How do you get your “reform” idea across, manage conflict, and still succeed at doing the job you have been hired to do?
Reform is tough, and differences of opinion/perspective are natural in the work-world and schools are no different! Here are a few ideas on getting your reform ideas to happen, minimize conflict, and choose when is the best time to “take a stand”!
I have seen it often happen. As a superintendent of a medium-sized district and earlier in my career as a senior leader within the large public school setting (88,000 students), I have seen staff lose their footing on reform topics that were really not a “fair fight”, even from the beginning of the discussion. Let’s face it, there is a “pecking order” with every organization, so here are a few ideas to navigate the pitfalls for new leaders, or a quick reminder for those seasoned ones on how to keep making the changes needed for great reform.
STAGE 1: Pick Your Battle
Too often I have seen inexperienced, determined, and passionate leaders work up a fury on a topic that eventually cost them their job?! Figuring out what is important and what is on the “fringe” of your reform work is essential to your success. Be sure that you are not simply picking a battle just to feel important because you like to “spar”, or trying to make a name for yourself. When you have a reform idea that needs to be addressed at a higher level of authority, think to yourself “why am I so passionate about this topic, and can my passion be picked up by others around the table?”. When in doubt… make sure that your reform idea supports student achievement first, and the needs of adults supporting kids second. Sure, it is OK to be passionate about your own work! But make sure and understand where this reform work fits in with others at the same table (vying for the same resources of time, people, and money). It is far better to have a few really focused “passions” like “technology in the classroom” or “ELL instruction” than to be passionate every single week about your latest “project”. Let your colleagues around you see that your passions are for the “long-term”, best interest, of kids… and that the battle you are picking is not a “fleeting opinion”.
STAGE 2: Build Consensus Ahead of Time
Ok, once you have decided that “this issue is worth fighting for”, learn to work within the system. I had to learn early in my career that building consensus is simply part of the work, to skip over this factor is incredibly painful! Some people arrive at a discussion thinking that everyone else sitting beside them with an “open mind”. Ideally, yes… but in the world of leadership and politics, many great leaders have 70% of the room convinced of their idea before they ever sit down at the table to discuss the idea. Do you want a new curriculum resource in your school? More busses to support your students for an innovative schedule? Planning on an expensive out-of-state field trip that could really impact kids? How about adding staff to your team? Often these topics are simply too “hot” to bring to the table without a little previously aligned support. Start small, talk with your peers privately saying “Hey, I am simply trying an idea out… what do you think about XYZ?… Could you ever support something like this?”. Figure out the time it is going to take to convince a team of your colleagues to support you before you even enter the room to discuss broadly with a team of those that may/may not support the reform idea. Too often leaders are “reacting” at the table of discussion, rather than being “proactive” about the projects they are working through.
STAGE 3: Support Your Enemies
I know this can sound cliché. But if your greatest “competitor” is always vying for the same resources you need… pick a moment in time where you go out of your way to support his/her idea. Be visual. Be vocal. Let others know you support the “other team” getting a leg up on a project or additional staffing. Yes, this is politics, but know your timing and this very person you support could be your next supporter. I realize this sounds completely political, but I have seen many nay-sayers of a project quiet down, when over a course of the weeks prior the opposing leaders have made efforts to support generously someone else’s projects or business proposals.
STAGE 4: Get Your Bosses Blessing
This is the gentle “art” of suggestion. Start with a hallway question, humbly stating that your idea is “off the wall” or “may not work”. This sounds like… “Hey Mrs. Boss Woman, this idea may not work, but would you ever consider outsourcing our food services to an external company?”. In this way, you have “tested the water” to see if the idea is an easy sell or an uphill climb. If you get a solid “no” to your idea, you just need to decide if you really want this idea to move forward. If so… then read on!
STAGE 5: Make It Their Idea
Some reform ideas are worth giving up the credit to make happen. As you navigate the landscape around a particular project, be sure to think about who really wants the credit for this work? Your boss may truly need to come out of this project looking great, and your idea may not be so perfectly “aligned” to where they are headed. Asking questions like “have you ever considered this solution” or “how can I help be a part of the solution team for this problem” places you smack in the middle of a project team. If you have a great idea (or maybe an even better idea than your boss), this might be the best way to get it launched.
STAGE 6: Linking Your Ideas Strategically
I have seldom had leaders walk up to me out of the blue and say “Hey, I was thinking about our strategic plan this year, what would you think about me championing a team to accomplish XYZ in the strategic plan?”. The fact that your idea helps me accomplish my strategic plan is a home run! I can mark it off my list! Now the challenge here is finding a strategic plan item that your original reform idea would help support…
STAGE 7: Research The Unintended Consequences (“stepping back”)
I cannot tell you the number of times that someone brought a new idea to the table without thinking through all of the ramifications! Sure, sometimes ideas just “blurt out” at the table when our leadership team is discussing. However, most of the time the leader doing the “blurting” should simply slow down, and hold their idea back until completing a little research to see who the idea might impact. I have seen great ideas “shot down” at the discussion table, just because the person bringing the idea had not taken a few “steps back” to connect with others, particularly to whom the idea might negatively impact. The work here is to see who the idea does not work with, or what challenges might exist when implementing. Getting a good handle on these barriers to success will serve you well into the implementation of the project, so nail some of them down before you even bring the reform idea to the table.
STAGE 8: Learn the right way to disagree
I had a leader one time say “we don’t disagree in this organization”. I thought they were crazy! Of course we disagree here, all the time in fact… but what they were really saying is “You keep saying the phrase ‘disagree’, when you should be saying other phrases like ‘well from another perspective’ or ‘I may not be keeping up to speed on this, help me understand what the issues are’”. Simply the way that you say “I disagree with you on this one” can set people off and when it comes your turn for a new project, they will be all too willing to say “Well, I disagree!”.
Conclusion
Once you have considered the “battle” for your new idea, built consensus, obtained your boss’s buy-in, hammered out at least a neutral support group with your enemies, you are ready to present your idea. This does not always have to be planned, “on the agenda”, or formal, just that you have set yourself up to be successful. Some leaders get good at doing this “new idea” thing every week when they meet with their boss, but most of us take a little time to set up all the pieces. Practice at it, bring ideas to the table that you are not as passionate about, and over time you’ll gain the confidence to bringing some really controversial topics for reform and improvement!