Stop pretending people tell you the truth about you. Seek and earn the right to hear the truth.
- Deal openly, honestly, compassionately with the failure of others. Make it normal and expected to bring out the hard stuff. If you smooth things over, they smooth things over.
- Be transparent.
- Reward transparency.
- Own your failures and publicly make them right.
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