Transformative organization and governance

Transformative organization and governance

BY:

SAMSON C. QUANICO

M.A.Ed, Educational Management

PCC School of Graduate Studies

FOUR WAYS TO INFLUENCE THE

CULTURE OF AN ORGANIZATION

I. CHANGING CULTURE OF AN ORGANIZATION

1. Emphasize what’s important

2. Reward employees

3. Discourage behaviors that don’t reflect what’s

important

4. Model the behaviors that you want to see in the

workplace.

Type of School Culture

II. CULTURAL FIT BETWEEN ORGANIZATION AND MEMBERS

1. Individualism

-in this schools, teachers view themselves as

working alone

2. Conservatism

-they employ educational approaches that

follow long traditions

3. Presentism

-they focus on immediate issues, not the long-term

development of the school.

According to Fullan and Hargreaves(1991) described three non-

collaborative cultures:

What type of school culture do you have?

Those who study school culture talk about the

following types:

4 Balkanized School Culture

-where collaboration and sharing among like-

minded groups or close friends. This culture has

subcultures that are strong and compete for position,

resources, and territory.

Balkanization of the teacher culture

5 Contrived Collegiality School Culture

formal specific bureaucratic

planning consultation forms

of working together.

III. COLLEGIAL RELATIONSHIPS

Effects of Collegiality

-Strong collegial relationships enhance productivity, staff

development, and school improvement efforts.

-increases the capacity for change and improvement

-provide powerful sources of stimulation, motivation,

and new ideas

Types of Collegial Relationships

1. Storytelling and scanning for ideas

2. Aid and assistance

3. Sharing

4. Joint work

The first three types are relatively weak in shaping deeper,

more productive professional relationships, although they involve

some interaction, while the fourth type joint work, provides ample

support and complex connections to improve staff relationships and

collaboration


1. Storytelling and scanning for ideas

teachers share incomplete anecdotes about practice,

complain, and gripe. Interchange is neither deep nor focused on

problem solving.

2. Aid and assistance

teachers help only when asked, offer little evaluation, and

do not interfere with the other teacher’s work. Deep relationships of

exchange are seldom established.


3. Sharing

teachers share much about themselves, use an expended pool of

resources and knowledge, and frequently share ideas and suggestions that can

lead to change in the other teacher’s practice. But teachers undertake little or

no actual work.

4. Joint Work

-provides the opportunity for teachers to develop deeper and

richer ties to fellow staff

-build more productive working relationships

-the highest and most extended form of collegiality

-team teaching, collaborative, planning, peer coaching,

mentoring, and at times, action research.

Joint Work identified by Little (1982, p330)

includes the following 1. Designing and preparing materials

2. Designing Curriculum units

3. Researching materials and ideas for curriculum

4. Writing curriculum

5. Preparing lesson plans

6. Reviewing and discussing plans

7. Crediting new ideas and programs

8. Persuading others to try an idea

9. Making collective agreements to test an idea

10.Inviting others to observe one’s teaching

11.Analyzing practices and effects

12.Teaching others in informal in service

13.Teaching others formally

14.Talking publicly about what one is learning

15.Designing in services for the school

Fostering Collegial RelationshipFirst, The school needs “good teachers” who cooperate in making it work.

“are committed and generous, open to change and eager to

learn, and who see beyond their own successes and failures.”

Second, often have organizational norms that overcome the uncertainties

and isolation of teaching by supporting collegial dialogue, debate over

issues and techniques

teachers in these schools show a tendency to cooperate rather than

to compete, and they work in a safe environment… free of criticism

Fostering Collegial RelationshipThird, collegiality fostered when reference groups that support dialogue, growth,

and experimentation are available to teachers.

in a small school; serve as a successful professional unit- supporting,

encouraging, and debating.

in a larger school; grade-level teams, interdisciplinary units, or

departments

Fourth , collegiality seems to wither or die when teachers are given

insufficient time to engage in the kinds of joint tasks that build

collegial relations and collaborative process (Johnson 1990)

teachers need time to meet, think, and interact

Fostering Collegial RelationshipFinally, collegiality is nurtured when administrators provide encouragement and

accommodation (Johnson 1990)

in this goal may require the principal to set agendas for meetings and to

do work on issues close to the classroom

Comfortable Collaboration

Teachers engage in conversations but do not ask the tough questions and

address the difficult issues facing the school.

How do you manage criticism?

Criticism is non-existent or minimal.

In schools with a culture of comfortable collaboration, the culture carefully

restricts collaboration; teachers stay out of deeper, more extended relationships

that could foster problem solving, exchange, and professional support.

Collaborative

Teachers development is facilitated through interdependence and the

majority of teachers agree on common values and a collective vision for the

school.

Openness, trust, respect, and continual conversations about educational

issues that are best for students.

Collaborative cultures are not balkanized, simply congenial, or only structures of shared work. Rather, they are cultures that support deeper, richer professional interchange.

Collaborative cultures contain the following

features:

• Regular opportunities for continuous improvement• Opportunities for career-long learning• Teachers who are more likely to trust, value, and legitimize sharing expertise; seek advice; and

help other teachers• Decrease sense of powerlessness and increased sense of efficacy• Reduced sense of uncertainty associated with teaching• More team teaching and shared decision-making• Sharing a “common sense of accomplishment” and a strong sense of efficacy• Increased confidence in and commitment to improve of practice• Teachers who regularly seek ideas from seminars, colleagues, conferences, and in-service

workshops• Increased external professional networking with other teachers, schools, programs, and

restructuring associations• A place where “ continuous self-renewal is defined, communicated, and experienced as a taken-

for-granted fact of everyday life

IV SHAPING COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL CULTURES

The process of shaping a collaborative school culture involves:

1. Reading the existing culture2. Identifying aspects of the underlying norms and assumptions that

serve the core mission of the school and the needs of students3. Reinforcing and celebrating those aspects that support

development of a collaborative culture and changing those aspects that support development of a collaborative culture and changing those folkways and norms that destroy collegiality and collaboration

The general knowledge base regarding school

culture:

1. School culture does affect the behavior and achievement of elementary and secondary school students

2. School culture does not fall from the sky; it is created and thus can be manipulated by people within the school

3. School cultures are unique; whatever their commonalities, no two schools will be exactly alike - - nor should they be

4. To the extent that it provides a focus and clear purpose for the school,

5. Can be counterproductive and an obstacle to educational success; 6. Fundamental change

Working Together in Groups: Teamwork

Group rolesStages of group developmentLeadership in small groupsEffective communicationTrust buildingProblem-Solving, planning and decision-making strategiesEffective ways to conduct meetingsConflict resolutionGroup process evaluation

V. SHAPING AND NURTURING COLLABORATIVE

LEADERSHIP

The five myths of leadership noted by Bennis and Nanus (1985) need

to be overcome in collaborative cultures:

Every teacher can be a leader in collaborative schools

Myth 1. Leadership is a rare skill.in many schools, teachers have leadership skills, but

need the opportunities to use them.

In collaborative schools teachers, parents, and others enact leadership.


LEADERSHIP

The five myths of leadership noted by Bennis and Nanus (1985) need

to be overcome in collaborative cultures:

Every teacher can be a leader in collaborative schools

Myth 2. Leaders are born, not made.in many schools, teachers , parents, and others have

become leaders through support, trust, and specific training.

In collaborative schools leaders nurture the skills and abilities of others so they can become leaders.


LEADERSHIP

Myth 3. Leaders are charismatic.most collaborative leaders in groups are not

charismatic, but are skilled, talented motivators of others.

In collaborative schools leadership takes on many forms and emanates from many different people.

Myth 4. Leadership exists only at the top.Leaders are found in every role and position in the

school.In collaborative schools, leadership is spread throughout the school.

Myth 5. The leader controls, prods, directs, and manipulates.

Effective leadership is not heavy-handed and pressuring

In collaborative schools, leaders facilitate, motivate, solve problems, and build a shared sense of purpose.

BUILDING TRUST AND RAPPORT

All leaders find ways to increase the trust in the group and

rapport in working together.

DIAGNOSING THE ORGANIZATION

Teacher leaders in collaborative cultures support the

problem finding and problem solving work of colleagues

Diagnosis of educational problems models for others the kind

of deeper analysis that supports rich collaborative problem solving

and improvement efforts.

BUILDING TRUST AND RAPPORT

All leaders find ways to increase the trust in the group and

rapport in working together.

DEALING WITH THE COLLABORATIVE PROCESS

Collaboration is a complex and demanding activity. It

requires developing trusting, collegial relationships; dealing with

conflict; and maintaining clear focus.

USING RESOURCES AND MANAGING THE WORK

Any form of joint work needs resources and some

coordination.

COLLABOTRATIVE WORK ALSO REQUIRES PLANNING, ORGANIZING, AND

SCHEDULING

It requires coordination.

BUILDING SKILL AND CONFIDENCE IN OTHERS

Leaders also take on the key task of building greater skills

and deeper confidence in their coworkers.