Build your Culture and They will Come

August 1 was officially my first day in a new building after taking a leap of faith to leave what had been home and comfortable for the past eight years. When I made this decision, I began thinking of how I was going to build the foundation that was necessary to challenge and disrupt the status quo yet again. While raising achievement is a goal, disrupting the status quo in my new district is more of the expectation; however, I knew that going in with my ideas and cramming them down their throat would get us nowhere. John Maxwell discusses this mistake in his book, 5 Levels of Leadership. 

• Level 1: Position (people have to work for you)
• Level 2: Permission (people want to follow you and work with you)
• Level 3: Production (get results)
• Level 4: People Development (grow leaders)
• Level 5: Pinnacle (The best of the best. They name buildings after you.)

The mistake that many new leaders make is they stop at level 1, position. They think that because they have a fancy name plate on their door with a fancy title that they immediately are the leader and everyone will follow. These are the leaders that jump around every 2-3 years. They don't really lead, they mandate. They ignore the culture of the building. The other mistake is that veteran "leaders" think that because they have experience, they can just switch jobs and pick up where they left off. They never ask for permission. I knew I had to begin with relationships and culture. I had to listen and learn. I had to start over with the culture of the building.

Everybody talks about it, but does everybody really value culture. Ken Williams and Tom Hierck (2015) in Starting a Movement talk about it. Anthony Muhammad (2009) in Transforming School Culture talked about it. We see books published that sell thousands that continue to talk about school culture and the importance. 

The problem...everybody runs scared towards higher test scores. Very few are willing to step out of line and be different. We set mandates and "non-negotiables" and we try to dictate and manage change. Even though we know this does not work. 

Williams and Hierck (2015) state, "few to no educators respond that accountability, scores, and are a reason they entered the field of teaching." (p. 7)

Yet, year after year, schools continue to do the same thing.  We evaluate teachers based on student achievement, student growth, and the almighty test scores. Often, we end up with worksheet-driven, test-prep classrooms because we have to cover the standards. Everything else is ignored. We focus on nothing but academic achievement.  In doing so, we kill creativity and innovation. We manage the passion and fire out of our teachers which rolls down to our students. Then our best leave our schools because they can't do it anymore. 

Now, I am not advocating to ditch all accountability and just have a big party everyday. It is not going to be unicorns and rainbows all the time. Making change is difficult. It is uncomfortable. Often when you talk about disrupting the status quo, there is no playbook so the fear of failure is there.

What I am challenging you to think about and focus on though is what is most important. I am asking you to think about how you can find that balance of taking care of your school family (that would be your team at school). I am urging you to let Hamish Brewer (2019) rub off on you and find a way to let your kids know everyday that you love them. I am challenging you to reconnect with your community and families and make sure they know you love them and we are here to do this together. There is nothing wrong with developing a family at school. Too often, there is this thought that there are two sides: admin on one and teachers on the other. How can we work together when we think like this? That type of culture breeds top-down mandates. As a leader, you might think you are creating change, but really, it only changes when you are looking. As a principal, you cannot do this work in isolation. If you are thinking this way, it is going to be a long, lonely career my friend. 

What I am suggesting is far greater than chasing test scores. That is part of it and in the end, you will get the test scores you want (dissertation to follow). Focus on the culture of your building, and great things will follow. If you are going to be a #statusquodisruptor, you cannot go alone. If you try to, you end up being a lone nut. 

Here are some strategies, not steps you could use. (Disclaimer, disrupting the status quo is messy. There is no blueprint. There is not always a model. So continue reading at your own risk; however, if you take that leap of faith and disrupt the status quo you will be rewarded in the end.

• Develop a shared set of values and eventually a shared mission...not your values pushed on others. A shared set of values. Do this with your leadership team and every other team in your building. If you don't do this, you are going to go alone. You might go faster but you will go alone. This takes time, but you will begin to establish a set of values that everyone can take away as believing in and owning at least part of. That is the key. Don't just do it with your leadership team or your teachers. Everybody gets a voice: support staff, parents, students, and anyone else who has something to do with the building. As you progress, you begin to understand everyone's "Why" and then can develop a mission that everyone can believe in and own. Everyone goes to work, but how many go to complete a mission? From this, you realize where everyone comes from. As Covey would say, you Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. Put the time in. If you try to skip this, forget it. If you are successful and you can inspire a shared vision, you will build momentum and there isn't anything you can't do.

• Beyond values, get to know your school family. I warn you though. Don't be fake. If you develop a set of values that drive your mission and can develop the relationships at work, you are going to be unstoppable. You protect family, you will do anything for family. Again though, it will not always be unicorns and rainbows. Like any family or great team, you will have tough times. The relationships though, if you base your decisions on the the shared mission, will survive and you will grow.

• Love your kids. Love your kids. Love your kids. When your kids know you love them, they will do anything. When you go to bat for them and not against them, they will do anything for you. Again though, don't be fake. Kids especially can smell the fakes from a mile away. Believe in them, support them, and love them. I watched Hamish's video that profiled him a probably sometime around 2017 and watched him get on the microphone and say, "If nobody has told you today that they love you, Mr. Brewer loves you." Take the time and watch his Ted Talk below and then if you have not, go buy his book, Relentless. Education needs more Hamish Brewers.

If you have your family and you have taken the time to build a shared mission, there is nothing you can't do as a school building. As a principal, get out of the way. If you think you have to do everything and everything has to be your idea, you are just extinguishing the fire that burns in everyone. Once you have that mission, get out of the way. Your team will go to bat for you, each other, and for the kids. Before too long, the ones who are not there for the right reasons will stand out. If you have a family though, the expectation will be that you have their back and they have your back. They will expect you to address those not committed to the mission. 

This is difficult, exhausting work. When you invest your heart and soul into the mission, it is taxing on you. That is why family is so important. You will need each other to get through the tough times. So love your kids, love and support your team.  

We are in the beginning stages of developing our culture; however, I am proud of what we have accomplished over the the past few week.

Trust me. Build your culture and they will come.

Thank you so much for taking the time. If you want to connect, follow me on Twitter @PrincipalCMill.

References:

Maxwell, J. (2011). Five Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize your 

             Potential. New York, NY: Hatchette Book Group.

Muhammad, A. (2009). Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff

            Division. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.

Williams, K., Hierk, T. (2015). Starting a Movement: Building Culture from the 

           Inside out in Professional Learning Communities. Bloomington, IN: 

           Solution Tree.