Recently, we had a winter thaw. It was great to see some grass outside of my office window after the winter months. I started thinking about what flowers I would plant in the spring and what flowers I would grow in my garden. Of course, as Michigan winters go, we received another ten inches of snow. My plans for growing flowers would have to wait.
What about professional growth? Not only my own professional growth, but also what about the growth of others in our district? I have been very fortunate in my career to work for and be around talented individuals who have helped me grow professionally. My first superintendent allowed me to pick his brain about everything having to do with schools. He delegated responsibilities to me, as I was able to handle them. I have always been willing to take on new challenges to learn some of these lessons. As a result of these new responsibilities, my job has evolved over the years. The superintendent I am working with currently has shared his educational philosophy with me, and nurtured my growth as a building principal along the way. I’ve also grown professionally through interactions with MSBO staff and members and conference attendance.
What about growing others in our district? According to Erika Andersen in Growing Great Employees, managers often don’t understand the process of growing people. If you are able to influence the hiring process, make sure you are hiring the right person for the job. If you inherit employees, as I did, start with assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the employees. Change is usually terribly slow, but less painful to individuals if they are not stretched too far! Some employees can take on additional duties without much supervision and excel at those duties. Others can excel also, but need more coaching and support as they learn the new duties. It is your responsibility as a supervisor to recognize what level of support your staff needs. Andersen states that anyone in a new situation needs three pieces of information: 1) who’s important to their success; 2) what’s expected of them; and 3) how things get done in their work culture (http://changethis.com/33.02.GrowingGreat, p.7). Provide this information and you’ve given your employee a great start.
What happens when the employee you’re growing starts to look like a weed instead of a beautiful flower? Take a mental movie of the employee. According to Anderson, by focusing on the behaviors instead of attitude, managers are better at giving corrective feedback. Once an employee knows what the expected behavior is, it is easier to meet that expectation. Ultimately, the best managers focus on the human side of business. If your employees don’t feel valued, their work performance will suffer. Instead of a beautiful rose garden, you’ll have a garden of weeds. Good luck as you pursue your own professional growth, and that of your staff! Happy spring!