The Energy Bus for Schools
October 2016
What's Vulnerability Got To Do With It?
Now that our students have settled into the routine of school and learning and instruction is in action, it's now time to take a closer look at our processes and assess how well they're working on our campuses.
As we begin classroom walkthroughs and having collaborative conversations with teachers and staff, it is a good time to embrace our principle of the month- "create a positive vision" and consider ways you can make this a rewarding experience.
I think we will all agree that feedback is necessary to drive a positive culture as it provides a means for all members to adjust their behaviors according to where your school's Bus is going. This is the perfect time for your team to review your vision and discuss steps that will need to be taken to reach your desired outcomes.
When I was a campus principal, this was a challenging time for me because it was also a time when I identified staff members in need of additional assistance. So how can we provide feedback in a way that will allow members to grow while sustaining positive relationships with your team?
While looking through some of my previous commentaries from my weekly campus newsletters, I came across one that I wrote on October 13, 2013 and thought it would provide great insight into supporting a culture of continuous improvement while sustaining positive culture.
In this newsletter, I informed staff that while launching the Internet one morning, my awareness quickly drifted to a video which appeared on my homepage that featured Brene Brown and Oprah Winfrey.
If you haven’t heard of Brene Brown, wikipedia describes her as an American scholar, author, and public speaker, who is currently a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Over the last twelve years she has been involved in research on a range of topics, including vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame.
The video that I refer to in this piece had recently appeared on OWN (The Oprah Winfrey Network) and the two ladies were having a discussion about “vulnerability.”
In the video, Brown states that humans have this great desire to “connect” with others and in order for connection to happen we have to allow ourselves to be seen (the video can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi0IEOBDRpQ).
Brown says that “shame” and “fear” come from feelings or concern of being disconnected. This got me to thinking about vulnerability in the workplace and specifically in our schools especially during this time of year.
So what's vulnerability got to do with creating and sustaining a positive culture?
Brown defines vulnerability as basically uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. In order for our teams to open themselves to feedback they must be vulnerable. Meaning they must trust that the feedback is meant to help them and not to hurt them.
One way administrators can create a culture based on continuous improvement is to show vulnerability. Administrators should actively find ways to seek feedback on their performance or ways to improve campus processes and procedures. This can be done by providing staff with periodic surveys; adding a feedback link to your website; creating and placing an Ask the Principal box in the teacher workroom; or simply having one-on-one discussions with staff to listen to their ideas.
When we model being the recipients of feedback, we are unconsciously sending a message to our team that feedback (when done in a respectful way) is okay and a way for us to achieve or exceed in our campus goal areas together.
Think about that for a moment- when we learn to embrace our vulnerabilities, only then are we open to those opportunities that will make our lives better. Knowing that we are not perfect will enable us to always see ourselves as learners which will allow us to grow as leaders, educators, and "drivers of our bus".
So as you create a positive vision this month, in what ways will you seek feedback from your teachers, students, and families? In what ways will you provide feedback so that every member is performing at his/her best?
We can start by having conversations about vulnerability and how we use feedback as a means to fuel our rides so that we are doing what is best for the students in our care.
Remember, vulnerability does not mean “weak” in fact it demonstrates great courage.
With something to think about, this is your vulnerable Chief Energy Officer Mrs. Spears, make it a great week or not. The choice is yours!