Educational administrators are bombarded by possible innovations at all educational levels. Programs to upgrade maths, science and social science education, state accountability plans, new approaches to administration, and other ideas are initiated by teachers, administrators, interest groups, reformers, and state regulators. In a school district, the superintendent is the key leader, in an individual school, the Principal is the key leader.
In the AVS District, Superintendent William has responsibility for 11 schools - 8 elementary, 2 Junior high and 1 high school. After attending a management summer course, William sent an email to Principals stating that every teacher in their building was required to develop a set of performance objectives for each class they taught. These objectives were to be submitted within 1 month after the school opened, and copies were to be forwarded to the superintendent's office. William also wrote that he has hired the consultant who taught the management course to help teachers write objectives during their annual opening in-service day of orientation work.
Mr. Xavier, Principal of Mitran Academy School, sent his teachers the following memo: "Friends - Superintendant William, has asked me to inform you that written performance objectives for your courses must be handed in 1 month from today. This afternoon at the in-service meeting, you will receive instruction in composing these objectives."
In response, one teacher Mr. Pandya sent a note asking, "Is anything wrong with our teaching? Is this the reason we have to spend hours writing objectives?"
Xavier heard Mr. Raina tell Mr. Dhawan in the corridor, "I don't see how all this objectives business will improve my classroom. It sounds like an empty exercise. In fact, because of the time it will take me to write objectives, it will hurt my teaching. I should be reading on new developments and working on lesson plans."
Sensing a repulsion from the teachers, Principal Xavier contacts you his good old friend for advice on how to communicate in order to motivate the teachers to adapt to the change in the process.
- What would you do differently as a leader, if you were in William's place before introducing the change?
- How should Xavier present staff concerns to William?
- How should Xavier try to help the staff to adapt to the process change?