Dr.Boone, Campus Leadership

7:41

The next few days will deal with teacher leadership and principal's roles.

Recurring theme: Group work.

Tuesday July 15, 2008 7:41

7:43

Group work:

Decision making can several different methods, It should be with a purpsose or vision.

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7:43

Group vision can strengthen your power as a leader theoretically.
Strengthens buyin from your staff.

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7:48

Toledo theory - no one makes a decision - Abilene syndrome - groups can often make a decision that no single person would support.

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7:51

Standing Group - organized around a topic and remains active. Members can come and go. Site based decision committee. Membership is staggered, members come and go. Ongoing purpose. Chair is the usual leader.

Ad hoc group - task force - form a specific task. Once this task is accomplished, it dissolves.

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7:59

Two really difficult issues with Standing Group:

1. Group think - over time a group that works together tends to begin to think alike, filtering becomes a very strong factor, creativity stagnates.

2. Escalation of commitment - commitment to more resources to ideas, thoughts, programs. Leads to poor decision making. Committed to a solution and continue to invest in it.

3. Group IQ - group tends to move toward the lowest of the group.

Tuesday July 15, 2008 7:59

8:00

Leadership is strengthen by the inclusion of increasing decsion making of the group. Example: Group participative decision making.

Tuesday July 15, 2008 8:00

8:01

Participation is different from consent.

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8:03

Benefits of participative decision making
The potential to arrive at better decisions.
Enhance the growth and development of the organization's member.

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8:04

The most important decision a group makes is to decide how it will makde decisions. At a minimum, the group should determine:

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8:06

1. How problems will be identified and defined.
what is the problem?

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8:07

2. How problems will be dealt with and who should be involved

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3. How all group members will be kept informed of what is going on

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8:07

4. Who identifies the problem

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8:08

The most important step in making a decision it to define the problem. Whoever defines the problem literally controls the decision making process.

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8:13

What kind of a problem is it? A discrete problem is best solved by experts.

The elements of the problem are unambiguous, clear cut and often quantifiable.
The elements of the problem are readily separable.
The solutions to the problem requires a logical sequence of acts that may be readily performed one person.
The boundaries of the problem are relatively easy to discern.

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8:14

An emergent problem might best be solved by a group.

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8:17

Emergent problems:

The elements of teh problems are ambigious, uncertain, and not easily quanfitiable.
The elements of the problem are so intertwined that it is difficult to separate them on the basis of objective criteria.
The solution to the problem requires teh continued coordination and interaction of a number of people.
The dimensions and nature of the problem cannot be fullly known at the time of the decision but will become more fully known as the problem is dealth with over time.

Tuesday July 15, 2008 8:17

8:18

Deciding who should participate?

the test of relevance
the test of expertise
the test of jurisdiction

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8:24

Who wants to participate?

the zone of indifference
the zone of sensitivity
the zone of ambivalence

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8:26

Team administration

Team administraion refers to genuine involvement -- before the fact -- of all levels of goal setting, decision making and probem solving processes.

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8:26

Five common models

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8:28

Recent research in the art of decision making
Schools and administrative work are far more complex than had formerly been assumed.

Administrators go about the thnking that precedes decision making in ways that differ significantly from that of scholars and researchers.

Tuesday July 15, 2008 8:28

8:30

There are tims when participative approach doesn't make any sense.

Tuesday July 15, 2008 8:30

8:35

Some people may not want to be involved in the decision making process. Only involve people who: 1. be effected the decision, 2. will carry out the decision and 3. have some expertise.

Tuesday July 15, 2008 8:35

8:38

TImes when participative decision making may be required:

when radical changes are needed quickly

It is not practical to build a team out of people who interact infrequently.

Participationi s only conversation unless it results in action... follow thru is a must.

Tuesday July 15, 2008 8:38

8:42

Participative decision making is not simple but can be very fruitful if implemented correctly.

Tuesday July 15, 2008 8:42

9:11

Readings in Cultivating Leadership in Schools by Gordon A. Donaldson.

Page 75

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9:13

Strong working relationships is a result of successful leadership.

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9:59

Table 5.1 Staff Relationships: